Pitzer College

Just outside of Los Angeles, Pitzer College is a "socially responsible and progressive" liberal arts and sciences college with "great academics" and "active students" and that "feels like a second home." Students prize Pitzer's "flexible graduation requirements," especially "the ability to create your own major," and "the options and resources offered throughout the Claremont Consortium," which includes the ability to take classes at any of the other five Claremont Colleges. Because the school is so small, with an enrollment of around 1,200 undergrads, students feel they belong to a close and caring community: "Pitzer College is basically a year-round summer camp where people go to grow as individuals through liberal arts studies and through relationships that they build." Current students praise the school's "interdisciplinary focus and non-Western centric studies." Furthermore, students say they "love the academic support" they receive at Pitzer, especially the professors, who are "well connected but incredibly caring." "All my professors know me by name," students tell us, "even in introductory courses. [Instructors] all have PhDs from prestigious universities and demonstrate love for teaching." Experiential learning opportunities "[extend] far beyond the classroom to community service projects, the dorms, and abroad," and, because of the school's size, students often get the chance to conduct research with their professors as well. "By my second semester of my first year a professor offered me a research position," one student tells us, which "is typical for many students since class sizes are small, so we get to create intimate relationships and have direct discussions with professors."

While Pitzer's student body contains diverse personalities and backgrounds, in one respect these Sagehens are the same: "Everyone is passionate about something. You won't find a single student who isn't somehow involved on campus outside of the classroom." At Pitzer, "most students tend to lean far left in ideology," and they are generally "outspoken about their views...but open-minded students of any political ideology should not fear the liberal environment." "I cannot count the number of nights I have stayed up until 2:00 a.m. discussing issues ranging from Middle Eastern politics to growing up in the inner-cities," one student tells us. Students speak highly of one another and judge that their peers "are sincerely pursuing passions that they believe are reflective of themselves, as opposed to doing things for jobs/other forms of external validation." Many students are focused on "social justice" and environmental issues, though some reject the "Pitzer hippy stereotype." More than anything, they seem to agree that Pitzer students are "intellectual, and seeking to use that intellect to do good in the world."

Because of the mild southern California climate, Pitzer students can be found "around the pool or in the Grove House" (a student center), as well as enjoying other idyllic locations. "I manage the school garden and care for chickens," one student tells us. "I spend a lot of afternoons just hanging out in the garden doing homework or talking to friends." Weekends are spent taking advantage of the surrounding landscapes by "hiking in the mountains by the school or [driving] into L.A. to shop or go to the beach." Students here are serious about their academics, but they do "study together and mix chatting in with homework." They also take a lot of ownership over how the campus is run: "We sit on hiring committees and our Student Senate has more power than the administration." "Multiple student-run eateries [and] strong student organizations" create a "collaborative atmosphere." On-campus there is "a very active party scene," and "on weekends, [themed] parties are usually hosted by the school." Students "love that Pitzer provides a super progressive environment."