I transferred to Scripps from the University of Toronto, in my Sophomore year, after a semester off. I liked the U of T, it was big and beautiful. But I realized near the end of my first year, that I had this deep sense of disconnection. I had friends, I did well in school, but still I felt like my life was missing a lot. I realized that the motto of my university was basically “do your work and go home”. When I decided to transfer, I knew I had to look for a college which would be a home to me, not just a place to work. The most important things for me, in picking a new home, was work life balance and a sense of community. I found both at Scripps.
The transfer process was frustrating, in that I had to dredge up all the stress of applying to college that I had gone through in my senior year of high school. But I was a pro at it by that time. It was a much more individual project as well. I was luck to have a lot of support in high school, between my parents and my guidance counsellor, there were people helping me with the application process. When I transferred, I handled it all alone. However, it felt so much simpler than the first time I had done it. I had such a clearer idea this time around, of what kind of school I wanted to go to and why. By the end of my search process, I only wanted to go to Scripps. During that semester, I toured a couple schools, almost all small, liberal arts. I had such a great time visiting campus. I’ve always been swayed by the aesthetics of a place, and I fell in love with the Scripps campus immediately. It had never been my intention to come to a historically women’s college, but I loved the way the Scripps community was so close, and the way they interacted with the other colleges in the consortium. I saw in that visit that Scripps would be a place where I could have a good, balanced life, as well as succeed academically. I saw a place where I could care about my own happiness, and that of my friends. And years later, I know I was right.
– Chanah Haigh