Occidental College is a small private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California. While it was founded by the Presbyterian Church, since 1910, it has not been sectarian. It is located specifically near Glendale, so while it is one of the oldest Liberal arts schools in the West, you can still claim you went to school in “The North East...” as long as you mean the North East neighborhood of LA. Occidental, also sometimes just called Oxy, has around 38% acceptance rate during Regular Decision and 52% during Early Decision. Currently, Oxy is test-optional, and they have even said, “There is no plan to return to standardized testing requirements for any future entry term.”
We have written about Oxy in the past. However, we wanted to revisit it to share our tips and tricks for writing the Occidental supplemental essays. Everyone has to respond to the first essay.
Why are you applying to Occidental? Why do you think Occidental is the right place for you to pursue your interests? (150 - 200 words)
This is a really standard question; the only trick here is that it’s a little short. You will have to use your words wisely. You will also need to research Oxy before starting to write this.
You should start this essay with a concise story about when you first became interested in the subject you hope to major in. Then, state that you want to major in that subject at Oxy.
Next, it’s time to back up that assertion with specific opportunities you have found with your research into the school. These specifics should include two higher-level classes in your intended major. Look for high-level classes, as intro classes are usually similar across schools, and upper-level courses are more specific to “Why Oxy?” You should also mention a professor you would want to assist with and why their research interests you. If you find any other exciting opportunities that speak to you academically, you can also include those.
Once you have talked about academics, you can discuss what you plan to do outside class. Mention clubs, extracurriculars, and/or on-campus programs that align with your interests.
Your answer should show the overlap between your passions and specific opportunities at Oxy as much as possible. Connect Oxy’s offerings back to you every chance you get here.
For the second essay, they allow you to choose between three prompts. Let’s break them down.
Please answer one of the following questions — your choice (200 - 300 words):
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?
Sometimes, we roll our eyes at colleges for mentioning diversity. Many colleges claim to be “diverse communities,” but their actions and statistics don’t back that up. However, Oxy is a really diverse school, with 45% domestic students of color. So, claps for that, and they should be able to mention it.
For this prompt, you need to tell a story about a life experience where you enhanced your community and connect that story to something you value in your community. It doesn’t have to be about diversity, but it certainly can. End this essay by connecting your experiences to the person you hope to be at Oxy and how you will show up for their community.
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?
There are two tricks to this essay. The first is there needs to be a place at the center of it, and the second is to think local. Both of these are easy to get wrong. Start by thinking of a place that matters to you. You need to center this answer around that place.
You probably have a lot of global or national causes you care about, but this should feel more local and specific. However, that doesn’t mean the issue can’t have more far-reaching effects. For example, if you are from a city with a housing crisis, you can discuss how it relates to your hometown. Hopefully, if you take on this question, you have a story about how you have been plugged into this issue or affected by it. If your essay concerns your hometown’s housing crisis, maybe you have participated in mutual aid for unhoused people. Tell that story and then connect it to Oxy. What are you going to do at Oxy to further your work? Make sure you tie it back to Oxy.
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?
Okay, so you need to relate this research to what you hope to study. If you want to be a history major, you cannot talk about doing bio-medical research here. You also need to come up with a specific research topic. Pretend you are actually applying and want to be taken seriously. You don’t need a 20-point presentation, but you should think through your question, topic, and how you would approach this. Double points if you can weave in some Oxy-specific resources that would help you pull off this project. Adding these specifics will really help your answer. You also need to connect it to a “why.” We need to know why you are specifically excited about it.
Finally, there is one more question that everyone needs to answer.
What is the first song you would play for your Oxy roommate on move-in day? (20 words)
This is an opportunity to have a little fun. Don’t overthink it, but say anything to norm-core. Like, don’t say, “Don’t Stop Believing.” And we can’t believe we have to say this but keep it appropriate. We are pretty sure no 18-year-old even knows Lady Gaga’s “Drugs N Jewels” or Lil Wayne’s “Pu**y, Money, W**D,” anymore, but we are sure you have your own NSFW music that we are too old to know about. So, keep it PG.
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