Unlike most colleges, Pitzer does not have clearly delineated academic departments. Faculty offices are interspersed among the academic buildings, and the mantra is interdisciplinary collaboration. Having been established in the 1960s, Pitzer retains the flavor of that era. Environmental consciousness and activism tend to set it apart: the new dormitories are fabulous examples of green construction. The landscaping is full of native and xeric species, and the feel of the buildings is open and airy.

When asked about the identifying traits of a Pitzer student. The director of admission spoke about social responsibility and global perspective. Students tend to be interested and engaged in social issues, including human rights, GLBT rights, and animal rights (and their concomitant wrongs). It is one of the few campuses I’ve been on recently that had posters related to the war in Iraq.

This global perspective is also manifest in the strong study abroad programs. Seventy-two percent of students do at least a semester abroad. This is an amazing statistic: most colleges report study abroad statistics to include short, 3-week sojourns abroad. Pitzer students tend to immerse themselves in cultures and languages more than most.

The Grove House, the Pitzer student center, is an early 20th century farm house relocated to the campus. Its mission style architecture and cozy wood paneled interior give it the intimate feel of a coffee house. The new dorms are constructed in a U-shape, with a new student athletic facility and a very welcoming swimming pool gracing the center. There is also an organic garden on campus, replete with a chicken coop.

By the numbers, Pitzer is perhaps slightly easier to get into than the other Claremonts. But the admissions director emphasized that with so many applications. Pitzer is able to concentrate on fit rather than on the numbers. However, Pitzer practices a need aware admissions policy. So financial aid is somewhat more limited at Pitzer than at the other colleges, each of which is need blind. Pitzer is also a test optional school for students in the top 10% of their high school class or with a 3.5 GPA. Students can submit a graded essay and a graded math test instead of SAT or ACT scores.

I enjoyed Pitzer very much, and it was helpful to be able to spend enough time wandering the campus to understand that each of the Claremonts has a distinct personality. Just as Hogwarts has several houses with different traits. The Claremont Colleges constitute and interesting amalgam of academic and social characteristics.

Great California College Advice

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The Chapman campus is relatively small, belying the size of the student body (just under 4,000). But it’s architecturally coherent, with nice walking paths and open spaces. The student center and library are both relatively new, and the residence halls are also well designed and modern–and all contained within a “residential village” adjacent to the academic campus.  One drawback is that campus housing is not guaranteed after freshman year, so 60% of upperclassmen live off campus.

I met a few very enthusiastic students who had nothing but positive things to say about their experiences. The 4-1-4 calendar allows students to keep motoring through the curriculum, helping keep kids on track for graduation within four years. And the winter interterm allows for some interesting curricular offerings, some of which include travel abroad or within the US.

The brightest stars in the Chapman crown, however, are the arts programs. The school of performing arts includes music, dance, and theatre. The facilities and the faculty attract a talented bunch of students. So the campus as a whole has an artsy feel to it, but the focus on the traditional liberal arts disciplines plus the popular business school helps keep the campus as a whole very well-rounded.

Then there is the film school. One word: amazing. This is one of the best undergraduate film programs in the United States. The few and the proud who are admitted to this competitive program not only complete general liberal arts requirement, but they also receive a BFA. The facilities are tremendous.

The faculty members are all practitioners in the entertainment industry (including some very well-known names). The first year students are able to launch right into their creative work, and all students who want to are able to pursue professional internships. The one thing our tour guide admitted is that the program is especially intense–lots of late nights, hard work shooting on the weekends, and pressure to produce. But graduates from the film program are among the most successful in gaining entry to the industry.

All the arts programs require an audition and a supplemental application, the requirements for which are available online.  Anyone interested in the film school MUST apply by the early action deadline on November 15.  This is an extremely competitive program, and there is virtually no possibility of acceptance during the regular process.  Merit and talent scholarships are available for the artists.

One drawback to this excellence in the arts is that non-theater majors cannot participate in some of the main stage productions, which are reserved for theater majors.

All in all, I was enormously impressed by Chapman. A pleasant town, a challenging liberal arts curriculum, an active Division III sports program, and a vibrant arts community who could ask for anything more?

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The campus is not huge. It’s also not the most picturesque place to attend college, but the campus is attractive, architecturally coherent, and the landscaping is very nice. But what is most attractive about the place is the curriculum, the academic programs, and the faculty. But the faculty members I met were dedicated, intelligent, involved in their discipline, and devoted to their students. It’s no wonder that Loren Pope included Austin Colleges among his 40 Colleges That Change Lives.

This campus is one of the best teaching colleges money can buy. Too bad it is in Sherman, Texas. Or, as others might say, it’s a good thing it’s in Sherman, otherwise more people would want to go there. As it is, the students who are on campus really want to be there. So perhaps we should think of Austin College as a “destination school.”

The one complaint I heard consistently from students was that the dorms were a bit old and crowded. A couple of students mentioned that the science facilities needed more and better equipment in some areas, but that this lack had not been detrimental to their studies. (Many, in fact, told us of research they had completed with professors and then presented at national conferences in their disciplines).

If my kids, nieces, or nephews expressed an interest in Austin College, I’d nurture that interest. It’s a warm, welcoming place that would undoubtedly foster intellectual, social, and emotional growth. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting

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