When I was applying to college, I was looking for two main things: I wanted a small school with small class sizes, and I wanted to attend a school where I could compete in track and field. During my spring break junior year in high school, I got to take a tour of Scripps. I remember being in the front of the pack close to the tour guide so I could hear everything she had to say. I was taking it in with wide eyes and excitement for every new space we entered. For one thing, the campus is absolutely stunning. For another, I was really attracted to the energy on campus, especially in Seal Court, not to mention the enthusiasm my tour guide brought. I had taken the tour with my grandmother, and after the tour, she also wanted to apply. Talking with my mom about it later, she shared what she noticed in comparison with all the other schools I toured. On Scripps campus is when I lit up and where she thought I would find my place. That day, I also met with the head Claremont-Mudd-Scripps track and field coach and got to learn about their ethos and the team, leaving me very excited about the prospect of being an athlete at the school. I spent the next six months looking into other colleges, but I found that I was always comparing them to the feeling I got when I toured at Scripps. I had another opportunity to visit Scripps for an athlete recruit weekend, and I got to spend the night with a Scripps student on the team in her dorm. I got to know current team members, ate at the dining halls, and even attended a class. I came home from that sold on the school. I knew it was binding when applying to a school EDI, but I was sure that Scripps was the college for me. I loved that it was a women’s college, the opportunities the consortium brought, and a chance to learn in an interdisciplinary environment. I was a student who always loved learning, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in in college. I was excited about the prospect of figuring out what I wanted to study in that environment. So, I submitted my common app application in early November excitedly and found out I was admitted in mid-December. I was happy. Knowing what college I was going to attend so early was nice because, come springtime, I wasn’t stressing about deciding which school to attend and which would be the best fit; I also definitely applied to fewer schools.
Thanks for reading about my experience; if you want to learn more about why I applied EDI and choose Scripps or anything else, email me at [email protected]