An Admission Process That's About YOU!

Here's a little story that might make you feel better about your college application process. When I was seventeen years old and informed by my teachers that it was time to apply to college, I had no idea where to begin. There were no websites that would help me narrow down the list of schools or social networking sites that would connect me to others to learn more. I learned about the college I eventually chose by borrowing a VHS tape from my school and playing it over and over again. I only applied to 4 schools and forgot to send part two of the application to several of them! I wrote my college applications with a pen and when I made a mistake I would use "white out." I was so nervous about this process that I once called the admission office of a college and hung up the phone when the counselor picked up because I thought she might be writing down everything I said and using it against me in my application!

Well times sure have changed and your college search process certainly does not have to be this way! There are an outstanding number of resources to help students today and counselors are always excited to speak to you about your hopes and dreams. I share my story with you because the admission and financial aid staff at Pitzer College knows how complicated and emotional this process can be. We dedicate our life's work to helping young people and their families navigate the journey to higher education.

If you are reading this, you are probably a student embarking on the college admission process, or a family member wanting to know more about Pitzer College. I hope that as you explore these blog posts, you learn more about what makes Pitzer an extraordinary place.

At Pitzer, we are eager to find the next generation of socially responsible and engaged citizens of the world. We seek students who are ready for a global education and want to use their degrees to make a difference in the lives of others. Whether it's through medicine, art, music, math, science, film or writing, students are using their Pitzer education to stay ahead of the curve and learn ways to best tackle our world's problems. Our community is built on five core values that shape everything we do. If this kind of education excites you, Pitzer College may just be the right college for you.

My goal is to make sure that you have as much information as you need and that my staff and I personalize this process for you. To that end, it is my pleasure to re-introduce Admission Unpeeled, the blog you’re currently reading. So much of the admission process is about stories, and our goal is to showcase the stories of the people that make Pitzer what it is: our students. Our students are a diverse group of young people who have had some wonderful experiences, experiences they are eager to share with you. With each new post, I hope you will learn more about what makes Pitzer a special environment for the students who call it home.

Finally, I know that choosing a college can be emotional, but I believe this process can be exhilarating. And remember, it's ok to be a little selfish. If you are a student, this process is about exploring what is most important to you. I'm sure many people will give you advice about college, but in the end, the one having to live that experience will be you. Shut off all the noise and listen to the person who knows best – YOU. If along the way, you find out that Pitzer may be one of the schools that "fits" you, my staff and I look forward to working with you.

 

Sincerely,

 

Angel B. Perez

Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid

Pitzer College

How Many Viewbooks Can You Fit in a Suitcase...

1,000!!!

Angel B. Pérez, Interim Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid, packs 1,000 Pitzer Viewbooks for his trip to CHINA!!!

Welcome to the Class of 2015

Move-In Day
Incoming students moved into their rooms the morning of August 20, 2011.

Walking up the stairs of Pitzer Hall.

It has to all fit into that room...

Welcome Day/Meet Your Mentor/Faculty Meet & Greet

Welcome Week Opening Day was a full day of activities including mentor meetings, welcome programs for incoming students and parents, a barbecue on The Mounds, and the Faculty Welcome, a Pitzer tradition.

Santiago Ybarra, Associate Director of Admission and Danny Irving, Assistant Director of Admission give new students their information packets.

Angel B. Pérez, Interim Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid welcomes the Class of 2015.

Resident Assistant Tim Williamson with a big thumbs up!

After moving into their residence halls, new students met with their mentors and RAs and met with their Orientation Adventure trip leaders.

President Laura Skandera Trombley greets a new student while Professor of Political Studies and Chicano/a Studies Adrian Pantoja and Professor of Philosophy Brian Keeley look on.

Inside College Admissions: Pitzer College

Inside College Admissions: Pitzer College
by Rebecca Green

Jul 13, 2011


We interviewed Admissions Director Angel Pérez to get the inside scoop on applying to Pitzer College, a Claremont College known for community service and study abroad.


Noodle Education: What’s one great insider tip for students hoping to get into Pitzer College?
Angel Pérez: Pitzer is an interesting place—did you know that testing here is optional? We don’t have the traditional method of looking at applications. We focus on making sure kids understand the mission and core values of the college. We have four core values and we look for students who are not only academically successful, but who bring those core values to life. In fact, less than half our applicant pool submits test scores.


NE: One thing that would surprise our readers about students at Pitzer is…
AP: Students are involved in every single part of the governance structure of the school from the hiring committees to the board to the finance committee (In fact 8 students were on the committee when I was being hired!) They make a real impact from faculty hiring and curriculum to finance decisions.


NE: What should I be sure to see or do on a campus visit to Pitzer?
AP: The Grove House is the center of campus life. It’s an old 1800s structure that was brought to the campus from Pomona. It’s got an organic café, open-mike night, a place for outdoor classes – it’s a little slice of heaven. They make cookies that are so good, my friends who are guidance counselors ask me to send them cookies from the Grove House. I’d also recommend a visit to the on-campus garden that’s maintained by our students—there are chickens running around and it’s a big part of our sustainability values.


NE: What is one thing students should NOT do when applying to your school?
AP: Well, watch out for the cut & paste—I recently got a letter from a student telling me why she wanted to get off the waitlist for Skidmore. But more importantly, when you’re writing your essay, if you’re writing about someone else, make sure to bring it back to you. It’s a big mistake that students make to tell us why their grandmother had an impact on them, then write all about their grandmothers, but never get back to how she impacted them.


NE: I’ve just been waitlisted at Pitzer. Any advice?
AP: Number 1: Send that card back! If we don’t receive that postcard, we assume you’re not interested. I get calls all the time in May asking about the status and I tell them I assumed you weren’t interested.

Also, tell us if there’s anything new. You filled out an application in December, so let us know if there’s anything that can update your file, or an extra recommendation. (Though don’t inundate the staff.) Also, look at the website and find out who’s in charge of admissions in your territory, and communicate directly with him or her.


To read the article, please visit:
http://www.noodle.org/noodlings/college/inside-college-admissions-pitzer-college

Waiting for the Incredible Hulk
November 16, 2010
By Angel B. Pérez

From Inside Higher Ed: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2010/11/16/perez

If K-12 education is waiting for Superman, then higher education in America must long for the Incredible Hulk. In the movie "Waiting for Superman," Davis Guggenheim highlights the problems that plague elementary and secondary education in this country, and illustrates how a system challenged with systemic injustice and bureaucratic red tape is obstructing students from attaining the American dream -- a shot at college.

But what happens when those students who make it arrive at the doorstep of the ivory tower and realize (like Geoffrey Canada, the educator in the movie whose childhood awakening inspired the documentary's title) superheroes don't exist? Higher education leaders paint images of colleges and universities in America that we don't live up to. Like the fictional characters we grow to admire in our infancy, postsecondary education can often disappoint.

Of the students who enter college in America, 43 percent don't graduate, and those who do typically don't complete in four years. Between 1971 and 2009, the gap in bachelor's degree attainment between white and Hispanic students grew from 14 to 25 percentage points. At public four-year colleges, less than half of the recipients of Pell Grants -- our lowest-income students -- graduated with a bachelor's degree. For African-American students, the proportion is even smaller.
We have a for-profit college sector that preys on low-income and first-generation students who are not savvy about the college application and financial aid process. These schools have produced the highest student loan default rate in the country and amongst the lowest graduation rates in the nation.

There are students who attend universities where they have little contact with actual professors because professors are so busy doing research. You can't blame the faculty, since promotion and prestige in academia is based on research and publication outcomes, not teaching and student engagement. Those who lose are our students, who experience education from a factory, instead of a second home where they are nurtured and cultivated.
In the world of elite colleges and universities, institutions compromise their values to compete for top ratings in U.S. News & World Report. They don’t always engage in student’s best interests; rather institutional policies are shaped to ensure climbing a few numbers on a report that earns a magazine millions of dollars and tells students and parents nothing about a college where they will thrive.

Most shocking of all are the unethical practices of college enrollment offices that disguise information in financial aid packages to enroll as many students as they can -- at the lowest price. Since our government does not require colleges and universities to provide certain basic information in a financial aid package, colleges sometimes provide the minimum amount, knowing that naïve students will enroll, even if they really can't afford it. We have a multibillion-dollar student loan industry and the highest rate of default in our history. Some would argue it's the consumer's fault, but colleges and universities that hide total cost of attendance and don't counsel students about the implications of borrowing are just as much to blame.

Higher education is an industry at risk. We focus on opening the doors for students, but we have not done a good job of making sure they persist. We are moving further away from our values, and if the pendulum does not swing drastically in the opposite direction, we will be the focus of the next documentary that shakes a nation and inspires a movement. We should not set our educational agenda around the egos of faculty and administrators, or the hopes of gaining prestige. We should do what's ultimately best for students. If a college education is the dream our young people reach for, it's up to those of us who lead it to create a system that embodies the strengths of the superhero they truly deserve.

Angel B. Pérez is director of admission at Pitzer College and a fellow at the Bowen Institution for Higher Education Policy at Claremont Graduate University.

The "testing option" debate

Our Director of Admission, Angel Perez, was quoted today in the Chronicle of Higher Education as part of a discussion on colleges that no longer require standardized test scores from their applicants. We're proud of our testing option and grateful to be included in this nation-wide discussion.

Applicants to Pitzer College have many choices to consider in lieu of standardized test scores. Students with a cumulative 3.5 unweighted and academic GPA (without Health and P.E., for example) as well as students in the top ten percent of their high school class (for schools that rank their own students) are completely exempt from submitting testing. Students who do not meet those requirements and still would like to forgo standardized tests may submit AP or IB test scores in English and Math, or simply submit a graded math test from Algebra II or a more advanced course, as well as a graded essay from their most current English course.

Our testing option is designed to give students as much freedom as possible to represent themselves academically. Some people love the tests, some people don't. We get it! We have found that a demonstrated commitment to hard work is a much more consistent indicator of academic success at Pitzer than high test scores.

Happy reading!

...and then it was March!

Woosh! Was that the month of February I just saw go by my window? I hardly noticed! I must have spent the whole month hunched over my desk reading applications!

If you're a returning reader, welcome back! If this is your first glance at the blog, thanks for your interest in Pitzer! We're approaching the light at the end of a very long and rewarding tunnel. We're only a week or so away from finishing all of your applications! At this time, everyone's application has been read at least once by the Admission Counselor responsible for your territory and is now circulating to a "second reader." We use this system to ensure that the first person who sees your application has the best chance of being familiar with your high school (and may have even met you while we were traveling). Second readers give each application a fresh perspective and help us get a more holistic picture of our applicant pool. It's been an absolute honor and joy to see your essays, recommendation letters, interview notes, MyCollegeI videos, art supplements etc.

So what's next? Next week our whole team will come back together for an intense week-long summit that most schools simply call "committee." We basically lock ourselves in the conference room and discuss what we've read so that we can build a well-rounded class. Committee is fun, emotional, exhausting, and rewarding. It is also the most poignant reminder that we innevitably receive far more excellent applications than we have the possibility of offering admission to. More on committee in the weeks ahead.

I'll leave you with this fun piece of news. Our very own Angel Perez, Director of Admission, has been asked by the Washington Post to write about the college search and admission processes. His first article is a great checklist for any high school student who is pondering the college question.

That's it for now. See you soon!

On The Road

Goodbye, September! Hello, October! Goodbye, summer; hello autumn. Goodbye flip-flops, hello flannels (except in Claremont, where we never say goodbye to flip-flops). This week found me moving farther away from Boston. In fact, I visited a school in Bethel, Maine that is about as far away from Pitzer as any of the admission staff will travel this year. I have to say, despite my California blood, that I am completely in love with New England! The leaves are fully in transition out here and the process is awesome. I drove through White Mountains National Park in New Hampshire and a number of times I almost pulled over and wandered up into the enticing hills. It looked like what an ant would see from inside a bowl of Fruity Pebbles. Amazing. Consequently, this week I want to talk about the lives that we live while we’re “on the road.”

First, for perspective, some numbers from this week:

• Miles I drove in my 1999 Subaru Outback (affectionately known as Roo, or The Roo): 801.
• Approximate number of gallons of regular unleaded fuel The Roo consumed: 40.
• Approximate number of fluid ounces of coffee I consumed: 200.
• Average number of hours slept each night: 6.

As you can see, I spend a lot of time in my car. I was thinking about why my colleagues and I do this. Why we wake up with the sun and drive for hours to visit students and schools in locations that are seemingly designed to befuddle our precious GPS devices. Why we say goodbye to friends and family in exchange for hotel rooms and toll booths. I decided to ask my colleagues what are their favorite and least favorite parts of travel season, as well as what music they’ve been listening to on the road.

Assistant Director of Admission, Constance Perez’s favorite part of traveling is meeting students, though she knows it’s cheesy, and going to Sadie’s (the restaurant, not the dance) in New Mexico. Her least favorite part is flying. This week Constance’s playlist includes Stevie Wonder, Prince, and the 500 Days of Summer soundtrack.

Admission Counselor Danny Irving’s favorite part of traveling is getting to start his day as late as ten o’clock in the morning sometimes. That happens on the “almost never” side of “sometimes,” but you can’t blame a man for dreaming. His least favorite is visiting five schools in a day and then having to catch a flight. He also hates white Tic-Tacs (he knows that hate is a strong word). Danny forgot his iPod at home this week, so he has been listening to the distant but familiar memory of his mother nagging him as a child to double check that he’s packed everything before he leaves the house.

Associate Director of Admission Justin Voss’ favorite part of traveling is meeting students, finding good food, and experiencing different weather. His least favorite part is being away from his family. Justin’s playlist this week includes Monsters of Folk and 7 Worlds Collide, as well as Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses.

Director of Admission Angel Perez’s favorite part of traveling is seeing students in their own elements and environments. He also loves eating regional food! Angel’s least favorite part is airport delays. This week, Angel has been digging Camisa Negra by Juanes, a Colombian artist.

My least favorite part of traveling is the food. I refuse to eat another Hampton Inn breakfast sandwich. I simply refuse. I did, however, find an excellent cup of coffee at a café called The Met in North Conway, New Hampshire! Songs on heavy rotation in my car this week include “I Lost It,” by Lucinda Williams and “No Rest for the Weary,” by the Blue Scholars. I love finding beautiful places in nature, as well as experiencing new and often bizarre scenes of American life. Ultimately, like my colleagues, my favorite part of traveling is getting to meet students and talk about college. It’s the fundamental reason why we deal with late flights, long days, homesickness and headaches. We really believe that Pitzer is an amazing place and we love hitting the road to find the next class of amazing people who will make it their own!

Last but certainly not least, Cecil the Sagehen loves traveling! The proof will be here every week for the next couple of months. Below are some more candid shots of Cecil on the road. Email me at adam_rosenzweig@pitzer.edu if you think you know where Cecil’s been this week and we’ll send you a prize! Cecil’s favorite part of traveling is escaping from predators (which include just about everything) and collecting travel-size shampoo bottles from hotels. Cecil’s least favorite part of travel is all the flying (go figure). Cecil’s favorite band this week is Ryan Adams and the Cardinals (Cecil has a thing for redheads, but who doesn’t?).