There are so many excellent colleges within fifty miles of Ontario! This post is the start of a series I am calling “Five Worth the Drive.” Each installment will focus on five colleges that are little gems in Southern California. Use the map above to link to the school website and get driving directions. This week: Chapman University, Pitzer College, Whittier College, Loma Linda University, and Occidental College.
I encourage you to check out their websites, call the admissions office, and schedule a tour!
Chapman University
Chapman is an excellent university located near the historic downtown of Orange, California. Here is an excerpt from their website that gives you a feel of the personalized, supportive, and exciting opportunities on Chapman’s campus:
Chapman University Mission Statement
The mission of Chapman University is to provide personalized education of distinction
that leads to inquiring, ethical, and productive lives as global citizens.
Located in the city of Orange in sunny Southern California, Chapman University is a mid-sized private university with a total undergraduate and graduate enrollment of 8,305 students*. Just steps away from the restaurants and shops of Orange’s Historic Old Towne Plaza, Chapman’s stately, palm-treed campus is a centerpiece of this comfortable mid-sized city. Ideally situated within an hour’s drive of Los Angeles, our location provides easy access to LA and Hollywood internships, beautiful beaches, Disneyland, mountains and desert. […] We emphasize the interdisciplinary study of the arts and sciences as well as professional programs, giving both undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to become multidimensional, original thinkers—the kind of people who flourish in a challenging world. […] Not only do we strive to connect academic areas of inquiry through interdisciplinary study, we also work to connect students to faculty and the University to the community, so that your education is personal, relevant and engaged in the larger world.
Pitzer College
Pitzer college is a beautiful school located in Claremont, California. One of the Claremont College Consortium, Pitzer offers students many unique learning opportunities and experiences. Here is an excerpt from their web page that explains more:
About Pitzer College
Founded in 1963, Pitzer College is a top-ranked liberal arts and sciences college. The College emphasizes environmental and interdisciplinary studies, the arts, humanities and social, behavioral and natural sciences. With approximately 1,000 students, Pitzer College is part of The Claremont Colleges – a unique consortium of five undergraduate colleges and two graduate institutions. The contiguous campuses share numerous programs and facilities. At Pitzer, students have access to all the resources of a major university while enjoying all the benefits of a liberal arts college experience and its personalized approach to education. […] Pitzer College celebrates cultural diversity and intercultural understanding. Students from different socioeconomic, ethnic and geographic backgrounds come to Pitzer from across the globe. In addition to learning from one another, students are encouraged to participate in one of the 46 international exchanges available through Pitzer’s study abroad programs, helping them learn a foreign language and deepening their appreciation of global diversity.
Whittier College
Whittier College is a hidden gem. It is a campus that fosters diversity, individual expression, and academic excellence. Again, here is an excerpt from their web page that can tell you more:
Our long academic tradition aims to foster in students an appreciation for the complexities of the modern world and workplace while never losing sight of the importance of social responsibility.
Whittier is a place where students become actively involved in the local community as they explore their role in the global community, too. Our residential nature is a key component in defining who we are, as students and professors live and learn in close proximity to one another, fostering an atmosphere where knowledge can be pursued 24/7. This is a community where individuality is valued, tolerance is cherished, and the things that make each of us unique are seen as invaluable tools in seeking greater knowledge and understanding.
Our Mission: Whittier College is a residential four-year liberal arts institution that prepares students from diverse backgrounds to excel in a complex global society. Through challenging, interactive courses, taught by accomplished professors, students learn to make connections across disciplines, understand cultural perspectives, and integrate learning with practical application. Inspired by a Quaker heritage, the Whittier education equips students to be active citizens and effective communicators who embrace diversity and act with integrity.
Loma Linda University
Open house January 28, 2018!
Loma Linda University is a unique health-services school. It provides a focused educational experience and a wide range of degree opportunities. Here is an excerpt from their web site:
A Seventh-day Adventist University
Loma Linda University (LLU) is a Seventh-day Adventist educational health-sciences institution with more than 4,500 students located in Southern California. Eight schools comprise the University organization. We share our campus with six hospitals where students receive hands-on training. More than 100 programs are offered by the schools of Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, Religion and Behavioral Health. Curricula offered range from certificates of completion and associate in science degrees to doctor of philosophy and professional doctoral degrees. In addition, Loma Linda University also offers several distance education programs. Students from more than 80 countries around the world and virtually every state in the nation are represented in Loma Linda University’s student body.
Occidental College
Occidental College is an exemplary liberal arts college perched in Eagle Rock between Los Angeles and Pasadena. The campus is an exciting, invigorating, inspiring place to visit. Here is a section from their web site that can tell you more:
A place of intimate scale and infinite scope.
For more than 125 years, our tight-knit community of students and scholars has come together in the heart of Los Angeles, one of the most stimulating and creative cities in the world.
A leader in the liberal arts and sciences.
One of the original campuses where Upward Bound got its start and home of one of the first West Coast chapters of Phi Beta Kappa, Oxy boasts a firmly rooted tradition of academic achievement and dedicated community service. Our students go on to become leaders in their fields—pursuing graduate degrees and careers in politics, diving headfirst into the Hollywood hustle and breaking new ground in medical research.
A community in conversation.
When we speak, our leadership listens. Professors don’t pontificate; they discuss, debate and engage. With only 2,100 undergraduates, everyone is face to face with faculty, staff and other students. We seize the opportunity to create and sustain conversations around the issues that matter most to us.
A home.
We respect and encourage one another’s ideas, interests and creative impulses. We root for our own and celebrate our successes—big and small—as a community. This campus and this culture inspire love and loyalty, and make us proud to call Oxy home.
Io Triumphe!
Chaffey GATE Program 
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