Student activities on Pitzer range from yoga club to student bands to Legal Society. Lots of students participate in team sports (we're paired with Pomona for most of them, but for smaller sports - I'm on the women's rugby team - the team is actually 5C). In and around the dorms, students frequently interact with each other or leave the doors open to the gorgeous California sunshine. Pitzer is actually a tamer party school than CMC or Harvey Mudd, with some students choosing to go off campus to party or drink, but many deciding to spend time with friends or do POA (Pitzer Outdoor Adventure) trips on the weekends. Off campus, Los Angeles is a fantastic resource for cultural events and concerts.

My classes have generally been around 15 to 30 people. Professors generally care quite a bit about teaching, but it is fairly inconsistent. The intensity of courses also completely depends on the class; some are fairly easy, but don't let Pitzer's stereotype get you; there are VERY serious and very intense classes here. Classes are mostly discussion based, and professors are not afraid to randomly call on you in class. You can't hide; you have to be prepared for class, and you have to show up. Not a good school for you if you want to skip or passively attend class.

The laundry machines accept Claremont Cash, meaning you can use your id card to do laundry instead of a stack of quarters. This is very convenient. We also have seven or so dining halls. If you get bored of one, you have a variety to pick from. This is also very convenient. Take advantage of it.

The student body population at Pitzer is changing. The slacker/hippie type of person is getting rarer and rarer. Instead the incoming body is smart and motivated. In the next couple of years Pitzer will hopefully become a school recognized for not only environmental awarness but also academics.

Pitzer Outdoors Activities (POA) is the most popular because they provide free trips to the mountains, beaches, etc. I'm with Latino Student Union and what we do is basically make the campus aware of Latino issues by throwing banquets or fund raisers for day laborers or other Latino centered organizations. Guest speakers are HIGHLY popular here. Bill Clinton came and tickets sold out immediately - boo!! Theatre is popular here as well, especially the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I'm in a play right now Zoot Suit. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (March 3). The dating scene for a gay guy like me? What dating scene??? There is so much catiness between the Claremont gays that it makes it virtually impossible to date. The guys here aren't even that great looking (gay guys, that is. The straight ones are... wow!). I met my closest friends through a diversity program Pitzer put on to show the campus to prospective students. I also met others through other friends, in class, organizations, etc. 2 am on a Tuesday? I am studying, but some of my friends went to Pomona College for something called Table Manners, which is a kind of weekly party held at Pomona. Kahoutek usually happens every year. I'm not a big fan, but usually there are people on the mounds and bands playing for the entire day. People party as much as they please. If you want to party all week, you could. If you want to party once a week, you could too. If you don't like to party, that's fine as well. Usually people party 3 nights a week (Thursday, Friday and Saturday). We don't have frats. I went to Harvey Mudd College for a party called Ice Cold - amazing! I also went to Claremont Mckenna for another party, which was pretty good too. Off campus? I shop. I shop a lot. There's a mall nearby. It's a pretty decent size and there's also a target. I also go out to restaurants. Go to that shitty gay club near by Oasis or I just go home and hang out with my friends from home.

I am on the swim team, which kicks ass!!! Josh White is most possibly the best coach ever known to man! He is indeed the main reason why I came to this school. The team it self is pretty sweet. We have alot of really good freshmen this year, which is a good sign because it is Josh's first recruiting class, so we have a very bright future. The pool is one of the best I have competed in, and I've been to alot of nice pools. So yeah, if you have any swimming experience I would highly recommend looking into joining the team. It has made my college experience so far!

The most popular clubs on campus are politically active clubs, and intramural sports. It is easy to meet people at events like Groove at the Grove, where everyone is dancing the night away. Nearly everyone at Pitzer smokes weed on a regular basis. And there are lots of parties, even on Tuesday nights. If your into music, there are regular shows at the Glass House in Pomona, which is only 20 minutes away.

The sports team is shared with Pomona College, and though many poeple are into sports I don't feel that it is a rallying point for students. Students often leave their dorm rooms open, and I feel as though everyone is welcoming and friendly. We have several music events and once a year is Kohoutek, the largest music festival of the 5-colleges. There is no greek system. I met most of my friends from hanging out in the dorm lounge, freshmen mentor groups, classes, and through other friends. I don't drink, but find many things to do on weekends (that don't necessarily involve being at a party and watching other people drink). There are many parties, and also many events or activities. I play video games with a bunch of people at Harvey Mudd, but you can go dancing at Pomona or drinking at Claremont McKenna or hang out at the Grove House or watch a movie on the Mounds.

During the beginning of my freshman year I was the only Pitzer freshman who was out and proud. The guys I knew were gay (I could sense it) did not come out until the end of the first semester or not until the end of the first academic year. it is as though being gay at Pitzer is taboo, but that's absurd, seeing how it is one of the most liberal colleges across the nation. Outside the college bubble, it's even worse. I was dating someone (NOT from the Claremont Colleges) and I walked down what we call "the village," which is an assortment of stores and restaurants, and we were holding hands. Everyone stared at us as if we were too taboo for Claremont. If you're gay and in Claremont, scream and run back to West Hollywood because Claremont is DEFINITELY NOT gay friendly. The colleges are, but the surrounding community doesn't seem so. The nearest (and shittiest) gay club is about a 15 minute drive - ew! Students here are also too rich for their own good. As someone from a lower socio-economic status, I have noticed that people are SOOOOOO ignorant when it comes to that subject. Just because they could afford everything does not mean that everyone else could too. And just because they could afford a certain lifestyle, such as going organic or buying super expensive biodegradable detergent, does NOT mean that someone from a lower class could do the same. They are also ignorant when it comes to LGBT issues, using gay as a synonym for stupid or vandalizing the Queer Resource Center (located on Pomona's campus). They are also ignorant when it comes to racial issues. Being Latino, I have noticed these things. Making fun of Mexicans, calling all Latin American ethnicities the same, when they are clearly not. Complaining that everyone should speak English. It angers me. A conservative bigot would feel out of place in Pitzer. Someone like Cruella De Ville would feel out of place too. Class attire ranges from PJ's in the morning to ties (I wear a tie to class! When I feel like it) to shiny tights and hot pink shirts it all depends on your taste. Different students do interact, but people usually stick to what feels comfortable. Four tables: The latinos, the jocks, the artsy people, and the Japanese foreign exchange students. That would be IF there were only four tables. In real life though, there really isn't such a segregation, but these are the prominent groups here. Most people tend to be affluent. The are politically active. When it comes to voting some people lie and say they voted because some students act as if the world is going to end if you don't. Students do not talk about how much they'll earn one day. At least not in normal conversation.

The student to faculty ratio is 10:1. So far, my favorite class has been Contemporary Social Theory. We read seven fascinating books that discussed sociological phenomena/trends. The workload and pace were very manageable, and the professor was engaging, energetic, friendly, and genuinely eager to teach and get to know his students. My least favorite class was Macroeconomics; it was tedious, and involved understanding an array of concepts and interdependent relationships. Also, the professor was not as sympathetic to students' needs as I would have like him to be. Overall, students study four to five days a week. Sunday is the biggest studying day, and most students don't have class on Fridays. Pitzer students are very socially and politically aware; we are always assessing the events of life with a critical eye. We recognize ironies, fallacies, and hypocrisy within numerous current events. Students are not competitive among one another Pitzer. Nearly no one asks a classmate what they're grade was in a class, or for a particular assignment. The most unique class I've taken was my Freshman Seminar: Youth in Pop Culture; my professor had met several famous rap artists. We studied gang culture, hip-hop culture, globalization of trends, and read a diverse lot of sociological analysis books. I am thinking of majoring in Psychology and double minoring in Economics and Philosophy. But it should be noted that Pitzer allows its students to design their own majors. Professors have been known to invite their students in to their homes. I have shared lunch on a few occasions this year with a couple of my professors. Pitzer's academic requirements allow students to study what they want. There is little to no constraints on a student's ability to study what they want. Pitzer's courses are definitely theoretical in nature. Although, there are several opportunities, such as the "Pitzer in Ontario" Program that allow students hands-on experience working in various sectors of the local community.

The druggie stereotype is not very accurate anymore. There are drug users, but I don't think that they constitute anywhere near a majority of the school. On the whole, most students are quite active, politically and socially, and I think that the environmentalist stereotype is generally rather accurate.

professors at pitzer are some of the most amazing people you will ever know. the classes are small, so professors really make it their job to not only know your name, but know something about who you are. classes are really safe, and class discussions are made to be a comfortable, non-judgmental environment, so even the shyest students feel safe putting in their two sense. the thing about pitzer kids is that we're all really smart - and quirky. it's not uncommon to see a group of people tanning by the pool talking about james joyce or gender-neutral bathrooms... it's just the way it is here. we're all very opinionated, educated, and in most cases, articulate. we're also almost 100% liberal. i don't think i know a single legitimately conservative student who goes to pitzer. another great thing about pitzer is that they don't make us take "general education" requirements. pitzer's philosophy is that we should be able to design our OWN "general education" in classes that we enjoy and are passionate about.

Determined, friendly, and enthusiastic.

Great social life and activities. The 5 Colleges sorta share one social life, so if you can't find what you're looking for at Pitzer, it's really easy to go to another school.

Basically any type of open minded person can fit in at Pitzer. It not that hard, and almost everyone is accepted. The people who don't fit in, dont want to.

pitzer has about 850 students in total, but because of the claremont colleges consortium, we have more like 5000, which is a really decent sized school. the 5Cs give students the feel of a big school without getting lost in the sea of strange faces. they have created a system where we maintain the sense of community you can only get with a small school, which is really unique to the claremont colleges. school pride within the colleges is not really that big of a deal. there definitely are stereotypes within the 5Cs about what the student body of the other colleges is like, but ultimately we don't really care. the town of claremont is really beautiful and cute. "the village" is just past pomona, a short walk away, where you can get delicious pastries and bagels, starbucks coffee, small-town diner food, fancy romantic restaurant atmosphere, cute boutiques stocked with trinkets and dresses, or used vinyls, CDs, and DVDs down at rhino records. but everything definitely shuts down around 9pm, when the college parties start. go off campus for fun during the day... but stay on campus for fun at night.

not so much. while plenty of people fit the mold, the student body runs the gamut of individuals