Admission

Scripps College encompasses a community of curious, intellectually ambitious, energetic, and broadly diverse students interested in a challenging liberal arts education. The Office of Admission actively seeks students from a wide range of socioeconomic, racial, cultural, religious, geographic, and international backgrounds to create a vibrant and stimulating environment in which to live and learn.

Each year, the College enrolls approximately 240 new students. Receiving many more applications than the number of spaces available, the Admission Committee has the difficult task of selecting those students who will most benefit from and contribute to Scripps’ distinctive learning environment. The review process is individualized, flexible, and holistic, and it provides ample opportunity for students to demonstrate their unique skills and perspectives.

While the Admission Committee carefully considers every aspect of a student’s application, the quality of an applicant’s academic preparation is especially important. A recommended course of study is five academic subjects in each year of high school, including four years of English and mathematics, three years of social studies and science (biology, chemistry, or physics), and either three years of a foreign language or two years each of two different languages. Applicants are encouraged to select Honors, Advanced Placement, or International Baccalaureate courses when available. Standardized test scores are important but are considered in conjunction with the student’s academic record. Greater weight is given to an applicant’s record, which demonstrates academic success over an extended period of time.

Recommendations from counselors and teachers provide valuable additional information about an applicant, including outstanding talents, leadership ability, learning style, and extent of class participation. Applicants are encouraged to seek recommendations from junior- or senior-year teachers of academic subjects who know them well and who are best able to provide an accurate assessment of their academic progress.

First-Year Applicants

The deadline for Regular Decision applications is January 2. Those who wish to apply for a James E. Scripps merit-based scholarship must submit their applications by November 15. The Office of Admission will notify applicants of an admission decision by April 1; admitted students must respond by May 1 regarding their intent to enroll at Scripps. Offers of admission are contingent upon receipt of final transcripts showing satisfactory completion of courses in progress.

Application Requirements

1. Students apply to Scripps by submitting the Common Application, the Scripps College Common Application Supplement, and a $60 nonrefundable application fee.
2. School report, to be completed by the student’s school counselor or college placement adviser.
3. Two teacher recommendation forms to be completed by teachers in two different academic subject areas (e.g., English, math, science, social studies, or foreign languages). Recommendations from junior- or senior-year teachers, who will have a better sense of the student’s intellectual development, are strongly suggested.
4. Official transcript(s) of applicant’s high school record through the junior year and, as soon as grades are available, a transcript complete through the first semester of the senior year or Midyear Report. The transcript(s) should include an interpretation of the grading system and a clear designation of Honors, Advanced Placement, or International Baccalaureate courses. A transcript of any college work taken while in high school must also be filed.
5. Official results of scores from the SAT Reasoning Test of the College Board or the American College Test (ACT) with Writing. The College Board SAT code for Scripps College is #4693; the ACT code is #0426. Please allow a minimum of six weeks for delivery.

Optional Credentials

1. Interviews are not required. They can provide an excellent opportunity for an applicant to learn more about Scripps, and allow the interviewer to get to know an applicant better. In addition to an interview, applicants may elect to take a student-led campus tour, attend an information session, attend classes, and/or spend a night in the residence halls with a Scripps student. Please visit http://admission.scrippscollege.edu/visit at least two weeks in advance of a visit to schedule interviews, class visits, or overnights. Students unable to visit campus may visit our website to request an off-site or alumnae interview. Alumnae interviews are offered in the fall in limited locations.
2. SAT Subject Tests, administered by the College Board, are recommended but not required. Scores from SAT Subject Tests in foreign languages may be used for placement in or exemption from Scripps’ foreign language classes. (Please contact the registrar’s office for specific information.)
3. Art slides or Mac-compatible CDs or DVDs, music CDs, and dance DVDs will be considered as additional evidence of special talents and interests and will be evaluated by the appropriate faculty. We will also review PDF files and weblinks in the fields of art, dance, and music. For instructions on submitting an art portfolio, please visit www.scrippscollege.edu.

Early Decision

Students for whom Scripps College is clearly their first choice are encouraged to apply under the Early Decision option. Scripps offers both an Early Decision I deadline, November 15, and an Early Decision II deadline, January 2. Early Decision I candidates are notified of an admission decision mid-December. Early Decision II candidates are notified of an admission decision mid-February.

Applicants who are admitted Early Decision are expected to withdraw their applications to other colleges and enroll at Scripps provided that, when applicable, they receive adequate financial assistance.

Since this is a “binding” agreement, applicants are urged to consider very carefully whether Scripps College is clearly their first choice before applying Early Decision.

Early Decision applicants who wish to apply for need-based financial aid must complete the College Scholarship Service (CSS)/Financial Aid/PROFILE form and file it with the College Scholarship Service by November 15 (Early Decision I) or by January 1 (Early Decision II). Early Decision applicants seeking financial aid will also be required to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 1.

Homeschooled Applicants

Scripps College welcomes applications from homeschooled students. In addition to the application materials required for first-year admission, homeschooled students must submit the Common Application Home School Supplement. The admission committee also highly recommends the submission of two SAT Subject Tests and an interview, either on campus or with an admission representative or alumna off campus.

Deferred Entrance

Admitted students who wish to delay their matriculation to the College for one year must submit a written request along with the $500 commitment fee by May 1. Requests for a deferment are considered on an individual basis. Students who wish to enroll in another degree- or diploma-granting institution in the interim will not be granted deferments and must reapply as transfer applicants. Students must not apply to other colleges or universities during the deferment year.

Transfer Applicants

A student is considered a transfer applicant if any semester or quarter units were taken at another college after graduating from high school. All transfer students must spend the equivalent of four full-time semesters at Scripps, evidenced by the completion of at least 16 course credits, in order to receive the BA Degree. Of the course credits accepted for transfer from another institution, only 16 will be counted toward a Scripps degree.

The Admission Committee places considerable weight on the content and quality of the college transcript(s) the student presents. Course credit is generally transferable if the prior college is accredited, the course carries a grade of C or better, and the course is comparable to a course offered by one of The Claremont Colleges. Where the college transcript does not clearly indicate the quality of work (as is the case with pass/fail marks), it is the applicant’s responsibility to provide supplementary information on which the Admission Committee can base its decision.

Transfer applicants applying for entrance in September must submit their applications by April 1. They will be notified of admission decisions by mid-May and must respond by June 1. Those applying for entrance in January must submit their applications by November 1 and will be notified of admission decisions by mid-December. They must reply to Scripps by January 2. Offers of admission are contingent upon receipt of final transcripts showing satisfactory completion of courses in progress.

Transfer Application Requirements

1. Common Application for Transfer Application, Scripps College Common Application Supplement, and a $60 nonrefundable application fee.
2. Two college faculty recommendations to be completed by professors in two different academic subject areas.
3. Official transcript of applicant’s high school record. The transcript should include an interpretation of the grading system and a clear designation of Honors, Advanced Placement, or International Baccalaureate courses.
4. SAT or ACT scores. These are acceptable either as recorded on the official secondary school transcript or on the official form provided by the testing agency. They are required for all applicants except those who graduated from high school five or more years ago or those enrolled in community college.
5. Official transcript of work to date from each college or university previously attended. Applicants should also supply the Office of Admission with a final transcript for official credit evaluation by the registrar.
6. The College Official’s Report and the Mid-Term Report on current coursework.

Optional Credentials

Please see listing of optional credentials under Application Requirements for First-Year Students.

International Students

Scripps College welcomes the cultural richness and diversity that international students bring to the community. In addition to submitting the same required credentials as a first-year or transfer applicant, international students must submit official results of any International Baccalaureate or national exams. Students for whom English is not their first language must also submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A score of at least 600 on the paper TOEFL, 100 on the internet TOEFL, or 7 on the IELTS is required to be considered for admission. All international applicants also must submit a College Board International Student Certification of Finances form. Scripps College requires the certified English translation of all documents.

Credit by Examination

Scripps College may award credit or exemption to students who have taken Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate courses and examinations, or have participated in the College Level Examination Program. For details, see the applicable catalog sections in Academic Policies and Procedures .

Readmission

A former Scripps student wishing to return to complete degree requirements must provide the following documents to the registrar:

1. An application for readmission, available from the registrar;
2. A short essay describing activities and experiences since leaving the College; and
3. Official transcripts from any college or university attended since attending Scripps.

These items must be submitted to the registrar by April 1 for possible readmission for the fall semester or by November 1 for possible readmission for spring. Students must be in good academic standing at Scripps and at all colleges or universities attended since withdrawal. Readmission will be judged primarily on the basis of the student’s standing at the time of withdrawal and all academic work completed since withdrawal. Students not meeting readmission requirements should contact the registrar to discuss petitioning for readmission. (See Probation/Dismissal  in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of this catalog.) Once readmitted, the student must pay the $500 commitment fee before registering and arranging for housing. Students applying for financial aid and readmission must meet earlier financial aid deadlines, limitations, and requirements; they should also be aware that aid may be severely limited or unavailable.

Visiting Students

Current students in good academic standing at comparable college or university liberal arts programs who wish to enroll at Scripps for one semester or one year, but who do not intend to seek a Scripps degree, may apply as visiting students. An Application for Visiting Students is available from and must be returned to the registrar by April 1 for the following fall semester and by November 1 for the following spring semester along with the following credentials:

1. An application, available from the registrar;
2. $60 nonrefundable application fee;
3. Two faculty recommendations for visiting students; and
4. Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended.

Attendance at Scripps as a visiting student does not obligate the College in any way to accept the student as a degree-seeking student should the student choose to apply. Community college students are ineligible to apply for visiting student status. On-campus housing for visiting students is on a space-available basis. Financial aid is unavailable to visiting students.

Visiting the College

Students and their parents are encouraged to visit Scripps College. Tours, class visits, interviews, and overnight campus stays are available and can be registered for online, two weeks in advance, at http://admission.scrippscollege.edu/visit.

Contact Information

Please contact Scripps College, Office of Admission, 1030 Columbia Avenue, PMB 2000, Claremont, California 91711-3905. The telephone number is (909) 621-8149; the fax number is (909) 607-7508; and the website address is http://admission.scrippscollege.edu/

Geographical Distribution Report for Scripps College Students Fall 2011