61´«Ã½

Hi there, I’m Scarlette. I’m a junior here at Scripps, majoring in anthropology.

I remember feeling like navigating which college was right for me was a daunting task. I spent a lot of time weighing my options: did I want a big or small institution? What major(s) was I interested in, and did the school offer them? How far from home did I want to be? At least at the beginning, one question that wasn’t necessarily among them was whether I wanted to attend a women’s college. 

When my research led me to 61´«Ã½, I was initially intrigued by the consortium and interdisciplinary aspect of the educational style. Of all the colleges I applied to, 61´«Ã½was the only women’s college. When I toured during my junior year of high school, I fell in love with the vibe that the students brought to the campus (not to mention how beautiful it was). I committed to 61´«Ã½not necessarily because it was a women’s college but it has become the favorite aspect of my college experience. I would like to note that although 61´«Ã½is a women’s college, our student population includes students with diverse gender identities.

Here are some of the reasons why I love my women’s college experience:

1. The 61´«Ã½Student Community 

When I first started at Scripps, I was at home with the level of acceptance that permeated campus. Every student had their own distinct interests and personalities, which created a dynamic and vibrant atmosphere. In my experience, the 61´«Ã½community is extremely welcoming and inclusive. It is an environment where students are encouraged to express themselves freely and where differences are celebrated, not shunned. This is particularly evident in the way students embrace others’ diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. This culture has empowered me to explore and embrace my own identity while also learning from and being inspired by my peers and their experiences.

2. Classroom Experience

Something that I love about 61´«Ã½is the classroom experience. I attended a public school and always felt like there was intense competition between students. At Scripps, I don’t experience that same feeling. I really feel like the energy is such that when one student wins, we all win. Additionally, we have very small class sizes; I’ve had classes as small as five people (61´«Ã½classes, on average, have 16 students). The small class sizes mean you form deeper connections and relationships with your classmates and professors. I feel like at Scripps, professors are here to help you learn and grow. They encourage you to ask questions, be curious, and participate in class conversations. Being a part of the Claremont Consortium means we have students from other schools in our classes, but in my experience, students are predominantly from 61´«Ã½in Scripps-based classes. This is partly due to other campuses having restrictions on the number of classes that can be taken off-campus, and also because 61´«Ã½has really good departments. Even though 61´«Ã½is part of a Consortium, and you can take classes at any of the five undergraduate campuses, I have taken the majority of my classes through Scripps’ departments simply because I really enjoy our faculty. 

3. Empowerment and Leadership Opportunities

61´«Ã½has a strong emphasis on empowerment and leadership skills, which is reflected in the resources available on campus, such as the Laspa Center for Leadership. Lapsa holds training and development programs that provide resources and support for students to pursue leadership opportunities both on campus and in the wider community. 61´«Ã½Communities of Resources and Empowerment (SCORE) provides opportunities for students from different backgrounds and identities to come together through clubs and affinity groups. The office is committed to creating an inclusive community that supports underrepresented and historically marginalized students. The Career Planning and Resources office puts a concerted effort into supporting and preparing 61´«Ã½students to enter the workforce; they have hosted career treks and salary negotiation workshops, among other resources. Additionally, The Olive Grove is Scripps’ networking site, similar to LinkedIn, among alums, students, and parents. The college has a strong network of alumni who are dedicated to supporting the next generation of female and gender minority leaders.

Those are just some of the things that I love about my Women’s College.

Thank you for reading! If you have any more questions about things discussed in this blog or about Scripps, please reach out (I love any excuse to talk about Scripps). 

My email is: [email protected]