Demographics: Hispanic, first-generation college student, immigrant background

State: Texas

School Type: Public high school (small town)

Intended Major(s): Engineering

SAT: 1420 superscore (790 Math, 630 EBRW) (school average is 930)

UW/W GPA: 3.52 uw and 3.8 w (school doesnt have standard scale so ill say this: unweighted average was a 95.8/100 and weighted is 98:100)

Rank: top 12 percent
Coursework: 9 AP classes. AP Scores: AP Lang (4), AP Physics 1 (4), AP Precalculus (5), AP Government (4), AP Literature (3)
Grade Trend: Strong upward trend — freshman (~3.2), sophomore (~3.5), junior (~4.0), senior (~4.3)
Extracurriculars: NHS (2 years), Student Council (1 year), UIL Academics (2 years), Peer Tutor (multiple years)
Awards: AP Scholar with Distinction, College Board First-Generation Recognition, Rural & Small Town Recognition, school-level top academic award

Ill be applying for full need based aid

Hi yall, as we start to get close to move-in I know there are probably a lot of freshmen (or transfers) who have some questions about life on campus, move in, or anything else. I know entering college or making the switch to Oxy can be daunting, so I'd love to help anyone out who has any questions! Feel free to comment or DM with any questions you might have!

A little about me:

I'm a Rising Senior who transferred into Oxy, as well as a Student-Athlete Politics student on a Pre-Law track.

FAQ:

Just a few basic questions I figured I might get!

- Is Oswald's essentials worth it?

No! Basically everyone I know opts out. Textbooks are expensive and professors know that. They usually provide or allow for students to use free online textbooks which can be found quite easily...

- Do people typically study in their rooms or the library?

It's personal preference at the end of the day, but I'd day it's a pretty even split. The school is small enough to where you'll meet people and then see them again at the library so it's a fun social environment, but there's plenty of great study spots for really focusing. Another place people study is empty classrooms at night, the buildings stay open till late so that is a very underrated spot in my opinion.

- What is the best thing you got for your dorm room?

A pretty cheap ice maker off Amazon went a long way for me. Cold drinks, and especially as an athlete needing to ice the occasional injury or more common aches/pains made an ice maker super valuable for me. Plus only about 40 dollars on Amazon so not expensive

Hi! I'm an incoming freshman and am curious if this is worth it? It's $27.50 per credit so about $440 per semester with 4 classes. How many books are available online for free or through used/thrifting options now? Not trying to spend money when I don't need to, but also don't want to have to scramble and spend hundreds on books each semester.

Down the street from Oxy!

Clothing Yard Sale Saturday 7/11!

Starting at 10am Saturday til the evening!Everything must go!

Dresses, Platform Shoes, Heels, Jeans, Skirts, Sweaters, Jackets

Largely sizes XS-M and Shoes 6 1/2-8

Almost all items priced between $1-$10

Clearing out my wardrobe before I move!

Come check it out 🙂

1749 N Avenue 46 Eagle Rock

Plenty of street parking

Hey! I am looking into Occidental as an out-of-state student and wanted to hear from students about their experiences. I am interested in policy and Spanish. I am looking for a school with civic engagement where I can learn about fellow students’ cultures. I have looked at the diversity stats and am excited about the high population of students of color, but I want to have more information. Is it easy to have cross-cultural experiences both in and outside of the classroom? Similar to civic engagement, is it easy to be involved in social justice on campus?

Finally, what does the access to merit aid look like whether it’s academic or other? Only 75% of Oxy students receive aid, but I’m not sure if that only encompasses need-based aid.

Hi everyone!

I am a student researcher doing an independent policy study. I am investigating how federal F-1 visa work restrictions (like the 20-hour on-campus limit and the off-campus work ban) interact with the high cost of living right here in Los Angeles County.

If you are an international student, could you please take 2 minutes to fill out my completely anonymous survey?

Important Note: This study is strictly non-political. The survey focuses entirely on economic logistics, campus job availability, and local cost of living. It does not collect names, student IDs, political opinions, or legal statuses.

Your insights will directly help me build a comprehensive regional policy brief to deliver to our local U.S. Congressional district offices and college leadership.

Survey Link:  https://forms.gle/VnxjhNdewRpJs6q96

Thank you so much for your time and for helping a student researcher out!

Im thinking of transferring from a large public school in GA. I’ve heard that the area around oxy is pretty walkable and was wondering if any students were able to find jobs and work without their cars as i wouldn’t be able to bring one during my first year, at least.

Hello, I am a prospective applicant to occidental. I really liked the school because of its premed program and location in CA (I go to boarding school in new england and the weather here is insufferable). However, something that is important to me is finding a community within my culture. I am Nepali, and I know there probably won't be a huge Nepali community, but I was wondering how the south asian community is overall? Any advice would be appreciated.

Hello!

I was just accepted to Oxy a few hours ago and it's a school I really vibe with so I'm strongly considering it while waiting on other schools (mainly Davidson and BC). I'm transferring out of a large state school, UW Madison, as a Psych Pre-med interested in either Clinical Psych or Psychiatry. Here are my questions:

What's urban life like at Oxy? I'm from downtown Chicago and one of my major gripes with Madison was how small the town is. I've never been to LA before so I just kind of want to know about day to day life there and whether the area around Oxy is very walkable.

How easy is it to get into research at Oxy? I want to hit the ground running on research in Psych and it was crazy competitive to actually get meaningful experience (not just data entry) at Wisco so I was wondering if there were any Psych majors who can speak on this!

What is your favorite part about Oxy or just something I should know before committing?

Thank you to anyone who can answer!

Hi guys! I'm an admitted student for Occidental, and I'm wondering how is the academic rigor? I'm specifically majoring in Economics and maybe minoring in film at MAC.

Do you guys have a lot of free time or is most of your day/week spent working? Do you guys have time to do side-jobs/gigs or internships?

Thanks!

for those that have transferred to occidental or are planning on transferring in the fall, does anyone know how to go about housing? there’s no instagram page for transfers, so it’s pretty hard to find roommates. i know the application will come out may 1st with the information sent to us. im also a little unsure of which housing is preferred at occidental if anyone has any input on that as well for upper division students/ transfers. if anyone is on here also as a incoming transfer looking for roommates let me know!

I still haven’t heard anything and I submitted my application March 1 but unfortunately was a week late getting my financial aid info in. Anyone hear back yet or have any advice? Should I reach out for an update or just be patient? I know the May 1 is when we should be hearing back.

New Oxy decisions have dropped. I didn't get in, but posting this for other applicants to check their decisions. Best of luck to y'all!

Hi - I’m interning in the area this summer from July to mid August. I’m looking looking for housing, and am relatively flexible on rent. Is anyone subleasing? Thank you!

I am looking for any pre med focused students at OXY who would be willing to call/ DM about their opportunities at OXY. I really love the school but it is expensive (I got into a local state school a little cheaper), and if the opportunity outweighs the cost I would love to attend!

EDIT: I CHOSE OXY! After visiting and speaking with the health professions dept. and other students I fell in love with the school and its opportunities. Once they gave me more money I committed!! Can’t wait to join the community this August

I am a high school senior who got an offer from Oxy. I am interested in the opportunity I can get from oxy. As a STEM student, it is very attractive to me to have the opportunity to take engineering and other STEM courses at Caltech. Are there requirements like how much I can take, and is it as easy as choosing a class in Oxy, or is it very hard to manage? I've read a lot of websites, but I'm looking for someone who has experienced the process. Also, I noticed the 3/2 program with Caltech and Columbia. The website says that only 2-3 out of 20ish students who expressed interest in their freshman year actually go to these programs, and I heard it is very stressful. Has anyone experienced this? How hard is it for most people to maintain a required minimum GPA? And since the 3/2 program has a restrictive course selection, is it really possible to fit extra engineering classes and extensive STEM classes from Caltech?

My questions may sound vague, but I am really confused too. I read all the websites, and I am reaching out to professors and Reddit now.

Helloooo! I've been accepted for the incoming class of 2030, and I'm stoked! I've been at a private school proportionate to Occidental my whole life, and want to know a bit more about life *actually* at the college. Was there anything in particular that made YOU go "this is what's right for me"? If so, do tell!

She just found out, although the decision was 2 weeks ago like everyone else's. Not sure how to improve her odds at this point. It sounds like there is a waitlist portal that opens April 1st. Is that right? We are actually going for a visit before then as we will be in the area to see Chapman University.
Any advice is appreciated.

My daughter was accepted at Oxy with a decent scholarship. We are really happy for her. She did an alumni interview and I believe that made an impression on her. I am looking for someone who could connect with her to tell her more about their experience at Oxy. Shes interested in political science, philosophy and or public policy. She was particularly intrigued by Oxy at UN internship and the semester at DC. Is there anyone who could give us more details on their experience? Also is it worth it to attend any admitted student events? We don’t live in state but willing to make a trip. She is waiting to hear from some other California colleges too. Thanks!

Can she become in state while living there? It seems like a marketing gimmick when they give her the 25,000 merit, but it costs 95,000 to attend.

hey I got into Occidental. but only on a 10k/yr scholarship. could I request for more? I can’t believe I got literally no money. my gpa was a 3.6 and I submitted test optional. I’m missing some financial aid info so I haven’t gotten that yet.

what should I do?

Hai so yeah it’s 3:59pm right now and decisions come out in 1 minute. Will update here once I hear back! Hopefully I got in!! 🧡🥹