Whittier College – A Good Choice
A student set to leave high school can find that the college search is an arduous task, and finding a good college is even harder. Like dating, in a college search you get what they look like, what they say they have done and what they plan to do, and what your partnership with them would look like. But in the end, it’s nearly impossible to know whether that college is kind, welcoming, inclusive, and dedicated to excellence until you are already enrolled.
Luckily, Whittier College prides itself on inclusivity (with 69% of the college consisting of students of color) and has firmly established it is interested in finding common ground with people of any kind and creed and warmly welcomes unique ideas, brilliant minds, and individuality.
A Brief History of Whittier College
Whittier College was founded in 1887 by members of the Religious Society of Friends and got its name from the Quaker poet/abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier. That Quaker heritage still shines true in the way Whittier values community, diversity, and integrity.
College Location
Whittier College is located in Whittier, California, a small, sunny city in Los Angeles County consisting of 87000 and is unique in how it places its values in community identity and cooperation. This has made it very attractive as home to both residents and businesses.
And as Whittier, California is small, Whittier College also boasts a small student body of around 1700 students. And because classes are taught by professors (rather than teaching assistants), students receive an excellent and personal education. Classrooms have a 12 to 1 ratio.
Quality of the Professors
And the professors themselves are accomplished in their own fields. In fact, among Whittier’s ranks is a Grammy winner, a Pushcart Prize in Poetry winner, several Fulbright Award winners, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and National Endowment for the Humanities grantees.
Despite its intimate nature, Whittier has a broad variety of majors and extracurriculars to choose from. Whittier offers a choice of 32 majors, with varying minors and program options to boot and there are over 90 registered student organizations to join (around 50% of the school is enrolled in at least one!)
Does Whittier College Have Sports Teams?
The school has 22 NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletic teams (11 men’s and 11 women’s) with 30% of the student body enjoying one sport or another. Several graduates from Whittier have gone on to join the NFL, Major League Baseball, Major League Lacrosse, and many more.
The school mascot, considered one of the most unique school mascots in the country, carries a large pen because, as its been said, the pen is mightier than the sword. He is also huge (and purple) ultimately signifying brains and brawn.
Final Thoughts
A key component of Whittier’s vision is that they strive to equip students with both a flexible and well-informed world view coupled with an understanding of social responsibility as well as a solid comprehension of the modern workplace.
Rather than leaving the school disoriented and lost, Whittier graduates are prepped and ready to tackle their careers head on. The community is beautiful, the professors will know your name, and the culture is as unique as the students that attend.
