Scripps College Housing: A Comprehensive Guide to On-Campus and Off-Campus Options

Scripps College, renowned for its academics and close-knit community, offers diverse housing options designed to support students' academic and personal growth. With a high percentage of students living in school-sponsored housing, residential life is a central aspect of the Scripps experience. Whether you're an incoming first-year student or an upperclassman seeking a change of scenery, understanding the available housing options is crucial. This article provides a comprehensive overview of Scripps College housing, covering everything from on-campus residence halls to off-campus apartments, along with valuable tips for navigating the housing selection process.

On-Campus Housing: Residence Halls

Scripps College boasts twelve residence halls, each with its unique character and history. Four of these halls date back to the 1920s and 30s, reflecting the Mediterranean architectural style that defines the campus. Despite their architectural differences, all residence halls share common features designed to foster community and provide comfortable living spaces.

Common Features of Residence Halls

Full Kitchen: Each residence hall includes a fully equipped kitchen with utensils and pans, allowing students to prepare their own meals.
Living Rooms: Comfortable living rooms provide a space for relaxation, socializing, and informal gatherings.
Courtyards: Many residence halls feature courtyards, offering outdoor spaces for students to enjoy the California sunshine.
Grand Piano: A grand piano graces each residence hall, a tradition dating back to Scripps' early days when piano proficiency was a graduation requirement.
Browsing Rooms: These communal libraries and study spaces offer quiet areas for reading and academic work.
Laundry Facilities: Washers and dryers are available in each residence hall, and students can use their Claremont Cash to pay for laundry services.
Wi-Fi: Wireless internet access is available throughout the residence halls.

Room Types

Scripps College dorms are similar to most college housing options. Most on-campus residence halls include singles, double, and suites. Floor plans vary from residence hall to residence hall.

Singles: Single rooms offer private living spaces for students who prefer individual accommodations.
Doubles: Double rooms accommodate two students, fostering a sense of community and shared living experience.
Triples: First-year students are typically placed in triples, allowing them to connect with classmates and adjust to college life.
Suites: Suites typically house 5-7 students in single rooms, sharing a common bathroom and living space.
Jack and Jill Style: Two single rooms share a bathroom.
Route Apartments: These on-campus apartments feature four single rooms and a shared kitchen/living room.

Residential Life Staff

Beyond the physical spaces, Scripps College provides a supportive residential life staff to enhance the student experience.

Residential Coordinators (RCs): RCs live in student housing and are responsible for organizing residential hall events and serving as liaisons between students and administrative staff.
Community Coordinators (CCs): CCs focus on building community within the dorms by hosting weekly events and activities.

Living Learning Communities (LLC)

Scripps offers Living Learning Communities (LLC), supportive environments for students with common interests or affiliations such as academic majors, languages, or social or political commitments. Scripps offers Spanish, German, and Italian halls to those ambitious students who want to hone their language skills outside the classroom. For those who want an off-campus experience while still being connected to the Scripps community, the College offers off-campus housing and apartments, as well as Scripps housing at Harvey Mudd College and the Five-College Living Exchange, where students can live on one of the 5C campuses while their exchange lives at Scripps. Students who would like to reside in an environment that is wellness-focused are encouraged to consider applying for our WellNest Living-Learning Community! WellNest is our substance-free community in which participating students will have additional opportunities to engage with programming initiatives that focus on holistic wellness in a substance-free environment with like-minded peers.

Read also: Exploring Majors at Scripps

Off-Campus Housing Options

While Scripps College has a very residential campus, there are also off-campus housing options available to students.

School-Sponsored Off-Campus Housing: These can look like studio apartments or apartments that have two separate rooms with a shared bathroom and kitchen/common space.
Five-College Living Exchange: Where students can live on one of the 5C campuses while their exchange lives at Scripps.

The Housing Selection Process

Navigating the Scripps College housing selection process can be daunting, especially for first-time participants. Here's a breakdown of the key steps and valuable tips to help you secure your preferred housing:

Housing Application and Questionnaire: All students must complete a housing application and questionnaire, providing information about their living habits and preferences. This information is used by Residential Life staff to assign roommates and create compatible living arrangements.
Roommate Selection: Students can choose their roommates if they know someone, but it’s recommended to allow the staff to place you. Consider consulting social media and building a roommate group of your own!
Housing Selection Time: Students receive a housing selection time based on their class year, with seniors having priority.
Room Draw: During room draw, students select their preferred housing options based on their assigned time.
Room Ranking: It is recommended to create a room ranking, listing all of your preferred rooms in order of preference. This will help you make a decision quickly when your selection time arrives.
Room Freeze: Once assignments go out, they are locked until our room freeze lifts in mid-September.

Tips for a Successful Housing Selection

Preparation is Key: Before your housing selection time, research the different residence halls and room types to determine your preferences.
Explore Housing Options: Though this event hasn’t taken place since my first year at Scripps, you can still get to know your housing options. “Don’t be afraid to ask someone what they think of their room or if you can check it out,” said Maya Lynch ’22. You can access the floor plans for each on-campus housing option earlier in this article, but physically inhabiting a space is often what it takes to get a true sense of a room.
Have Backups: Be prepared with backup choices in case your preferred options are unavailable. “Dedicate time to creating a room ranking,” said Katja Roberts ’22. Once Roberts learned that she had one of the last draw times for housing her sophomore year, she proceeded to rank all 150 double rooms on campus. On the day of housing draw, this greatly reduced the stress attached to what room choice to make while options dwindled.
Consider Dorm Culture: Each dorm has a unique mix of upper and underclassmen, party life (or lack thereof), expectations around quiet hours, and more. If you want a quieter environment, Clark may be for you. Want a front seat to every Friday night pregame?
Don't Take it Personally: Things probably won’t work out the way you think they will, and that’s OK; there’s so much more to your Scripps life than where you live.

Important Dates

Mid-July: Students can expect to see their assignment in their Housing Portal in mid-July as staff make assignments throughout the summer.

What to Bring and What Not to Bring

To assist you with this transition we have created a list of what to bring and what not to bring to campus to help you with packing. As you prepare to pack up, please be mindful that you are sharing space with others. If you plan to shop for things before you arrive, consider ordering online and have them picked up at store near Scripps College or shipped to your campus address. We want you to feel comfortable and “at home” in your room at Scripps. It is important to note that the above items cannot be removed from their spaces. Scripps does not offer storage units/pods for students over the summer.

Additional Housing Resources

Room Draw Google Sheet: This collaborative spreadsheet contains a list of all of the rooms on Scripps’ campus!
Housing Floor Plans: These floor plans are from 2019 and may be slightly outdated, but they contain the layout and the approximate number of people allocated to each room on campus. Check them out to get a feel for the options that are available to you. They include information about sink availability, closet size, proximity to the bathroom, and more.

Off-Campus Housing: Beyond the College Gates

While the majority of Scripps students reside in on-campus housing, some may choose to explore off-campus living options. This section provides an overview of the different types of rentals available and essential information to consider before signing a lease.

Types of Rental Properties

Apartment: The most common type of rental, an apartment, is a unit with separate bedroom(s), bath, kitchen, and living room, typically located in multi-level buildings. Some apartment complexes offer amenities like swimming pools, parking, and laundry rooms.
Studio Apartment: Similar to an apartment, a studio apartment combines the living room and bedroom into one room, with a separate bathroom.
Condominium (Condo): Condos resemble apartments but are privately owned. They often feature larger sizes, upgraded amenities, patios or balconies, in-unit washer/dryers, and parking.
Duplex or Townhome: These units share common walls with two or more units and typically have two stories, a small yard or deck, and a garage.
Single Family Home: A stand-alone unit with multiple rooms (bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, living room, family room), often including a washer/dryer, private yard, and garage.

Essential Considerations for Renting

Lease or Rental Agreement: This legal document outlines the responsibilities of both the tenant and the landlord, including payment terms, lease duration, renewal requirements, and penalties for breaking the lease.
Rental Costs: Be prepared to pay the first month's rent and a security deposit (usually equal to one month's rent). Some rentals may also require the last month's rent upfront.
Security Deposit: This deposit covers damages caused by the tenant beyond normal wear and tear and is typically refunded in part or in full at the end of the lease, depending on the condition of the property.
Pet Deposit and Pet Rent: If you plan to have a pet, a pet deposit and pet rent are normally required if you plan on having a domesticated animal in your home and if the landlord allows it.
Utilities: Your lease will state if utilities are included in rent. Include services such as water, gas, electricity and garbage pickup.
Application and Credit Check Fees: Most rentals require you to pay an application fee and credit check fee when applying to rent the apartment.

Finding Off-Campus Housing

Craigslist: An online community for buying, selling and renting almost anything. It features free classified advertisements that range from the traditional buy/sell advertisements and employment and housing ads to community announcements and personal ads.
RentCafe: Features numerous listings that come from real estate professionals and reputable property managers. People can easily search for an apartment by using a variety of filters - rent price, ZIP code, neighborhood, pet policy, no.
The San Diego Reader: The largest alternative published paper in San Diego County. It is published weekly and distributed for free in stands and private business. The reader offers a comprehensive guide to San Diego’s local theater events, movies, restaurants, and music.
Trulia: Gives renters all the tools and valuable information they need to be successful in the home search process.
UC San Diego Housing Page: UC San Diego is located a few miles from Scripps Research. It is a university with a large population of over 35,000 students, so it has a specific focus on housing and therefore, a helpful webpage with both rental tips and apartment search webpages that may be applicable to people at Scripps Research.
Airbnb: Airbnb is an online marketplace for people to lease or rent short-term lodging including vacation rentals, apartment rentals, homestays or occasionally, hotel rooms.
The Scripps Research Classifieds Listserv: The Scripps Research Classifieds Listserv is an online list where employees are given permission to post housing ads, items for sale, and roommate ads. This is a good source for finding temporary living arrangements if you are looking for roommates, as well as for finding things like new furniture and household items for low prices.
Saba Housing: Saba Housing works with individuals looking to rent a furnished room in the San Diego area. In most cases, these are shared homes, so you will want to be prepared to live with other people.
Furnished Finder: Furnished Finder is a specialized resource for 30-day and greater stays, with a focus on housing for short-term traveling professionals.

Subletting

A sublet apartment (or room) becomes available when someone decides to leave their housing before the end of their rental agreement. When you sublease, you will either be liable for the contract temporarily or until it was set to expire for the original tenant. It is important to review the contract and/or have the expectations, privileges and limitations of the sublease in writing before agreeing to sublet a room or apartment. If the sublease is for a room in an apartment or townhouse, it is also important to understand all details, such as whether there are other roommates; whether laundry and kitchen facilities are available; whether you are expected to pay a portion of the gas, electric and Wi-Fi, etc.

Read also: Research Internship Details

Commuting Considerations

When exploring housing options, consider your commute. Selecting housing in a neighborhood with great transit service can make your commute faster, more reliable, more productive and lower impact - all while helping you save money. These routes offer some of the fastest and most reliable to the La Jolla area. Black Mountain Rd. Steadman St. Pacific Heights Blvd. Oberlin Dr. Regents Rd. UTC Transit Center: 8 minutes, est. Executive Drive: 5 minutes, est. Nobel Drive: 4 minutes, est. Balboa Avenue: 13 minutes, est. Clairemont Drive: 15 minutes, est. Tecolote Road: 17 minutes, est. Old Town Transit Center: 19 minutes, est. 985: UCSD - N.

Read also: Summer Research at Scripps

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