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