Pitzer College 2022-23 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Pitzer College 2022-23 Application Essay Question Explanation

The Requirements: 1 essay of 650 words, 1 essay of 100 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why, Community

At Pitzer College, five core values distinguish our approach to education: social responsibility, intercultural understanding, interdisciplinary learning, student engagement, and environmental sustainability. As agents of change, our students utilize these values to create solutions to our world’s challenges. Find out more about our core values. Please choose from the following prompts and answer below:

Describe what you are looking for from your college experience and why Pitzer would be a good fit for you. 

Pitzer wants to make sure you are psyched for the full college experience at their school. So, we’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: DO. YOUR. RESEARCH. Locate specific opportunities within your department and related programs and clubs that really make your heart sing with excitement. And then connect those offerings to your hopes for a successful college experience (however you may define it). Talk about your academic and professional goals and how Pitzer will help you achieve them. What unexpected classes might you want to take to stoke your curiosity? Don’t forget to connect your past/present to your future. What experience do you have already that you can build on? What about the Pitzer experience will enrich your life overall? 

Reflecting on your involvement throughout high school or within the community, how have you engaged with one of Pitzer’s core values? 

If you choose to respond to this prompt, odds are you have something to say about social responsibility (what do we owe to our fellow humans?), intercultural understanding (how do we form connections and appreciation across cultures?), interdisciplinary learning (much like yoga, it’s all related, isn’t it?), student engagement (how can we help each other to grow, expand, and deepen our knowledge?), or environmental sustainability (Mars is cold, y’all!). Hone in on the Pitzer value that resonates the most with you and share the steps you have taken to connect, address, or engage with it over the past four years.  

Two of our favorite murals on campus have quotes that read, “Be your own weird” and “You are of this place – it is changing you”. If you could add an inspirational quote or art piece to our campus, what would it be and why (100 word limit)?

This prompt choice is glorious in its infinite potential. You can choose to elaborate on anything about which you are passionate here. Maybe you’d add one of your favorite inspirational quotes, encouraging other members of the Pitzer community to live boldly and take chances, like you’ve done in the past. Or, perhaps, you’d want to share some of your artwork, something abstract that speaks to our shared humanity. What is important to you and how would you lift up others in your community? Since you only have 100 words to work with, you’ll benefit from being succinct, so don’t over explain your quote of choice or your artistic vision; instead, focus on the impact you’d like your choice to have on those who view it while walking across campus.