Occidental College Road Piece 2019

OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE LIBERAL ARTS / LOS ANGELES

OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE

WHY

OXY?

Occidental fully integrates the liberal arts and sciences with the cultural and intellectual resources of a global city. Situated on a 120-acre residential campus in Los Angeles, our location serves as a springboard for putting theory into practice and ideas into action. Here, you can expect to spend as much time in the lab, in the field, in the community and in the studio as you do in the classroom.

EXPLORE YOUR PASSIONS

AN INTELLECTUAL ADVENTURE

DISTINCTLY OXY

Oxy is a place for talented, hard-working, curious students to explore current passions— and find new ones. Students benefit from our interactive classroom environment, with stimulating faculty who take their teaching as seriously as their research. Our distinctive interdisciplinary approach will give you the chance to explore new ideas and see the world from a new perspective.

With more than 40 majors and minors, exemplary, one-of-a-kind programs such as the Kahane United Nations Program and Campaign Semester, and our emphasis on research through the Undergraduate Research Center and Senior Comprehensives, Occidental provides its students with a compelling intellectual adventure. The academic rigor on campus is enhanced by internships and partnerships across Los Angeles.

Students graduate from Occidental as strategic thinkers and effective communicators.

Uncommonly inclusive and consciously collaborative, our students seek to embrace difference and make a difference in the world.

Occidental is reinventing the liberal arts and sciences for a new generation of problemsolvers, creators and thinkers. It’s an education that is distinctly Oxy.

OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE

A SAMPLING OF

CULTURAL STUDIES PROGRAM SEMINARS • Nature from the Inside Out • P hilosophy in the Twilight Zone • Religion and Violence • Los Angeles Urban Cultures and Countercultures

ACADEMICS To complete the Core, students must take: • Cultural Studies Program ›› 2 courses, Fall and Spring of the first year •C ulture Requirement—at least three courses in each of the following areas: The foundation of our commitment to a liberal ›› Global Connections arts and science education is embodied in the ›› Regional Focus Core Program, which is designed to spur students ›› U.S. Diversity to think critically and creatively. The Core Program • P re-1800s—1 course exposes students to a broad range of cultural, •F ine Arts—1 course geographical and historical issues in addition to •S cience/Math—3 courses, including a laboratory course developing their writing and research skills and •F oreign Language—level 102 proficiency encouraging interdisciplinary inquiry.

•C omps—a major-specific, senior capstone project

• H uman Rights: Explorations of International Justice around the World

THE CORE

2

Oxy seniors share the common bond of “Comps”—students demonstrate comprehension within their major(s) through a variety of forms, including art exhibits, music recitals, film screenings, theses and field research projects.

110 3/4

Some Choose from more than

SIZE 40 AREAS

AVERAGE

CLASS

OF STUDY

10: 1 STUDENT-TO-

FACULTY

RATIO

:

18

STUDENTS

STUDENTS

participate in

participate in our annual

SUMMER RESEARCH

PROGRAM

STUDY OFF-CAMPUS AND ABROAD

15 100 SPORTS CLUBS & 21 Choose from more than

CLUBS & INTRAMURAL

NCAA DIVISION III

75% MORE THAN

OF STUDENTS

of Fulbright scholars, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s annual rankings

STUDENTS

46 come from

STATES, PLUS THE DISTRICT

OF COLUMBIA,

VARSITY SPORTS GUAM, AND

ORGANIZATIONS

Occidental is

2,036

LIVE ON CAMPUS

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UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH Recognized by the Insider’s Guide to Colleges as one of a handful of schools with the strongest undergraduate focus, our commitment to producing well-rounded graduates is combined with a hands-on approach.

Research opportunities, faculty mentorship and funding make this possible for students in every discipline. This summer marks the 17th year of our full-time Summer Research Program, an experience that often results in co-authored publications and positions students to win prestigious awards.

FOREIGN

COUNTRIES

FOR ALL FOUR YEARS Students are required to live on campus for their first three years.

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OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE

STUDY

OFF CAMPUS

4

& ABROAD

THE AMERICAS Argentina

Cuba

Panama

Bolivia

Dominican

Paraguay

Brazil

Republic

Chile

Ecuador

Costa Rica

Nicaragua

hether you hail from five miles away or 5,000, Oxy will challenge you to explore your academic interests in contexts beyond the classroom and Los Angeles.

Peru Uruguay

EUROPE Austria

Hungary

Russia

Czech Republic

Iceland

Serbia

Denmark

Ireland

Spain

France

Italy

Sweden

Germany

The Netherlands Switzerland

Greece

Poland

United Kingdom

AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST Botswana

Morocco

South Africa

Ghana

Rwanda

Tanzania

Madagascar

Senegal

Uganda

Australia

Mongolia

Taiwan

China

Nepal

Thailand

India

New Zealand

Vietnam

Indonesia

Samoa

Japan

South Korea

ASIA & OCEANIA

S E M E ST E R S A B ROA D

Nearly half of all Tigers study abroad for a full semester in one of the locations listed.

Semesters abroad provide deep intercultural experiences while fulfilling Oxy academic obligations. A student’s Oxy financial aid covers the study-abroad experience.

hree-quarters of our students pursue T Oxy’s multiple routes to global citizenship: traditional study abroad as well as research, internships and fellowships on six continents.

The Kahane UN Program provides a rare opportunity for seniors to live in New York City during the fall semester while the General Assembly is in session. They take two courses in international studies while interning full-time at a UN-related agency or country mission to the UN, such as Costa Rica, Honduras, Rwanda or the U.K. Campaign Semester offers full academic credit for work on key gubernatorial, Senate, House or presidential elections in various states throughout the United States. After the elections in November, students return to campus for an intensive seminar with politics professors.

Richter Fellowships fund eight to 12 weeks of independent summer research abroad. Many participants incorporate their experience into senior comprehensive projects.

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OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE

L.A.-centric courses are featured in the College’s curriculum.

In areas as diverse as art history, writing, geology, history and urban & environmental policy, faculty across disciplines send their students out into the city.

It’s difficult to imagine a better laboratory.

• Community Literacy • Biology of Marine Fishes • Intro to Public Health • American Indian Art History • Los Angeles Politics

LIFE IN

L.A.

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LOS ANGELES

Occidental College offers students the best of both worlds—the intimacy of a close-knit campus located in a residential community and access to the educational, cultural and recreational resources of Los Angeles and Southern California. Our location provides students a wide range of opportunities, from

internships at the Grammy Museum, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the L.A. Zoo to community involvement in programs addressing the environment, housing, nutrition and urban development. Faculty and students routinely use the city as a resource for field study and research, whether it involves an evening poetry reading or a semester studying local ecology.

InternLA

RECENT

InternLA is a unique summer internship program that funds over 35 students to intern in Los Angeles-based organizations and companies in six broad sectors: business, policy, media, research, advocacy and the arts. Students intern full-time for 10 weeks over the summer while also enrolling in a weekly on-campus educational component.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory City of Hope National Medical Center Dine Brands Global Inc. Office of the Mayor of Los Angeles Paramount Pictures

INTERNSHIP SITES

L.A.BORATORY

Community-based learning is a teaching model integrated throughout Occidental’s curriculum. Students apply what they learn in the classroom to community projects and issues identified by local residents. The College’s Center for Community Based Learning was a pioneer in the field of service learning when it opened a decade ago, and it continues to work alongside our Office of Community Engagement to coordinate student-led projects and service organizations. An annual tradition for the entire Oxy community is the MLK Day of Service, which provides a fun and challenging way of honoring Dr. Martin Luther King.

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DESTINATIONS WITHIN 10 MILES OF CAMPUS • Hollywood Bowl • Chinatown • Dodger Stadium • Griffith Observatory • In-N-Out Burger

• National History Museum • Old Pasadena • San Gabriel Mountains • Staples Center • Walt Disney Concert Hall

Oxy is eight miles north of downtown L.A. in the residential community of Eagle Rock.

he Urban & Environmental Policy Institute (UEPI) functions both as an academic center with strong community ties and as a communitybased organization with a solid research and policy-development capacity. UEPI works to achieve a just, livable and democratic society, with a primary focus on the Los Angeles region, by paying special attention to issues of food, pollution, land, water, migration, housing and transportation. Students assist with an array of UEPI projects, including California Farmto-School programs, Global Trade and Freight Transport, Land Use and Zoning and Sustainable Oxy.

HIGHLAND PARK In the Highland Park neighborhood adjacent to Occidental, you’ll find “L.A.’s Coolest Street,” York Boulevard, teeming with local eateries, art galleries and vintage shops—all just a short walk from campus.

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OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE

FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS WHO ARE

INTERNATIONAL

OR DUAL CITIZENS:

18%

LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY THE FIRST-YEAR CLASS

STUDENTS FROM

OUTSIDE OF

CALIFORNIA:

65%

LIVING &

LIFE AT

LEARNING

Residence life is the heart of the student experience at Oxy. Three-quarters of all students live on campus in one of 13 coed residence halls, including four reserved for first-year students.

RESIDENCE HALLS INCLUDE: • BERKUS, Oxy’s newest and largest, features a 24-hour fitness center, underground parking and a late-night coffee cart.

The building also features a gender-inclusive housing option.

• PAULEY, our multicultural hall, is a tight-knit community of residents from all class years.

• NORRIS features apartment-style living clusters where students can create their own themed living areas based on common interests.

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xy students thrive in their extracurricular pursuits, taking part in more than 100 clubs and organizations.

About 20% participate in the Greek system, more than 25% are varsity NCAA Division III athletes and hundreds more compete in club and intramural sports—including one of our newest, Wiffle ball.

Dance Production, one of the oldest and most popular Oxy traditions, showcases hundreds of student performers and choreographers and sells out Thorne Hall for each show. Other not-to-be-missed annual events include Apollo Night, A Taste of Oxy and Springfest. Glee Club, mainstage productions at Keck Theater and all Oxy music and theater organizations are open to any student regardless of major.

WOMEN’S VARSITY SPORTS

A SAMPLING OF

• Basketball • Cross Country • Golf • Lacrosse • Soccer • Softball

• Asian American Tutorial Project • Black Student Alliance • Boxing Club • Economics Students Association • Fantastiprov • Folk & Historical Dance Troupe • Hiking Club • Hillel • La Raza Coalition • Law Society • Oxy Open Source • Oxypreneurship • Queer Student Alliance • Ski and Snowboard Club • Sustainable Recycle • Yoga Club

• Swimming & Diving • Tennis • Track & Field • Volleyball • Water Polo

MEN’S VARSITY SPORTS • Baseball • Basketball • Cross Country • Football • Golf

• Soccer • Swimming & Diving • Tennis • Track & Field • Water Polo

STUDENT CLUBS &

ORGANIZATIONS

EATING AT OXY

tudents consistently give Oxy’s oncampus dining high marks. Not only is the food delicious but Oxy’s Dining Services is also environmentally friendly, taking part in the Real Food Challenge by providing local, organic food in the dining facilities.

• T HE MARKETPLACE is students’ main

gathering spot. It offers a variety of madeto-order food stations including a salad bar, stir-fry and pizza or pasta.

• THE TIGER COOLER is the spot for a

quick lunch, those late-night munchies or hanging out between classes.

• T HE GREEN BEAN COFFEE LOUNGE is

a student-run, sustainably minded coffee shop. It often features performances and artwork by students.

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STUDENTS

APPLIED FOR THE

CLASS OF

2023

ADMISSION & AID

to qualities such as motivation, intellectual curiosity, leadership ability and distinctive talents. Your personal statement, short-answer responses, extracurricular activities and letters of recommendation offer us valuable insight into these areas.

APPLYING TO OCCIDENTAL

ccidental is committed to admitting and enrolling a highly qualified and diverse student body. To that end, the admission committee evaluates each applicant individually and holistically. Academic preparation is paramount, so we will closely examine your high school transcript, focusing on your performance and course rigor. We also give serious consideration

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Whether you are applying as a first-year or transfer student, the following materials must be submitted by the appropriate application deadline with a non-refundable application processing fee of $65 or a fee waiver: • High school transcript • Personal statement • S tandardized test scores • Short-answer responses (SAT or ACT) • Letters of recommendation • Extracurricular activities To learn more about the application process, visit oxy.edu/admission-aid/apply.

median scores of admitted first-year students

EBRW-700 MATH-720

32

ACT:

7,500

3.76 MEDIAN UNWEIGHTED GPA

SAT:

OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE

TRANSFER CANDIDATES are welcome to apply for either the fall or spring semester. In addition to submitting the Common Application, they must have: • graduated from high school or earned a high school equivalency diploma • completed at least 16 units of academic, collegelevel coursework by the time of application • completed at least 32 units by the time of enrollment.

Our most competitive applicants carried a full academic course load and maintained a 3.7 GPA or better.

FINANCING YOUR OXY EDUCATION Occidental has broader socioeconomic diversity than most selective liberal arts colleges.

While aid packages vary, the average award was more than $40,000 last year. The Financial Aid Office is committed to meeting the demonstrated need of every enrolled student. Occidental also offers merit scholarships to approximately 15% of the applicant pool ranging between $5,000 and $25,000 annually. Occidental also participates in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Yellow Ribbon Program.

To begin exploring your financing options, visit oxy.edu/admission-aid/financial-aid.

APPROXIMATE COSTS

100% Occidental meets

of students’ demonstrated financial need based on the FAFSA and CSS Profile

2 0 1 9 -2 0 2 0

Tuition and fees

$56,576

Room and board

$16,034

Total

$72,610

Required Applications Common Application

First-Year Deadlines

Transfer Deadlines

Early Decision I: November 15

Fall Semester: April 1* Spring Semester: November 1

Early Decision II: January 1

Approximately

71%

ADMISSION DEADLINES

FAFSA

OF STUDENTS receive some form of financial aid

Regular Decision: January 10

CSS Profile *Transfer students applying for the fall semester are required to submit their financial aid paperwork by March 2.

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OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE

TOR MYHREN ’94 is vice president of marketing communications for Apple and an awardwinning “Mad Man.”

ife after

On his way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ’83 began his undergraduate studies at 1600 Campus Road.

U.S. Court of Appeals Judge

JACQUELINE NGUYEN ’87 was an English major at Oxy.

Los Angeles City Council member MONICA RODRIGUEZ ’96 studied politics at Oxy. Occidental alumni pursue career paths as diverse as their passions. From medical and law schools to Ph.D. programs in humanities and the sciences, Oxy graduates pursue advanced degrees at institutions such as the London School of Economics, Georgetown University, UCLA, Stanford Graduate School of Business and Johns Hopkins University. Our students and alumni are regularly named recipients of national awards including Fulbright, Goldwater, Luce and National Science Foundation fellowships. Whether it be in business, education, film, law, medicine, research or politics, our graduates are leaders in their fields—and appreciative of their Oxy experience.

Within one year of graduation,

74%

the Class of 2017 reports

EMPLOYED

18% WHO

HIRES OXY

ENROLLED IN

GRADUATE

SCHOOL

AMAZON CBS CITI EDELMAN FEDERAL RESERVE

Former NYC Transportation Commissioner JANETTE SADIK-KHAN ’82 is a principal at Bloomberg Associates and one of the world’s foremost authorities on transportation and urban transformation.

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GEORGE ALCORN ’62 created the imaging X-ray spectrometer and was named NASA’s Inventor of the Year.

JACK KEMP ’57 went from being a professional quarterback to nine terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

L.A. COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART JET PROPULSION LABORATORY LUCASFILM NIELSEN TEACH FOR AMERICA TESLA MOTORS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

THE BARACK OBAMA SCHOLARS PROGRAM The Barack Obama Scholars Program at Occidental College empowers the next generation of leaders in active pursuit of the public good. Honoring the legacy of Occidental’s most famous student, this scholarship program provides a comprehensive experience for exceptional students of all backgrounds who seek the opportunity to create lasting and meaningful change. Obama Scholars will be connected with faculty mentors and the program’s advisory council, which includes prominent Occidental alumni, former Obama administration officials and other distinguished advisers.

Applicants to Occidental College who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and a commitment to the public good will be identified by the admission committee; there is no separate Obama Scholars application. Learn more at obamascholars.oxy.edu. “ My years at Occidental College sparked my interest in social and political causes, and filled me with the idea that my voice could make a difference.”

—President Barack Obama, Occidental College Class of 1983

FOLLOW OXY /occidental @occidental @occidentalcollege /occidentalcollege

SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT Go to

oxy.edu/admission-aid/visit-campus to request your appointment.

• Campus tours: Student-led walking tours are typically available Monday through Friday twice per day. From September through early December and in April, Saturday tours are also offered.

• Interviews: While not required, interviews are recommended.

Appointments are available from June until the appropriate application deadline and should be scheduled at least two weeks in advance.

• Office hours: The Office of Admission is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday mornings from September through early December and again in April.

• Class visits: During the academic year, visiting high school seniors are welcome to attend a class.

• Information sessions: Admission staff meet with students and families before each tour.

• Overnight visits: High school seniors are invited to spend a night in the residence halls with a current student. A minimum twoweek advance notice is required.

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RP002020

ACADEMIC AREAS OF STUDY

American Studies

Diplomacy & World Affairs

Mathematics

Russian Studies (minor only)

Art and Art History

East Asian Studies

Media Arts & Culture

Sociology

• Art History

Economics

• Critical Media

Spanish & French Studies

• Studio Art

Education (minor only)

• Media Production

• Literary Studies

Biochemistry

English

Music

• Cultural Studies

Biology

• Creative Writing French Studies

• Ethnomusicology or Popular Music

• Linguistics

• Cell & Molecular Biology • Environmental Science

(Concentration)

Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies (minor only)

• Instrumental or Vocal Performance

Urban & Environmental Policy

• Marine Biology

Geology

• Music Composition

Black Studies

• Environmental Science

• Music Production

Chemistry

German Studies (minor only)

• Music Theory and Analysis

Chinese Studies

Group Language

• Musicology

Classical Studies (minor only)

History

Neuroscience (minor only)

Cognitive Science

Interdisciplinary Writing (minor only)

Philosophy

Japanese Studies

Politics

Computer Science

Kinesiology

Pre-law Advising

• Mathematics

Latino/a & Latin American Studies

Psychology

• CS+X Critical Theory & Social Justice

Linguistics (minor only)

Religious Studies

Comparative Studies in Literature & Culture

Physics

Public Health (minor only)

Theater Writing & Rhetoric Pre-Professional Offerings • Extensive career counseling and advising is available for students applying for fellowships and admission to graduate school, law school or professional schools in medicine.

• A combined plan in engineering is offered for students who meet the established program requirements, as are pathways to engineering graduate programs.

OFFICE OF ADMISSION 1600 Campus Road • Los Angeles, CA 90041-3314 • Phone: (323) 259-2700 • Fax: (323) 341-4875 admission@oxy.edu • oxy.edu/admission-aid Occidental College does not discriminate against applicants because of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, pregnancy, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.