The Admission Deadline is Approaching! A couple announcements and tips from the Admission Office

As I write this post, I can hear the hum of the Admission printer spitting out Common Applications, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and graded writing assignments. What an exciting time of year it is at Scripps! The past week has brought almost 15 inches of rain to southern CA, which a local radio program announced is the largest storm we have seen in 10 years. Just like the deluge of rain water to the area, we have experienced a rush of applications and credentials to the College.

This year, we are proud to announce a number of new merit-based scholarships here at Scripps College. All applicants will automatically be considered for the Trustee ($15,000, four years) and Presidential ($10,000, four years) awards. For more information on those scholarships, in addition to the James E. Scripps and New Generation awards, please visit: http://think.scrippscollege.edu/scholarships.php.

Additionally, we are happy to extend the admission deadline to January 10, 2011 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision admission for Fall 2011. Please remember that January 10 is a postmark deadline. If you have any questions about the admission process, please don't hesitate to email us at admission@scrippscollege.edu or call 800-770-1333.

Finally, the Office of Admission will be closed December 24 through January 2. After a busy fall where we traveled to high schools, college fairs, and receptions around the country, our staff is sincerely looking forward to some time with family and friends. Which brings me to my tip for the next couple weeks... Although your college application deadlines are rapidly approaching (which I am sure creates a certain amount of stress), please take some time to enjoy this wonderful time of year with family and friends. Go the movies. Read a book (just because you want to!). Walk your dog. Bake cookies with your grandma (or grandpa!). Journal. At Scripps, we believe that students who do well in college are able to strike the balance between working hard and taking time just to be you.

I hope you find the time to enjoy your winter break. Best of luck with your applications and we'll be back in 2011!

Most sincerely,
Laura, Director of Admission

Scripps College's Required Writing Sample... Why We Ask For It, How to Send It, What We're Looking For

Applying to college is exhausting enough without having to complete all of the fun extras like school-specific supplements and writing samples, right? While we feel your pain, we actually have some solid reasons for requiring a writing supplement with your Scripps College application. In addition to sending us your Common Application and the Scripps College supplement, we ask that you submit a 3-7 page, graded, analytical essay that you wrote in your junior or senior year. Let me tell you why.

Scripps is a writing-intensive environment. All of our first-year students engage in regular writing assignments through Writing 50: Critical Analysis and the first course (Core I) in the Core Curriculum.  As seniors, all Scripps students complete a senior thesis, an opportunity to produce a substantial and original piece of writing that contributes to knowledge in their field of study. While Scripps courses will help students develop as writers, we believe that incoming students should be able to demonstrate a solid grasp of analytical writing to ensure their success in our curriculum.

Another reason why we like to see a graded sample of your analytical writing is to assess what kind of feedback you have gotten on your writing. As you can imagine, teachers and schools vary in the quality of their instruction, so it helps us to see an actual sample of both your writing and the kind of writing instruction and grading you have experienced.

If your only sample is longer than 7 pages, go ahead and send it. We cannot promise to read every word, but we will read enough of it to evaluate your abilities. If you have no graded, analytical writing sample from a junior- or senior-year class, then submit a paper from a sophomore-year class. If you do not have any writing samples with your teacher’s comments, you can send a clean copy, but please indicate the grade you earned.

How can you choose your best writing sample? First, make sure that it is analytical rather than creative. An analytical paper is one that makes an argument or analyzes an issue (in politics, economics, history, etc.) or in a work (or works) of literature. Choose an essay that you are proud of, that you worked hard on, or that you feel represents your best work. You may submit a piece of creative writing as a supplement to the analytical writing sample. Please mail your writing sample to the Office of Admission (1030 Columbia Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711), fax it to our office (909-607-7508), or scan it and send it via email (admission@scrippscollege.edu). Please include your name, address, email/phone.

We look forward to reading your work!

Tina, Admission Counselor

Art, Music, Dance, and Athletic Supplements in the Scripps Admission Process

Are you interested in participating in art, dance, or music at Scripps College?  Do you want to continue your athletic endeavors by competing on a Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) sports team?  Then, consider sending in a supplement!  Scripps accepts the art, dance, music, and athletic supplements as part of your application.  When you submit a supplement, it is forwarded to the appropriate department where it is first reviewed by a faculty member or coach.  This feedback is carefully considered by the admission committee to gain a better understanding of your potential artistic or athletic contributions to our community. 

It should be noted that these supplements are optional, and not required.  Applicants who are serious in their pursuit of art, music, dance, or athletics at Scripps and wish to showcase their talents to the admission committee are welcomed to submit their supplements by the deadline of January 1^st.  This deadline is for both Early Decision II and Regular Decision applicants.

For guidelines and more information on our supplements, please visit our supplements page. Good luck in putting the finishing touches on your applications!

Connie, Admission Counselor

It's Registration Time at Scripps! Here's a Look at Some Interesting Courses on Campus

It is class pre-registration week at Scripps, which means that campus is currently buzzing with students talking about favorite classes and professors. Students revel in the ability to choose 4 or 5 classes that they’ve heard were thought-provoking, incredibly fun, or even life-changing. And the best part is that if you’re a morning person, you’re free to schedule all your classes in the morning. But if your not, choose all afternoon classes! I thought I’d share with you some of the most popular courses at Scripps. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up taking one of these classes!

Cyberculture CORE 3 – During your first three semesters at Scripps, all students take part in the CORE program. For more information on CORE, visit this website: http://www.scrippscollege.edu/academics/core/index.php. In Core 3 Cyberculture, students explore what cyberspace and cyberculture mean and discuss a variety of issues related to Cyber or Internet Culture and its rapid growth and influence. The class includes topics such as Facebook, Google, internet addiction, privacy, cyberbullying, and intellectual property.  In addition to papers, students are lead one discussion and create a website for their final project.  Finally, a class that requires you to be on Facebook!

Personal Finance – This economics course, which is open to seniors in the Spring, covers all the fundamentals of personal finance management, tools of saving, investing, managing credit, paying taxes, and long-term planning. As a senior preparing to live in the “Real World” and be financially independent, I’m extremely grateful for this class offering. Maybe after this class I will be able to eat more than Ramen Noodles next year!

Intro to Photography – For students interested in exploring their creative side, Intro to Photography is often a popular choice because there is freedom to choose the topics of your photo shoot, depending on your interests. This class uses film cameras and students learn to develop their own photographs in a dark room, located on in Lang Art Studio on campus. In a final project, students have explored everything from street performers, to exploring Los Angeles to photographing their friends.

Cell Biology – Many science majors interested in molecular biology choose to take Cell Biology, which is a class where students learn about processes on a cellular levels including different components of the cell, how they interact together and how it can apply to global topics like HIV/AIDS and cancer. Students discuss how molecular biology is related to genetic diseases and current events related to biology. At the end of the semester, students complete an independent project exploring a topic of their choice using techniques learned in the class lab section. Some science teachers even compose songs or interpretative dances to help students remember complicated material!

Writing for Non-Profits – Interested in going into the non-profit world or learning how to write an effective grant? Writing For Non-Profits is one of the most popular writing classes because it teaches students how to write grants for organizations and also helps students with scholarship and fellowship applications. This class certainly has real-world application, especially since the final project is writing an actual grant for a non-profit of your choice and many students have actually submitted their projects and earned money for an organization!

While next semester will be my last at Scripps, there are still so many classes that are on my “to-take” list. I honestly wish there was endless time to take classes here, but unfortunately we have to graduate. I’m sure your four years at Scripps will be filled with equally as wonderful and interesting classes as I have experienced!

Hannah ('11), Office of Admission Student Intern

Life Outside The Classroom: Extracurricular Activities at Scripps College

As a senior at Scripps, I’ve had ample time to explore academics in a number of disciplines, finish two majors, complete a semester abroad in Vienna, Austria, and be part of a Psychology research team, but what played one of the most significant roles for me in exploring my interests and finding where I wanted to fit among my peers were on-campus clubs and organizations (CLORGS). As a first-year, I worried about balancing the time of extracurriculars with my academics, so I began with a minimal commitment—volunteering with the Admission Ambassador Team (AAT) giving weekly tours and hosting students overnight. I could direct my energy and excitement about Scripps to prospective students, and since I had just been through the college search and admission process could give helpful advice. This required only a few hours of my time each week, and by second semester, I remember deciding with my roommate that we would both take on significant extracurricular activities.

I turned in an application to Jumpstart, an AmeriCorps non-profit that requires a 300 hr term of service over the course of one year. Jumpstart ended up playing a huge role in the remainder of my time at Scripps and in my life. I spent two mornings a week with a team of 5C students at a local HeadStart preschool with a partner child helping her develop reading and social skills, as well as two hours a week in team meetings planning lessons for the next session. I took on a bigger leadership role within Jumpstart my sophomore year as “Team Leader,” coordinating the student teams, overseeing their work with the preschoolers, and leading the classroom sessions. This directed my passion for working with children and the option to pursue education as a career…plus, by the time I got to my 11am class, I already felt so accomplished and had received 20+ hugs that day!

While I was deciding to join Jumpstart, my roommate signed up to be a DJ and volunteer at KSPC, the 5C independent radio station. Three years later she has taken on many roles within KSPC including promotions director and music director, has worked planning concerts, and still DJs each week. KSPC and Jumpstart are both 5C extracurriculars that have given me a strong friendship base across the colleges.

I had found so much satisfaction in the CLORGS I had become a part of that I thought I’d keep picking them up. I play violin, and towards the end of my sophomore year realized that I wanted to try something other than orchestra. With the encouragement of my friends, I joined Mariachi Serrano de Claremont, the all student run 5C Mariachi group. I became obsessed. The Tuesday practices were the highlight of my week, and I made friends I wouldn’t have found in any of my classes. The dynamic was different than anything I had experienced in playing music—there was history, culture, passion, and fun. We hung out with our instruments outside of practice and tried new things, taught each other new songs, and as a group committed to weekly gigs both on and off-campus. I am now a co-president of Mariachi Serrano, coordinating the weekly practices.

I helped plan a few concerts through KSPC radio station and fell in love with booking bands and getting musicians we wanted to support to play on the 5Cs. I also had shared emotions with others with the underrepresentation of women musicians brought to the campuses, and that Scripps had seemed to fall into a singer-songwriter niche when booking women musicians. With two of my friends with experience at KSPC, we founded Scripps LiveArts this year, which works to bring independent musicians, most of whom have women members, from different genres to campus, and to use different spaces on campus in ways they’ve never been used before. Members learn the ropes of booking concerts, designing concert posters, promoting concerts, and how to discover independent artists.

Incredibly important at Scripps and on the 5Cs are clubs and organizations that provide resources and empowerment. The ones at Scripps are housed in SCORE, which is a community space of people committed to enhancing and supporting diversity at Scripps and The Claremont Colleges. Some of these CLORGS include the Asian American Student Union, Wanawake Weusi, which seeks to support women of African descent, Café con Leche, which is a forum for the discussion of social, political, and economic issues that affect women, particularly those of Latina descent, and Family, the Scripps Queer-Straight Alliance.

The point is that we have endless opportunities to join an extracurricular that you have experience in, for something that you want support in, or something completely new you want to try.

Other popular clubs and organizations on campus include:

* Challah for Hunger: organization that bakes and sells loaves of Challah to students, sending proceeds to Sudanese refugee populations

* Outdoor Women Leaders: Organize outdoor activities (think rock climbing, hiking, surfing) or check out gear to do a trip of your own!

* Scripps College Mock Trial: members portray lawyers and witnesses in national tournaments

* Student Investment Fund: Students interested in financial markets and investing, manages a portfolio of around ten companies

* Voice: Scripps’s student-run newspaper, published bi-weekly

* [In]Visible Magazine: student-run magazine devoted to addressing the issues of body image on campus while promoting appreciation of inner beauty

* Fine Cheese Club: Scripps students gather weekly to appreciate delicious cheese

* Claremont Colleges Equestrian Team: 5C team of both competitive and recreational riders

* Intercollegiate Inner Tube Water Polo: Yep, this exists.

* Various a cappella groups (Women’s Blue & White, Midnight Echo)

Erin, Admission Ambassador Team Coordinator, Class of 2011

What happens now: A glimpse into the application process from inside the Admission Office

It’s now the second week of November and the first of the college’s application deadlines has passed. Ever wonder what is happening to that application you’ve just submitted?

During this time of year our hardworking staff members are getting applications assembled and ready to read. Bins of mail are brought over from the Scripps Mailroom each day. Common applications submitted online are printed. GPAs are recalculated. Supplements are sent to their respective departments for review.

All of the pieces of the application—from the Common Application and Scripps Supplement to the teacher recommendations and Graded Writing Assignment—are logged in and put together for each applicant. A labeled, color-coded folder is created for every candidate (green file folders for our merit scholarship applicants, pink for Early Decision candidates). Applicants with missing credentials are notified by the office.

What are we looking for in an applicant? First, someone who has done well in a rigorous curriculum and has the support from her school as well as the test scores to back up her academic achievement in high school. Obviously we want to admit applicants who are likely to be successful in the challenging academic program offered at Scripps and, beyond that, we look for students who have shown intellectual engagement in and passion for at least one academic field.

In addition, we try to imagine what the applicant would be like as a member of the Scripps community. In what ways would she contribute outside the classroom? Is she likely to be an involved community member—in student government, on the newspaper, as a member of Challah for Hunger, or on an athletic team? What will she be like as a roommate?

Each piece of the application is significant and reveals something about the prospective student. Our goal, as admission officers, is to take a holistic approach to reviewing each file with the goal of putting together an accomplished, promising, and diverse group of young women to add to the Scripps community.

Best regards,

Margaret, Admission Counselor

Living in Claremont and the Los Angeles area

Location, location, location.

That’s the first rule of real estate, and it’s often high on a student’s priority list when it comes to choosing a college. After all, four years is a long time to be in a place you’d rather not even visit. One major difference is between urban and rural or suburban campuses, while another important factor is the region of the country where a college is located. Those who thrive at urban universities love all of the off-campus options for food, entertainment, even work opportunities. Rural campuses often offer a beautiful or peaceful natural environment with few distractions and a focus on campus life, while suburban campuses can offer a bit of both.

Scripps is located in Claremont, CA, a town of 35,000, located just within Los Angeles County’s border. We claim L.A. status, but we live in the shadow of the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains, which offer great hiking, biking, and even skiing opportunities in the winter. Drive east an hour and a half, and you’re in Palm Springs. An hour west, and you’re at the Pacific Ocean. If you like outdoor adventures (and there is a Claremont Colleges club for that), you will be in a prime location for surfing, rock-climbing, hiking, camping, or horseback riding. The heart of the town itself is “the Village,” a downtown area with shopping, dining, and entertainment in walking distance (about 20 minutes) of Scripps’s campus. Students wander the farmer’s market on Sunday mornings, and enjoy all the ice cream and frozen yogurt options, cafés, the independent movie theaters, and the jazz and comedy clubs. When the parents visit, you will also have plenty of restaurant options—from diners, to Afghan food, to sushi or Italian fare.

When Claremont gets too small, there’s always L.A. We have a MetroLink station in the Village, where you can catch a commuter train into downtown L.A., or you can check out one of our Zipcars, cars shared by Claremont College students and rented by the hour. We also sponsor student trips to Dodger games, theater productions, museums, the beach, Disneyland, or other attractions on a regular basis. Just get on the bus!

Living in Claremont offers a bit of everything: outdoor adventures, small-town charm, and easy big city access. Not a bad place to be for the next four years if you choose to come to Scripps.

Tina, Admission Counselor