Belen Yudess ’25 and Jihae Oh CMC ’24
Social Media Manager and Staff Writer
On April 22, Scripps hosted its first in-person admitted students day since the spring of 2019. The campus was filled with eager students wanting to learn more about the Scripps experience. The prospective families arrived at Garrison Theater for an 8:30 a.m. registration and office resources fair. They were greeted by admissions ambassadors and faculty, given complimentary Scripps water bottles, and were free to explore the many programs the college has to offer. This included representatives from Student Health Services, the Queer Resource Center, SCORE, the Tiernan Fieldhouse, and CMS Recreation.
Following this initial meet and greet, families were ushered inside the theater for an opening speech and overview of the Core curriculum. Siena Hinshelwood ’22, a current admissions ambassador, was the first to speak. She welcomed everybody to the event and acknowledged Scripps’ presence on the land of the Tongva people. Hinshelwood then handed the mic over to the Vice President of Enrollment, Victoria Romero. Romero expressed her enthusiasm about seeing the crowd in person and thanked her fellow faculty and groundskeepers for their dedication to the school. Before introducing Interim President Amy Marcus-Newhall, Romero reminded the audience about the purpose of the day’s activities. “We hope today allows you the opportunity to see if you can see yourself [at Scripps] for the next four years,” said Romero.
Marcus-Newhall began by stating her background at the college as a former psychology professor and dean of students. She emphasized Scripps as a home away from home and asked students to remember this when making their choice. “Make the right decision for you, what you want to ultimately decide at the end is where do I want to live the next four years of my life, and study, and be a part of that community.”
She highlighted the benefits of attending a small liberal arts college, such as the small class sizes, interdisciplinary studies, and the ability to connect with one’s professors. Marcus-Newhall also pointed out how Scripps’ participation in the 5Cs allows for the resources and student body of a larger university, noting the saying of Gestalt psychology that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
The session then shifted gears and transitioned to a discussion panel about the Core curriculum facilitated by Director of Admissions, Laura Stratton. The panel featured a student from the class of 2025 named Lily, Head of the History Department and Professor Corey Tazzara, and French Professor Dr. Julin Everett. Professor Tazarra proceeded to explain Core’s structure as a three-semester program, and the differences between Core 1, 2, and 3. He then detailed Core’s purpose as a way to expose students to relevant issues occurring today. “Core introduces students to the difficult conversations happening in our society, [such as] inequality, class, gender, and race … [it] opens and heals wounds in the process of these discussions.”
After the panel concluded, Romero came back to the stage and separated students and parents for their respective sessions. At 11:30 a.m., families regrouped in front of Malott for a catered lunch and a CLORG fair. A majority of Scripps clubs were present, such as Scripps Associated Students (SAS), Watu Weusi, the Scripps Pre-Law Society, Babes and Blankets, Casual Swim Club, and The Scripps Voice. The Browsing Room also hosted a pop-up sale so students could purchase their Scripps merchandise and squirrel stickers.
After participating in the morning’s events, prospective and committed students were beginning to feel more at ease with one another and the campus itself. This comfort allowed students to open up about what excited them about Scripps. Kimberly ’26 said, “I feel like it’s a very tight community, [where you can] know everybody’s name.” Sophie Folger ’26 shared this sentiment and expressed her love for the college’s environment and traditions. “I just loved the atmosphere and the energy here,” said Folger. “Everyone was so kind and welcoming … Also, one of the big things [for me] was tradition. I grew up in a really big extended family that all lived close by, so we had traditions for all of my life. I heard about traditions like orientation, graduation, and Scripps tea, and that felt personal and like home to me.”
Sinclair Strong and Lu Nimmo, two prospective students, also participated in the DIVE program for first-generation and BIPOC students. “That’s been pretty cool, connecting with all of the other POC who are interested in coming here, and hearing their stories and why they’re so interested in Scripps, especially the ones who have come,” said Strong. “You kind of see two different perspectives, the POC perspective on one hand, and then the entire Scripps perspective on the other hand.”
Nimmo shared this sentiment and appreciated the ability to look around the other campuses as well. “We got to basically explore the 5Cs. We just walked around and just saw how different the styles of the schools are.”
Committed students, Ari ’26 and Stella Shaw ’26 expressed their readiness to be a part of the supportive and empowering space a historically women’s college provides. “At first I was hesitant about it being a women’s college, but then I realized this is a very supportive environment that I like a lot,” said Shaw. “I wanted to be somewhere where I’d be learning for the sake of learning and surrounded by people who had a similar mindset. We only really have one chance as women to be part of the majority and that’s going to a place that’s dedicated towards women to be in a majority space.”
Ari also appreciated Scripps’ emphasis on advocacy and acknowledgment of the injustices occurring in the world today. “I like how conscious everyone is about inequality and how people are focused on making sure everyone has an equal chance,” said the prospective student. “There are a lot of opportunities to speak up about stuff, and they encourage that.”
As the CLORG fair came to an end, Sofia Heffner ’26, a possible English and Spanish major, was thrilled about all the chances to get involved on campus. “I’m very excited about the Scripps Voice,” said Heffner. “I’m also hoping to join mock trial. And we’ll see what else — as much as I can fit in.”
Heffner’s dad, Mike, was also very emotional about his daughter’s new journey. “It’s a bit of a culture shock for a lot of people to come from Wisconsin to California,” he said. “This place is really the kind of place that makes people feel at home. I think she’s going to do great here.”
Following the CLORG fair, families were able to choose from a wide array of academic or spirit-related activities. The schedule included CP&R, SAGE, and LASPA sessions, a campus tour, mock classes, a Scripps scavenger hunt and sticker search, and the sustainability fair. At 3:30 p.m. everyone joined together to partake in a community favorite, Scripps tea.
Many administrators noted how exciting it was to see a group of prospective students on campus again. Families and students really got a taste of what the Scripps community looks and feels like. Between the Sustainability Fair and CLORG fair happening side by side on Bowling Green and Jaqua Quadrangle respectively, the culture and values of Scripps were actively expressed.
The day was packed with high amounts of information, activity, and energy. It was obvious that the faculty and staff put a lot of dedication into organizing the day, and it is clear from the passion of the prospective students that the class of 2026 will thrive at Scripps.
Image Source: Corina M. Silverstein ’25
