Choosing The Right College School Spotlight: Occidental College Written by Elyse Krantzon December 6th, 2016 I became interested in the college admissions process after serving as a student tour guide in the admissions office of my alma mater. After graduating, I accepted an admissions counseling position at Bennington College in Vermont where I evaluated applications and reviewed art portfolios from students across the country. Three years later, after pursuing my master's degree in New York City, I joined the admissions staff at Barnard College where I served as a senior admissions officer. At Barnard, I directed Long Island and Boston recruitment in addition to managing the College's alumnae interview program, coordinating admissions statistics, and editing various college publications. Having also served as an alumni interviewer for Dartmouth College and visited over 75 colleges, I feel especially well-equipped to help students prepare for admission interviews and campus tours. Learn More About Elyse choosing the right college, college lists, There are over 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. And while the media tends to focus on just a handful of schools, we at College Coach encourage students to think outside the box during their college selection process and explore a wide range of colleges. As such, we are highlighting a new college each week in our School Spotlight series. Check out the college below, along with the other posts in our series, and you may just stumble upon your dream school! School Spotlight: Occidental College Los Angeles, CA It’s rare to find a small, liberal arts college in the heart of a metropolis, but LA’s Occidental College is unique on many fronts. The 2,100 undergraduates at Oxy are known for being focused on both rigorous academics and greater world issues. All graduating students are required to complete a comprehensive examination in the spring of their senior year, or produce a “senior comp” that might entail a major creative project that demonstrates mastery in their particular field. For students passionate about world affairs, there’s no greater opportunity than “Oxy at the UN.” For an entire fall semester, Oxy students get to live in New York City, take two diplomacy-themed classes, and complete a full-time internship with a UN-related organization. Off campus, students can take advantage of astronomy or engineering classes taught at nearby Caltech, or soak up LA’s famous arts and music scene. With a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio, classes at Oxy are small, and no class will ever have more than 50 students. Good to know: Oxy has long been committed to diversity, and over 40 percent of the student body identifies as students of color. Image credit: Top, courtesy of Occidental College Related Resources Read | Posted on March 26th, 2024 California Colleges and Universities: A Treasure Trove of Opportunities Read | Posted on March 5th, 2024 The Top 3 Campus Safety Myths Read | Posted on March 1st, 2024 Celebrating International Women’s Day: Is a Women’s College Right for You?
