Scripps College

Date: Nov 27 2008
Major: Undecided (This Major's Salary over time)
I absolutely love this school. I'm only a freshman, but Scripps really is the best of both worlds- small, intimate, women's/liberal arts college with all the benefits of a large, coed university. I can meet people from the other colleges of the consortium by going to their dining halls, parties, clubs, classes, and extracurriculars. Another reason I love it is the accessibility- everything is pretty close to each other, so I'm not taking a bus or running to classes or anything. Students here are definitely not limited in any respect, as the faculty make themselves very available, even the dean of students encourages students to meet with her. You can petition to join classes or do whatever you want very easily. The women's college aspect is pretty subtle to me. I still hang out with guys from the other colleges, but I have a very tight-knit group of girlfriends who I feel like I've known forever. The college really bolsters the women's college part, which I think supports a community among the students. The academics are challenging- I've written more papers and read more texts in one semester than I feel like I did in one year of my challenging, private high school. It is definitely manageable, though, especially since my classes are so interesting and the professors make themselves available. Class sizes are small and it's really easy to contact your professor if you need help with anything. The social life (in terms of partying) on Scripps campus is not very existent, aside from the friends you make there. We mostly just go to the other colleges since partying is more publicly acceptable there. I have no qualm with this, though, since I can come back to my nice, clean, quiet dorm, or if I don't feel like going out, I'm not inundated with noise.

I am actually surprised when I hear that a student is unhappy here (even though it happens at every school). I think if, for any reason, it would be because they are homesick, can't handle the work, or are not putting themselves out there. However, this is just my experience- I did intensive research before applying and loved Scripps even before I enrolled, so it was kind of expected that I would love it here. Comparing my experience with those of my friends at other schools, I definitely would not prefer to be anywhere else.