Hi, I’m trying to decide between going to Scripps, Smith or Wesleyan.
I’m planning to major in psychology and want to eventually pursue grad school (PhDs in psych are really competitive).
So research opportunities, professors, and courses are important to me.
I’m from the East Coast but definitely like the idea of living in California.
I know that Wesleyan is ranked the highest out of those three but I’m not sure if I fit in as well with the student body. I’m also a little concerned that Scripps is ranked much lower–do the rankings reflect the opportunities that students will have in the future?
I’m definitely introverted and don’t love partying.
Thanks!
Have you visited all 3 schools? My D23 visited Smith, Wesleyan, and Pomona (and while at a Pomona, walked around at Scripps and also sat in on a class that was a Pomona class but with a lot of Scripps students in it) and was able to suss out her sense of fit as a result. Which have you visited and what did you feel/learn?
Have you looked into the structure of the major at each school? How much do you value an open curriculum? (Be aware that Smith has an open curriculum while Wes has general ed expectations for psych majors General Education - Wesleyan University ) How much do you value a consortium (definitely an element of your experience at Scripps; can make some use of it at Smith)? Can you articulate what about Wes feels less like a fit to you? Are they all equally affordable?
Great choices- congrats!
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Thanks for your response! I have visited all three–I think maybe I feel like I fit in less at Wes because it’s not a women’s college and seems to have a more traditional social scene (frats, parties, etc…) I definitely like the idea of the open curriculum at Smith. I also really like the Claremont consortium, but have heard that it is hard to get into classes at some schools. They are all equally affordable for me.
My kid is off to Wes in the fall, and this is not at all the impression we got of the school. While there are a few fraternities, participation is minimal; our tour guides made clear that it was a niche thing that was a great option for the kids who wanted it but not at all dominant. And my understanding is that parties are more house parties/gatherings. You might check out the Wes Reddit, where this has been discussed recently.
One other thing about Wes is that they offer a one-year masters for free for a few majors, including psychology. So if grad school is in your future, this is worth looking into.
Good luck!
ETA: I just looked at the Wes Reddit, and there’s someone else deciding between Scripps and Wes, but that person wants a really robust social life. You two should connect and compare notes!
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So take Wes out - because you can only pick one!!
Then compare just Smith vs. Scripps - do you like sunshine and warmth year round? Mountains?
Do you like the larger, more tight consortium vs. the Mass consortium?
Don’t go with “I heard” - do some research. Talk to aa student ambassador? Ask - often “I heard” isn’t true.
It may be both work for you - so pick one of the two - and run with it!! I don’t think, with a pscy degree, rank matters at all - especially with the schools listed.
Best of luck.
Sounds like you really want to go to Scripps. As an East Coaster, it may, in fact, be your last best chance to experience a virtually risk-free existence in another part of the country. What’s the worst that could happen? You may wind up going to grad school in California, too?
ETA: Wes has elements of each of the Claremont colleges among its 3,000 students and you’ll no doubt encounter the same party-going at Claremont-McKenna, the same level of nerdy academics at Pomona as well as the more laid-back, artistically inclined, Scripps and Pitzer students at some point during your four years in southern California.
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Among the Claremonts, Pitzer may represent the strongest school for the study of psychology, so make sure, if you were to choose Scripps, that you could take several of your courses there, if desired.
Smith itself offers a strong psychology program, as do — to experience a variety of orientations — other consortium members Holyoke and UMass. As you noted, Smith offers an open curriculum, which appeals to you.
Wesleyan, as well, would be excellent for your major. Its predominate atmosphere might be described as very socially liberal.
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It sounds like you want to go to California, so go to California! You can’t go wrong with these options. My D23 considered Scripps and really liked it -such a lovely community, with the advantage of having the resources of the consortium at your disposal. Of course, the same could be said of Smith – but I think the Claremont consortium is even easier to take advantage of than the five-college consortium in Mass., because the Claremont schools are all right next to each other. Do a little research to get a sense of whether what you’ve heard about access to courses across the Claremont consortium is true. It might be more the case for first-years, and then it might get easier to get into classes as you have more seniority. But otherwise, it’s okay to go with your gut here.
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They aren’t all that different in PhD recipients. I’m sure someone else has a link to better data since it isn’t letting me link the specific table…
I agree with what has been said- all great schools, no wrong choice academically, all equally priced….I second the “gut choice” which sounds like Scripps. I’m your age, so take what I say with a grain of salt……but my decision would be to go based off gut and campus feeling.
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In the context of a national ranking, Wesleyan, Smith and Scripps place fairly similarly, at 57th (93rd percentile), 60th (93rd percentile) and 65th (92nd percentile), respectively:
I believe you can comfortably disregard differences in this aspect in making your decision.
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I have a current first year at Pomona, who has many friends at Scripps, who are having a great experience. The consortium is unique - you will be in a women’s college, but the schools are very interconnected - you will definitely take classes at the other schools. There is not a big “party” scene, but the students are involved in many activities and there are a lot of social, cultural and outdoor adventure opportunites if you want them. If that appeals to you, I think Scripps is a fantastic choice. I would not worry at all about the rankings - students from Scripps go everywhere for grad school. Some courses fill, but there are so many great professors - students do find many options of available classes to take. The climate is amazing too, as a midwesterner - it is a treat! But, it is far, and harder to get home frequently. That has been the only downside for us with Pomona.
You have fantastic options - Congratulations!!
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I don’t think there’s any clear winner among these three; it would be a completely individual choice.
If this is your greatest concern about Scripps,
I would discount it heavily. You are hearing about the exceptions rather than the rule. If you wanted to take econ classes at Claremont McKenna, or computer science classes at Harvey Mudd, then you would have issues. But psychology? No. My daughter wasn’t a psych major, but she took an intro psych class at Pomona, and an intro neuroscience class through Keck Science, team-taught by psych profs from several schools. (These were both in her first year, and she had no trouble getting into them.) She ultimately took classes from all five colleges, and since her primary major was an off-campus major, she ended up taking more non-Scripps classes than Scripps classes. The registration portal is shared, and signing up for a class is done exactly the same way no matter which campus it’s on. Sometimes there are sections that are designated, for example, “Pitzer only”… and sometimes it’s necessary to submit a “perm request” (short for permission) to be admitted to a class (this can be true even for Scripps classes), and sometimes classes fill up before it’s your turn to register, no matter which campus they’re on. (But this will be the case at any school you attend.) Overall, the opportunities to cross-register are vast and shouldn’t be a worry at all.
That’s not to say that Scripps is necessarily a better choice than the other two. But cross-reg wise, don’t worry… and it’s certainly much easier and more convenient than cross-registering in the MA 5-College Consortium.
I also don’t have an impression of Wes as fratty. Everyplace has parties, although there aren’t many parties based in the living areas at Scripps, so you generally have a restful place to come home to, whether you head out to party or choose other forms of entertainment. (But I don’t know that this is any less true at the other two schools.)
I will say that I think the “dorm culture” and living group traditions are stronger at Smith than at Scripps. Scripps keeps trying to cultivate “community” in the dorms, but social life ends up being pretty “DIY,” which is fine once you make friends, but the lack of… “personality”… of the different houses can be surprising to people who have seen the physical beauty of the campus and the small-college setting, and assumed that there’s a strong “vibe” to become a part of. This can be a plus or a minus, but my observation has been that more introverted students can take a while to find their groove, because there’s not a strong social current to get swept along by. If you want a palpable “dorm culture” to become a part of, Smith does this a bit better from what I’ve heard. Not sure why, maybe because it’s older? (Although Scripps will be turning 100 in a couple of years - which I’m sure they’ll milk for all it’s worth, lol - so you’d think that would be long enough for subcultures to find their center.) I think it’s probably because students move around so much from year to year, so there’s not a lot of continuity in the different living spaces.
My Scripps kid had a friend who transferred to Wes and was happier there, although that was partly because of strength in a particular program. She also had multiple friends who transferred in from schools that many other people love, and were happier at Scripps.
So, it’s all about what fits you - hopefully you can get a sense of that. Good luck!
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