Academics
One of the five members of the Claremont College consortium, Scripps College is a small, liberal arts school in California that develops women into critically thinking and socially conscious individuals set to improve their surroundings. With an enrollment of approximately 1,050 students, Scripps is able to provide many elements of a small school experience within the umbrella of the Consortium, which “allows for access to the resources of a much larger institution” and gives undergrads “space...to find their interest while also fostering an incredible sense of community.” The benefits of the women’s college experience are “undeniable,” according to students: “To be surrounded by a group of strong educated women is a very empowering experience.” Professors at Scripps are “accomplished in their fields, challenging, and interesting people,” who are always willing to take time after class to speak to an individual student or to explain a certain point of a lecture. “I look forward to going to class every day; my professors motivate me to do my best,” says a student. Aside from the required core class that all first-semester freshmen must take, almost every class has fewer than twenty students, and there is “lots of dialogue about interesting and important issues.” “If you’re not angry about the status quo, you’re doing it wrong,” says a student. There are a fair number of people who double major or minor in very unusual combinations, “which is unique to Scripps,” due to the emphasis on interdisciplinary learning and the idea that “no academic field exists in a vacuum.” “This is huge when you’re trying to apply things to the real world or imagine where your career might take you,” says a student.
Student Body
Students here are all “engaged, outgoing, and passionate about something.” The campus “can be a little cliquey,” but everyone maintains a high level of respect and appreciation for the interests of others, and “are really open to meeting new people both within and outside their grade level.” A lot of students have on-campus jobs. Most are “politically aware” and “social activist(s),” “use ‘they’ pronouns” and pepper conversation with terminology “like ‘heteropatriarchy’ and ‘neoliberalism.’” And of course, “every Scripps student is a feminist.” For those who are hesitant about the single sex enrollment, never fear: “The cross-registration process, dining halls, and friendships mean there are plenty of males on campus.”
Campus Life
The social scene is not isolated to a single campus, which is what allows “such a diversity of types of personalities”: “We often call the 5Cs, Camp Claremont.” For fun, students “go to any of the events thrown by the 5C” (which are open to everyone), or “work out, go to the pool, have picnics outside, and venture into Los Angeles when they’re not doing work.” On sunny days, you can find the main quad filled with people studying and sunbathing. “Most of the nightlife that Scripps students are involved in takes place on other campuses” that are just a five-minute walk away, but social life at Scripps is balanced with “parties, carnivals, movie nights, trivia nights, off-campus events, and other forms of entertainment.” The “quieter, and more feminist” campus is also “one of the most beautiful” many have seen, with “large open spaces that contain gardens and a variety of fruit trees for picking.” With “endless orange trees and endless opportunities,” some say “Scripps seems like a dream.” The gym (known as the Field House) is “impeccable and was designed particularly for women.” Going into other parts of Los Angeles is easy with a car, but most students choose to have fun in the village, which has “great restaurants and bars, a movie theater, and decent shopping.”