Pitzer College | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Ariana

Class: Sophomore
Major: Psychology
Gender: F

High School: Carlmont High School
Transfer Student: N

Big Picture

I love that Pitzer is a small school. It's easy to get to know your professors and the other students. Classes are fairly small, and most professors bend over backwards to make themselves available to give us any extra help we may need. There are very few course requirements, so it is very easy to start your freshman year taking a bunch of different classes to find your interest without worrying about required classes. Pitzer campus is beautiful, and there is a very open and friendly atmosphere that drew me in during my first visit. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. Pitzer is part of a five-college consortium, so we have all the resources of a big university and the advantages of a small school. Each Claremont College has its own strengths, and I recommend trying to take at least one class at each one. Taking classes on other campuses is the same as taking them on your home campus, so cross-registration is very easy. It's nice to know that if a class you want isn't offered on your home campus, you can probably find it at one of the neighboring campuses. The different colleges all sponsor parties, concerts, games, and other events, so there is ALWAYS something to do. If you're bored at Pitzer, you're not looking hard enough. One of the complaints I have heard frequently is that the tuition is too high. There is a lot of financial aid available, but not enough to keep everybody happy. However, if Pitzer is the right fit for you, I don't think you should let tuition stand in your way. Most people only get the college experience once, and you'll get further in life if you find a schoolthat you truly love.

Academic Life

Since Pitzer is such a small school, most professors will know your name. If you go to their office hours (which they all have), they'll know you even better. Professors are usually very available outside of class, either through office hours, email, or appointment. You can stop by to ask for help in their class, ask for letters of recommendation, or tell them about your recent trip to Disneyland. It's easier to participate and speak out in small classes. If you have something to say, it's not a bad idea to share. Also, there is very little competition between students. Some public schools are geared towards only having a certain percent of the class graduate, while Pitzer aims to help all its students do well. I'm studying Psychology, and I've loved the curriculum so far. One of my current professors seems to know everything about the field, and it's incredible. You can bring up a psychological theory with him and he'll tell you an article (author and year included) where you can find more information about it. I think the education at Pitzer focuses more on learning for its own sake than on getting a job. The knowledge you gain here can be applied to many different areas, career services are always available, and a degree from Pitzer will indeed help you get into grad school or find work. However, we focus more on social responsibility, interdisciplinary learning, and intercultural understanding than on producing two-dimensional workers.

Student Body

There is a group or club for most minority (and some majority) groups. Racial, religious, and sexual orientations seem very well respected here. Students here come from a wide range of financial and socioeconomic backgrounds. The majority of Pitzer students are from th U.S. (many from California), but we also have quite a few international students. There are fewer politically conservative students at Pitzer, but they do exist.