Occidental College is a small private liberal arts college located in Los Angeles, California. When they were founded in 1887, they wanted to be the Princeton of the West, so naturally they adopted the orange and black and tiger mascot. Subtle. Occidental, or Oxy for those ~in the know~, has a 38% acceptance rate and popular majors include Econ, International Relations, Poli Sci, Biology, and Psychology. They’re also a really diverse school, with 45% domestic students of color, and community service is huuuuge with students.
Occidental has streamlined their supplement, removing some of the mandatory questions, but is pretty similar to their older one. Let’s break it down.
Why are you applying to Occidental? What are your academic interests and why do you think Occidental is the right place for you to pursue them? (150 - 200 words)
This is a sweet and short Why Occidental essay. The focus here is on academic interests so no waxing poetic on location or extracurriculars. You should start with an origin story that answers the question “what compelled you to study what you want to study.” If it’s poli sci, tell them a story about how you witnessed a campaign speech that motivated you to get involved – ot maybe you saw the buzzing campaign workers during the event and were drawn to the frenzy. Or maybe it’s more theoretical than that – a book or documentary that illuminated your interest. It should be about 1/4th to 1/3rd of the essay. End with a sentence that declares your major at Oxy.
The next part is the bulk of your essay. Next you’ll need:
1-2 upper level classes that fit into your niche.
Upper level is important here – no intro classes, since you can take those at any college with your stated major. Classes should align with your goals, so if you said in your origin story that you’re pursuing politics because of a deep interest in the human rights/justice side, talk about classes like POLS 345 The Fourth Amendment or POLS 346 Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
A professor to study with
Pick someone in the department with research that aligns with your goals and the classes you picked. Go into detail about how this person, their work, and perhaps their experience can help you dive deep into your major.
Try to avoid writing this like a list, instead weave it into a narrative format that lets admissions know you’re serious about academics and is less boring to read.
Next, you’ll pick one of these 3 questions and answer in 200-300 words:
A. Research is an integral part of an Oxy education. Completing a senior comprehensive is a requirement of every Oxy student and there are a myriad of opportunities for research throughout your four years. Imagine you were just awarded one of our research grants for a project of your choice. What are you researching and why?
We like this one! Follow these steps:
Pick a topic that aligns with your goals. No bio research if you’re a social sciences nerd. You should have some familiarity with the topic you’re choosing, but you don’t need to be an expert.
Define your research project and provide your “why.” Get specific and be excited about it! Something that fits into your niche but takes it a step further would be great. If justice or abolition is what you’re into, maybe it’s research into effects of ending cash bail in L.A. (a hot issue right now!).
Explain how Occidental is the right place to do this research at. You can’t outline the project in it’s entirety, but you can use this space to explain how Oxy has the tools to do what you want to do. Weave in some of those Why Oxy details from before.
B. Briefly describe a current event or social movement that is affecting a place that is important to you. Describe its significance to you and the future implications for that community. How do you anticipate an Oxy education helping you better understand and respond to that event/movement?
A place that’s important to you. A PLACE that’s important to you. PLACE THAT’S IMPORTANT. Do not gloss over this part, even though we know it’s easy too. Students who are interested in Oxy will probably be plugged into social justice issues at the national or global scale, but you need to think smaller. Talk about a community you’re plugged into, like maybe your hometown or a place you have a lot of ties too. If it’s something you’re involved in, tell a story about how you got involved and then draw a through line to what you hope to do that’s similar at Oxy.
C. Oxy’s central mission emphasizes the value of community amidst diversity. What do you value in a community and how do you see your perspectives and life experiences enhancing it?
The good ol’ community essay standby. We’d start with a small story (1/3rd or so of the essay, not a ton of space) that highlights your values around community – but also ties in with something that fits with Oxy’s whole thing. So if community service, or tight-knit academic communities are your thing, tell a story that matches that.
Go into what you like about Oxy, but avoid any declarative, empty statements like “I value diversity.” Show! Not tell! Think more like “It’s important for me to be surrounded by people who can bring different perspectives, much like the time I did XYZ” and connect to your story.
And that’s the Occidental College supplement. It’s much shorter than it was in the past, and has questions that shouldn’t break your brain too much. We’re glad they got rid of some of the goofy ones!
If you need help with your essays, reach out to us here.