Want to go to a liberal arts college on the west coast? Check out Occidental College!
Located in Eagle Rock, Occidental College is just 8 miles from downtown LA, making its location super attractive to applicants. Students are even allowed to have cars, which makes it easy for them to take advantage of all that LA has to offer.
The liberal arts college has a small undergraduate student body, with approximately 500 students per class. Oxy students can take classes offered at CalTech and the Art Center College of design, and even pursue joint degrees at CalTech, Columbia and USC’s Keck Graduate Institute.
So, what does it take to get in? Every student has a different story to share and different majors they want to pursue. See how these 5 Occidental students set themselves apart from the rest of their applicant pool:
1. Essay Topic: Art/Acting/Singing
Essay Excerpt from Mishell
Occidental College ‘19
Major: Economics, Arts Entertainment and Media Management
“I can’t equate joy to a goal on the soccer field, or a three pointer in the last several seconds of the game. My bliss is not at the tip of a paintbrush. Life for me is not even attached to a stage or a pair of dance shoes. As I stood in front of my class, guiding my closest friends through a simple grapevine, laughing to the beat of the catchy song on the speaker, it was clear. Life for me is discovering connection through dance.”
Interested in writing about art too? Unlock her Occidental application file to continue reading her personal statement for inspiration.
2. Essay Topic: Athletic Achievement
Essay Excerpt from Sam Oxy
Occidental College ‘18
Major: Economics, Arts Entertainment and Media Management
“My week at Steens Mountain Running camp was the most physically challenging of my life. The camp is well known in running circles for its tough conditions and brutal challenges. Typically, I am a cautious person and prefer observing before participating. Unfortunately for me, driving eight hours into Southern Oregon to watch the first session of camp was not an option. Signing up involved a bit of risk, courage and a lot of peer pressure. I eventually did it, though I was not as gung-ho as my friends.”
Want to write your essay about your athletic achievement, but not sure how? Unlock his Occidental student profile to learn how Sam Oxy did it!
3. Essay Topic: Transition to Adulthood
Essay Excerpt from E.malmquist
Occidental College ‘19
Major: Psychology
“At age sixteen, I was reaching the end of my sophomore year of high school. Unlike most of my friends at this age, I had no car, no license, and a newfound responsibility: a job. My parents had told me that if I wanted adult privileges like a car and license, I would need a job to pay for them. So as my sophomore year came to a close, my new job at Target began.”
How did getting a job influence his growth? View his Oxy student profile to see how he wrote about his personal growth.
4. Essay Topic: Overcoming Personal Struggle
Essay Excerpt from Izzyyouokay
Occidental College ‘19
Major: Public Health, Biology & Computer Science
“For a long time, my culture and the things around me made me believe that I had to be soft spoken, quiet and submissive.
Every time I was loud and outspoken, my mother would quiet me down and say that no man would marry me if i spoke like that.”
Have a similar experience you want to write about? Unlock her Occidental profile to see how she wrote about overcoming a personal struggle.
5. Essay Topic: Challenged a Belief
Essay Excerpt from Obogo
Occidental College ‘19
Major: Economics
“Short Answer: I challenge beliefs and ideas everyday. It’s called teen angst.
I’m pretty proud of this short response, but since I actually do want to go to college, here’s my long response: One day in US History, our teach started us off with a debate topic about wealth inequality, welfare and other entitlement programs, and minimum wage which would then lead into our discussion about the Gilded Age and the years leading up to the Great Depression.”
How did she incorporate this risky, daring introduction into her essay? Unlock her Occidental College profile to find out.
Hope this was helpful for those considering applying to Occidental this fall! Go to our search page for more Occidental student profiles!
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