How to Write the Occidental College Essays 2025-2026
Occidental College (Oxy) offers a distinctive liberal arts education in Los Angeles, combining academic rigor with real-world opportunity.
Oxy has only one essay prompt, which is technically optional; however, Occidental is a small, competitive liberal arts school and showing your fit for the institution is key. This supplemental essay is your chance to do exactly that, so we strongly recommend that you respond to this prompt to give admissions officers another chance to get to know you.
Read these Occidental essay examples written by real accepted students to inspire your writing!
Occidental College Supplemental Essay Prompt
Optional: Why are you applying to Occidental? Why do you think Occidental is the right place for you to pursue your interests? (250 words)
This is a prime example of the classic “Why This College?” essay prompt, and it asks you why you’re interested in Occidental out of the nearly 4,000 colleges in the United States alone. To answer this question effectively, you’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of the school’s academic programs and campus culture.
Occidental wants to know if you’ve researched the school and whether you can envision yourself thriving there. They’re not looking for generic answers about prestige, size, or location—you need to show how Oxy’s unique opportunities align with you.
Before you begin writing, you’ll need to consider what you intend to write about. To help guide your thinking, consider these brainstorming questions:
- What first drew me to Occidental? Was it a class, program, professor, or the social justice-oriented culture?
- What academic interests do I want to pursue, and how does Oxy make that possible? (e.g. the Core Program, the Kahane United Nations Program, the Oxy Immersive Semester, research opportunities)
- How do I see myself engaging in campus life beyond academics (clubs, community engagement, multicultural events, etc.)?
- What about Occidental’s values resonates with me (commitment to diversity, civic engagement, global awareness)?
Once you’ve figured out the kinds of things you want to write about, think about what will make for a good response. Most importantly, be specific—reference programs, classes, or opportunities unique to Oxy.
Once you do that, connect them to your story. Show how your background, experiences, or future goals align with these resources. Make sure you also balance academics with community. Admissions officers want to see you engaged both inside and outside the classroom.
Show fit and contribution—not only why Oxy fits you, but also how you’ll enrich Oxy’s community. Occidental’s admissions officers should come away from your essay understanding not only why their school is a good fit for you, but also why you’re a good fit for their unique campus community.
Here are some hypothetical student examples to show you how much variety there can be in responses:
- Sophia, a Political Science hopeful: After interning with her city councilmember, she wants to join Occidental’s Campaign Semester, where students work full-time on elections while earning academic credit. She connects this to her long-term goal of pursuing public policy.
- Matt, a budding filmmaker: Having grown up in East LA, he wants to study Media Arts & Culture while interning with Los Angeles’ creative industries. He ties this to Oxy’s location and the InternLA program.
- Priya, interested in diplomacy: She’s fascinated by the Kahane United Nations Program, where students spend a semester working with UN missions in New York. She explains how this connects to her Model UN background and dream of becoming a foreign service officer.
Let’s look at some examples of weak and strong essays, along with explanations as to why they’re weak and strong, respectively.
Bad example: “I am applying to Occidental because it has small class sizes, a beautiful campus, and is located in Los Angeles. I want to study political science, and Occidental has excellent professors and courses that will prepare me for a future career. I also want to take advantage of the many internship opportunities available in LA. The diversity on campus is very appealing to me as well, since I enjoy meeting people from different backgrounds.
Occidental is the right place for me because it will provide the opportunities I need to succeed. With its strong academics and supportive community, I know I can thrive. I also look forward to joining clubs and participating in activities, which will help me grow as a student and person. Overall, I believe Occidental will give me the foundation to pursue my dreams.”
Why it fails: Too generic (small classes, internships in LA, diversity—could apply to USC, UCLA, Pomona, etc.), no personal connection, no specific programs mentioned, mostly “telling” rather than “showing.”
In contrast, let’s look at a stronger example and discuss why it works:
Good example: “When my city council internship ended last spring, I wasn’t ready to stop knocking on doors. I had grown addicted to conversations with strangers—the veteran who wanted better healthcare, the teacher asking for school funding, the grandmother who had never voted before. I left each doorstep realizing that democracy depends on persistence, and I knew I wanted a college where civic engagement wasn’t a side project but a core value.
At Occidental, I’m excited by the Campaign Semester, where I can work full-time on a political campaign while still earning academic credit. The thought of spending twelve weeks in the field—while grounding that work in political theory back on campus—feels like the natural extension of my council experience. I’m also drawn to the Politics Department’s focus on urban governance, which would let me connect classroom ideas to Los Angeles itself, a city facing many of the same challenges I saw in my community.
Outside academics, I see myself joining Oxy Votes and the Latine Student Union (LSU), where I could continue blending activism with cultural connection. More than anything, I’m drawn to Occidental because it doesn’t separate ‘college’ from ‘the real world.’ At Oxy, I won’t just be studying politics—I’ll be practicing it.”
Why it works: Specific (Campaign Semester, Politics Department, Oxy Votes), personal (connects past experience to future goals), and shows both fit and contribution.
In this kind of essay, there are some fairly common mistakes students often make that you’ll want to avoid. Firstly, don’t be too generic—Don’t write about things that could apply to many schools, such as a “beautiful campus” or “strong academic programs.” Focus on what makes Occidental unique. Second, don’t list resources without connection. Rather than just name-dropping the UN Program, for example, explain how you would use it.
In your response, don’t ignore community life—Oxy is about collaboration, diversity, and civic engagement, so ignoring that side makes your essay feel incomplete. And finally, don’t over-focus on prestige or famous alumni. The essay should be about your fit, not Oxy’s reputation.
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