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Life on Campus Is Awesome!

Living on campus builds a really strong sense of community here at Pitzer College. In my opinion, all the dorms are worth living in. Holden and Mead halls give you the best old-school Pitzer vibe - there's something really endearing about the age factor. I'm not a fan of the newer dorms that were constructed recently. I feel they're a little sterile and demonstrate how Pitzer's trying too hard to become the other colleges.

There Is No Greek Life

What's awesome about Pitzer is that there is no Greek life - that's not something we do. Pitzer is so small it already has a sense of community without feeling like it needs to be forced.

Highs and Lows, Nothing in Between

It's December 2nd it's it's still about 70 degrees outside. The weather tends to focus on the extremes - in the summer, around May-September it can be as high as 110 degrees; at nights in the colder months (November-March) it dips to around 40. There isn't really a fall or spring in Claremont; the weather tends to go from suddenly cold to suddenly hot. Claremont's really dry, but when it does rain (maybe a few days out of the whole year), it pours. Bring some sunglasses and a lot of sunscreen.

Academics Are Great

Pitzer professors tend to be very laid back, depending on who you get. They're very easy to approach and are super willing to give you one-on-one time if you need it. The best thing about Pitzer is that it is surrounded by the other Claremont Colleges, so you can takes classes from other schools. Professors from all the colleges tend to be very approachable and seem to really care about your academic well-being. Depending on your professor, a lot of professors are also strong advocates of thinking outside the box. Reading can be a bit heavy, and some professors don't seem to understand you have other classes besides theirs! For the most part, though, I feel like the education is worth the tuition.

Learning Is Fun

I'm a psychology and gender/feminist studies double major. Pitzer's psychology department is pretty awesome; the latter not so much. Pitzer professors tend to be very laid back, depending on who you get. They're very easy to approach and are super willing to give you one-on-one time if you need it. The best thing about Pitzer is that it is surrounded by the other Claremont Colleges, so you can takes classes from other schools. Professors from all the colleges tend to be very approachable and seem to really care about your academic well-being. Depending on your professor, a lot of professors are also strong advocates of thinking outside the box. Reading can be a bit heavy, and some professors don't seem to understand you have other classes besides theirs! For the most part, though, I feel like the education is worth the tuition.

Pretty Safe

First off, Claremont is a town where there is very little crime and you can feel super, super safe. Campus is the same - I think people tend to respect each other enough. Sometimes a bike will get stolen, or someone will graffiti a wall or something. Campus security is constantly patrolling the grounds, though, and I've never felt insecure.

Bring Your Own Computer

It's definitely best if you bring your own computer, but there is a computer lab. However they just made it much smaller, so it can get a little crowded in there. Pitzer has wi-fi all over campus and in the classrooms, and the network speed is pretty fast and reliable. You can print from the computer lab, and remote printing is also available.

There's a Lot of Choice

Dining hall food tends to be very repetitive, but it's great because you can go to other colleges to eat any meal with your meal plan. All the dining halls are buffet style, so you can eat as much as you want. You also get flex dollars depending on the meal plan you're on - these can be used to buy food from any of the stores on campus. The Claremont Colleges offer a lot of choice, all within walking distance. Everything is very convenient.

There's a Variety, but You Usually Need a Car

The village has a wide range of restaurants at a walkable distance, and these range from relatively cheap (maybe $5 a person) to the expensive ($20 a person). There is Mexican, Mediterranean, Indian, Italian, American, French, and a few places to go for yogurt or ice cream. If you have a car, you can go into the city of Pomona to get some authentic Mexican and Vietnamese food. I recommend Rocco's Pizza on Monte Vista and Moreno (large pizza starting at $4.99!) and the Sanamluang thai cafe on San Bernardino and Indian Hill.

It's Mostly Seniors That Live Off Campus

If you live off-campus, it's best to have a car or a bike at the very least. There's a wide range of prices for housing - the apartments closest to campus (within a block or two) are priced like the dorms (about $1000/month).

Pitzer Loves Diversity

Although Pitzer is 80% Caucasian, our community is very welcoming and tolerant of minorities. I cannot express just how much everyone respects each other. I love it! There are groups for ethnic minorities to join if they feel they need support or community. Pitzer is so open to everything and really embraces diverse thinking.