Pitzer College Admission
Pitzer College Undergraduate Program
Pitzer College Application

The Facts

Pitzer College is a small but prestigious progressive college in Claremont, California that emphasizes social responsibility and community involvement. They have offered an innovative academic program that has been home to many free-spirits since the political and social unrest of the 1960s. With a student population of only 900, the school offers an intimate and trusting learning environment that puts the ball in the students’ court. Pitzer is part of the larger Claremont college system that includes Pomono, Scripps, Harvey Mudd, and Claremont McKenna. The school was originally all female but went coed in the early 1970s.

Pitzer was established with its primary emphasis on social and behavioral sciences. Today, some of its most popular majors include psychology, sociology, English and world literature, art, and political studies. The school offers a total of 42 majors that lead to a bachelor of arts degree. Many students perform studies in the environmental sciences; indeed, many courses at Pitzer place an emphasis on the environment and in 2001, the National Wildlife Foundation named it a leading school for environmental sciences. The curriculum has always been unique; the school offers classes such as “Anarchy and the Internet,” and “Amerindian Psychiatry.” Furthermore, the school offers cross-registration with the other schools within the Claremont college system.

Admission to the school is not as competitive as other state schools; however, the students admitted are quite academically accomplished. The entering class of 2004 had a combined average SAT score ranging from 1140 to 1330 and an average cumulative ACT score ranging from 22 to 28. Over 70% of the students were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class.

The Social Scene

Pitzer is known for being extremely laid back; students enjoy their studies and work hard, but don’t usually stress about them. There is also a real sense of community at the college; all full-time undergraduates are required to live in on-campus housing until they graduate, but most students don’t mind. They can choose from one of the three lovely residence halls according to common interests, and students share meals at a main dining hall or at a bungalow called the Grove House where coffee, sandwiches and homemade cookies are available throughout the day.

Pitzer students aren’t big into drinking and partying; instead, they prefer to hang out in smaller groups. We hear road trips to different parts of California are a popular social activity. Many students also choose to go clubbing in Los Angeles on the weekends, if they dare to brave the infamous traffic. There is no Greek life to speak of, and Pitzer students couldn’t be happier about this.

Sports are not really a big deal at the college, although Pitzer is a Division III varsity athletics school, and does compete against Pomona frequently. Whether you are a girl or a guy, you should have a lot of fun crunching granola and expounding on politics with a prospective mate.

What's Good

“The classes are miniscule and by the end of the semester, you feel like a little social clan. Everyone becomes really close.”

“Everyone here is really accepting. You don’t have to worry about feeling like an outsider, because there simply is no such thing here.”

“The campus is surrounded by beautiful nature; however, we’re close enough to LA to get that urban experience if we get sick of trees.”

What's Bad

“Because the school is so small, everyone has their nose in everyone else’s business; it can get pretty invasive.”

“There are a lot of students here purporting to be these liberal free-thinkers, but they really have no idea what they’re talking about.”

“There aren’t really any real college parties here. Things are really cliquey and exclusive.”

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