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.
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
All citizens of countries other than the U.S. are considered international students. If you attend a U.S. high school, but have a foreign passport, you are an international student. All international applicants will be considered for merit-based scholarships.
Students who have completed college-level course work at an accredited two-year or four-year institution are eligible to apply as transfer students to Whittier College.
The First-Year Experience is designed to help first-year students successfully transition to Whittier College and develop dispositions of academic and social engagement. The program teaches students how to be active, contributing members of the campus community, develop a proactive approach to learning, and fully understand their educational options and career opportunities through the development of close relationships with faculty, fellow students, and upper class peer mentors.
At Whittier, education takes place both within and beyond the classroom. We are committed to creating and sustaining a positive campus environment in which students learn, live, and grow. Whether you need help preparing for an upcoming exam or obtaining a student visa, if you just need some good advice or assistance securing an internship, our faculty and staff is dedicated to providing services that support your educational needs throughout your time in college.
Whittier College’s Student Counseling Center provides a full-range of counseling services designed to help students cope with the challenges and stress in their daily lives to achieve their full human potential. A confidential and student-focused resource, the counseling center is staffed by graduate level psychology interns and postdoctoral associates who work under the supervision of a licensed clinical psychologist.
The Office of Student Disability Services is committed to ensuring equal treatment, educational opportunity, academic freedom, and human dignity for students with learning, physical/medical, and psychological/psychiatric disabilities at Whittier College.
In June of 1912, one of the campus’ most noteworthy and enduring landmarks arrived. It was the brainchild of three senior men – Frank Crites, Nofle Renneker, and Milton White. In 1962, Crites recalled that members of the Class of 1912 wanted to leave a “most lasting gift,” so “it was decided that a rock as large as could possibly be transported would be a fixture for many years in the future.” Thursday of graduation week, Crites and recent graduate Austin Marshburn ’10, who provided the horses and wagon, started for Sierra Madre at about 3 a.m. Renneker and White rode over later on their bicycles, an eighteen-mile trip one way.
In a canyon at the foot of Mount Wilson trail, the foursome picked out a one- or two-ton granite boulder on the hillside, dug trenches beneath it for the wagon wheels, and eased the rock down the hill and onto the wagon. Renneker and White headed home by bike while Crites and Marshburn started ponderously down the lonely, dusty road with the huge rock in the wagon. They finally arrived at the campus with their prized rock about 2 a.m. In an unexpected counter-prank, members of the junior class dug a hole and buried the unguarded rock, leaving only ten inches visible above the ground.
Today, the Rock stands as a symbol of the College's tight-knit community - painted several times a week by individuals or student organizations to celebrate birthdays, share congratulations, mark milestones, express solidarity, or memorialize beloved Poets.
The most significant of Whittier College traditions is one that marks both the initiation of new students into the College and the conclusion of their time at Whittier. The President's Convocation, held in Harris Amphitheatre on the first evening of Orientation, begins with students processing through a corridor of faculty in full academic regalia and culminates with the igniting of candles to symbolize sharing the Light of Learning. The poignant ceremony is repeated the night before Commencement at Baccalaureate, marking the successful completion of a course of study.
