Claremont McKenna College

Claremont McKenna College Introduction

Recognized as one of the nation’s most prestigious liberal arts colleges, Claremont McKenna College sets itself apart from its counterparts by its focus on leadership. The college’s mission statement is to train “leaders in the making” and leadership is stressed everywhere, from the classroom to dorm life to athletics. Many students pursue the “Leadership Sequence,” which includes courses focusing on leadership across disciplines, in addition to their major.

CMC is academically different because it provides its students with so many opportunities outside of the classroom for them to gain experience and knowledge that textbooks simply cannot offer. There are countless numbers of fellowships and scholarships for students that will pay for interning in another country, working for a nonprofit organization, starting up businesses, and study trips. — Joanna Respold, Class of 2007

One of the admissions criteria is leadership potential and the “typical” CMC student excelled academically in high school and also participated in some sort of leadership role, whether yearbook editor, swim team captain, or orchestra section leader. Students selected for the McKenna Scholars program are chosen for their leadership activities in high school.

Consequently, CMC students are “doers.” They apply what they have learned in the classroom at one of the college’s eleven research institutes or through internship programs. They participate in more than 180 student organizations that support student activities from skiing to vegetarian cooking. They play on one of CMC’s twenty Division III athletic teams. They study abroad in more than forty countries internationally and have performed volunteer work at a high rate compared to other colleges nationwide.

With especially strong programs in economics and government, the college excels in preparing its students to pursue careers in business, government, and the professions. CMC’s economics department is ranked first among liberal arts colleges and more than thirty percent of students graduate with a degree in economics. However, CMC’s liberal arts curriculum requires that students complete a broad distribution of courses across departments, including mathematics, literature, and foreign language. More than half of students choose to pursue dual or double majors, often combining fields as disparate as economics and literature.

Employers note that CMC students are prepared for the work world. They are trained to think analytically and to present their ideas both orally and in written form. Writing skills are stressed from the freshman writing seminar through the mandatory senior thesis, in which students present their senior research project in a paper which may range from fifty to hundreds of pages. Also, CMC students are taught to present their ideas orally through oral exams and research presentations, as well as through in-class debate with professors or fellow students.

With approximately 1,050 students on its campus, CMC has a community feel. It is not uncommon to attend a class dinner at a professor’s home in the nearby Claremont village, and strong friendships are formed between students, starting from the ten-day freshman orientation including WOA (Wilderness Orientation Adventure) and lasting far beyond graduation day. More than ninety-five percent of students live on campus for all four years and the dorms serve as hubs for on-campus social life, hosting various themed parties throughout the year, and for student government. The Associated Students of Claremont McKenna College (ASCMC) is one of the most popular on-campus organizations, as more than one-third of the student body serve in student government as dorm presidents, class representatives, and student senators.

The “ATH”

Host to a year-long dinner and lecture series Monday through Thursday evenings, as well as the much-beloved afternoon tea, the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum is a crown jewel of the college. The “Ath” hosts lectures four nights a week open to all students, faculty, and Claremont community mem- bers. Lectures are preceded by a gourmet dinner, prepared by the Ath’s chefs and student assistants. Seating with the featured speaker is limited exclusively to students, who in recent years have had the opportunity to rub elbows with speakers including the former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, Janet Reno, director Spike Lee, author Michael Cunningham, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. The speaker’s presentation is introduced by the student Athenaeum Fellows who work actively with the director to choose the year’s program. After a presentation the floor is opened for a question-and-answer period during which students’ questions have priority.

Location and the Claremont Consortium

Claremont McKenna is located on a fifty-acre campus in the convenient and safe college town of Claremont, thirty-five miles east of downtown Los Angeles. CMC is close to two major freeways, and for beach lovers, Laguna Beach and Santa Monica are each about an hour away; nature enthusiasts often head to Joshua Tree National Park for camping and hiking; and on weekend evenings many students make the forty-minute drive west to Hollywood or Universal City. It also is not uncommon for students to take weekend trips to San Francisco, San Diego, or even Las Vegas!

CMC is also unique through its inclusion in the Claremont Colleges consortium. As part of the consortium—a group of five undergraduate colleges and two graduate institutions—located in one square mile—the atmosphere is that of a small college within a larger university. Students take classes, socialize, and participate in activities across the greater Claremont community but always have the home base of CMC. The consortium makes CMC an ideal choice for students who want a small college experience academically but also want the resources that a larger university would provide. Dining halls and libraries are open to all students and it is easy to take classes that may not be offered at CMC at one of the consortium colleges.

What kind of college education do you want? Claremont McKenna College is not for everyone; it is for students who would like to be challenged, who would like to know their professors and have their professors know them; it is for those who hope to build relationships in a small setting, but still have all of the options that a larger university would afford them, it is for students who are considering a career in public service and the professions and who would like to attend a school that will teach them the leadership skills and ethics to pursue such a career. And the sunshine of Southern California doesn’t hurt either.

CMC students are smart and many of them had their choice of top-ranked schools. But they chose CMC. Students choose CMC because they believe that it will be the best school for them, in terms of education and environment. This is apparent when you meet the students—they are active in campus life. The campus is crowded on weekends, attendance at Ath lectures and sporting events is high, and—a rarity on some college campuses— students attend class regularly. They also know that CMC supports them, their education, and their future career development.

Claremont McKenna College Academics

CMC students know that big is not necessarily better. The small size of Claremont McKenna allows for an academic environment that is rigorous, yet personalized, as students can count on a great deal of interaction with their professors. In fact, student participation is expected at CMC, where the average class size is sixteen students (the average in a laboratory is eighteen).

Majors

CMC students are known for their eclectic choice of majors as many students pursue a double major or a dual major. (A student with a double major fulfills all course requirements in both majors while a student with a dual major fulfills slightly fewer courses than a full major in both departments.) Students are also allowed to complete a major at one of the other Claremont Colleges that may not be offered at CMC. Another option is the self-designed major, which must be planned with direction from a faculty advisor.

Requirements

CMC has various general education requirements that all students, regardless of major, must fulfill. These include three semesters of social sciences, two semesters each of science and humanities courses, and one semester of literature, math (calculus-based), and world civilization. Additionally, all students must either demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language or complete three semesters of foreign language study.

An additional requirement for all CMC students is the senior thesis, a major research paper or project designed by the student. Normally completed during the senior year and overseen by a faculty advisor, this one- or two-semester venture is usually on a topic of interest within the student’s major field of study. Social science and humanities students usually write thesis papers ranging from thirty to hundreds of pages, science students design and carry out experimental research, and often students choose to do a creative project such as a short film or a novel.

Professors

Do not choose CMC if you want to go through four years of college as an anonymous student in the back of the classroom. The vast majority of CMC professors want to hear your ideas and opinions, they want you to ask questions, they hope that you will come to their office hours, and they would like to know how you are doing outside of school as well. It is not uncommon to find professors eating lunch with students in the dining hall and students are often invited to professors’ homes for class gatherings.

My professors introduced me to fundamental schools of thought that bend my mind and make me feel more engaged in the rest of my life. The best classes here leave me thinking about the basic values and truths of the world after I leave the classroom. They also spark conversations about anything and everything with my friends.” – Ethan Andyshak, Class of 2006

Comparing this school with what I have heard about other colleges from friends, CMC demands more hours of work than most colleges, but it repays me for my pain. – Ethan Andyshak, Class of 2006

Feedback

However, the payoff may not be initially in terms of grades. The bar is set high and new students may not also receive the straight As that they earned in high school. Students must challenge themselves to master material and improve their knowledge and they do so in an environment that is collaborative and supportive. Competition with one’s fellow student is virtually unheard of and most CMCers note that there is a sense of solidarity when exam or term paper time rolls around.

Grades at CMC are based on a 12-point, rather than 4-point scale, with 12 being an A, 11 equal to an A–, 10 is a B+, and so forth. The Dean’s List credits students who have achieved a GPA of 10.0 or higher during the previous semester, and the Distinguished Scholar List is a mark of achievement for those who earned a GPA of 11.0 or higher.

Because there is a special emphasis on writing as part of a CMC education, first-year students may be dismayed when they receive their first papers back. CMC professors work to improve their students’ writing through the application of proper grammar, the use of effective techniques, and clear structure. A popular government professor requires firstyear students to review effective writing techniques before writing their first paper of the semester, and one literature professor in recent years required that his students write an essay on the correct usage of the word “like.” The Writing Center is a unique resource that offers writing help and specialized workshops for students who would like extra help. Writing at the college level can seem daunting at first but CMC grads report that their training in writing has served them well in their professional lives.

Throughout their college career students can count on the advice and guidance of their faculty advisor. Students are assigned faculty advisors in their interested field of study at the beginning of their first year. their faculty advisor. Students are assigned faculty advisors in their interested field of study at the beginning of their first year.

Research and Other Programs

CMC students have more opportunities to participate hands-on in original research than at any other liberal arts college nationwide. While a number of American universities house research centers, work at these centers is usually reserved for professors and graduate students. Students at CMC are able to gain valuable experience in their chosen field by initiating research projects, supervising fellow student researchers, publishing in academic journals, organizing and participating in conferences, and attending group study trips organized by the research institutes.

I studied in Oxford and had a wonderful time. This was my first trip outside the United States, and it really showed me what the United States is like from a different cultural viewpoint. Being in the UK for the election as well, showed me how they see and interpret the U.S. and U.S. policy abroad, especially in Europe. — Justin Levitt, Class of 2006

Research Institutes

Family of Benjamin Z.

Gould Center for Humanistic Studies. Studies the major forces that have gone into and are still at work in the formation of the modern world, integrating knowledge from the humanities, social sciences, and science.

H.N. and Frances G. Berger Institute for Work, Family, and Children

Examines economic, public policy, and child development questions relevant to contemporary family and work issues.

The Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights

Explores the causes of genocide and human rights abuses, as well as policies and processes necessary to oppose those conditions.

Reed Institute for Applied Statistics

Where students solve practical problems posed by business and government, using mathematical models and forecasting techniques.

Henry Kravis Leadership Institute

A center for teaching and research in the areas of leadership, entrepreneurism, and organizational effectiveness.

Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies

Promotes research, debate, and undergraduate education in the problems and effects of strategy and diplomacy in the world, particularly in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Roberts Environmental Center

Where faculty-student teams conduct multifaceted environmental projects involving biological and physical science, government, industrial, and environmental standards and economics.

Lowe Institute of Political Economy

Focusing on the study of public policy issues, the Institute’s current research targets such topics as NAFTA, APEC, international financial crises, and impacts of globalization.

Henry Salvatori Center for the Study of Individual Freedom in the Modern World

Concentrates research efforts on the nature and effects of moral authority, the concepts of intellectual freedom and organizational behavior.

Rose Institute of State and Local Government

Advances knowledge about politics and government, and provides services that make the political process more viable.

Off-Campus Experiences

Students may exchange at one of the following liberal arts colleges in the United States: Colby, Haverford, Morehouse, or Spelman Colleges. The Washington, D.C. Semester includes a full-time internship with an elected official, government agency, or public interest group, courses with CMC faculty, and a major research paper requirement. This experience infects many students with the “DC bug” and has led to the start of many students’ future careers in Washington.

Study abroad programs are offered in more than fifty cities in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, Australia, and the Middle East.

CMC also offers students many opportunities to complete internships in cities around the world, in Washington, D.C., and in locations closer to home through opportunities such as the McKenna International Internship program, the Community Service Internship program, and other internship opportunities offered through the various research institutes.

Special Degree Programs

CMC offers many special degree programs that allow students to combine fields of study or to accelerate the completion of their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees through various partnership programs. Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE) is an interdisciplinary major modeled after an Oxford University program in which students participate in small seminars and tutorials with faculty. The Environment, Economics, and Politics (EEP) major is a unique interdisciplinary program that trains students to analyze and develop policy solutions for environmental issues. CMC sponsors cooperative programs with graduate schools that allow CMCers to combine their study at CMC with eventual post- graduate study. CMC offers several accelerated degree programs including: the Robert A. Day 4+1 B.A./M.B.A. with the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University; a 3+2 B.A./M.S. in Applied Biology with Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences, and a 3+3 B.A./J.D. with Columbia Law School. Additionally, students interested in engineering may participate in accelerated programs in Economics/Engineering or Management/Engineering by combining a B.A. from CMC with a B.S. from a top engineer- ing school like Cal Tech or Claremont Consortium partner Harvey Mudd College. Another unique degree program is the Management Engineering program in which CMC students can earn a B.A. from CMC and a B.S. in engineering from schools including Cal Tech or Claremont Consortium partner Harvey Mudd.

Claremont McKenna College Admissions

CMC is highly selective and traditionally accepts approximately twenty percent of applicants. What is this selectivity based on? There are the usual traits—each entering class includes its fair share of valedictorians and National Merit Finalists, and the median combined SAT score is around 2100. In addition, though, CMC seeks students who will be engaged learners and active members of the CMC community. Admissions officers look for students who have shown leadership potential, self-motivation, and interpersonal skills, and emphasis is placed on extracurricular involvement and how these activities could translate into success in the classroom and in the CMC community.

We’re not trying to maximize pure intellectual performance. Certainly, we want to have good grades, test scores, and recommendations, but we balance it a lot with other considerations. It is ultimately important whether or not the student is a good fit for CMC, and vice versa. — CMC Dean of Admission Richard Vos

CMC’s small size allows the Admission Office to build a comprehensive class made up of individuals who will be well suited to the CMC community and CMC’s educational style. The admissions officers will try to “get to know you” as they consider your admissions materials. The components of your application that allow your personality to shine through, such as your essays, along with other factors such as your test scores, will all be considered. One recent graduate recalled being amazed when, during her first semester at CMC, one of the admissions officers approached her in the dining hall to tell her how much she had enjoyed the student’s personal statement.

It is equally important for you as an applicant to get to know CMC to determine that CMC is the best fit for you.

The Admission Office regularly offers tours of the campus and it is also possible to arrange an overnight stay in a dorm. Those who may be unable to visit the campus can write directly to current students with any questions that they may have by using the “Ask a Student” section of the Admission Office Web site.

Curriculum and Standardized Tests

An applicant’s high school education must have included four years of English, three to four years of math, at least three years of a foreign language, at least two years of science, and one year of history. All high schools are different however, and the availability of advanced, honors, or AP classes at your school will be taken into account. Steady improvement over the high school career is considered, and slacking during the senior year is not viewed favorably. Admission Dean Vos said, “That last year is crucial because students who carry their grades through to the end will likely be people who see projects through and complete tasks to the best of their ability.”

The SAT is required. The median SAT score for the entering class in 2006 was 700 on the Critical Reading portion and 700 on the Math portion. These are median scores, however, not hard-and-fast standards that all candidates must achieve and the Admission Office requests that applicants submit all scores earned for each and every time that an applicant has taken the SAT. Interested students should plan to take the exam during their junior year, or between October and January of the senior year.

Recommendations and Essays

It is also necessary to include three recommendations, one from a high school guidance counselor and two from teachers. Two essays must also be included. These essays include a personal statement and an analytical essay, and are one of the most important components of your application. The personal essay is an opportunity to show your personality and highlight your special achievements or personal experiences. The analytical essay should identify a person who has shaped current events and culture.

It is also highly recommended that all applicants complete an interview with either an admission officer or with an alumnus of the college in their city. This interview is another opportunity for applicants to demonstrate the qualities that can set them apart from other candidates.

Admission Plans

There is a binding Early Decision plan for students who view CMC as their top choice; it should be filed by November 15th. Eighty Early Decision candidates were accepted into the 2006–2007 class. Regular fall semester applicants should submit their applications by January 2.

Claremont McKenna College Financial Aid

Claremont McKenna has a need-blind, meet-all-need admission policy, a practice shared by only thirty-five colleges and universities nationwide. Your application for admission will be reviewed without regard for your ability to pay, and all admitted students’ determined financial need will be accommodated.

Financial aid supports sixty percent of students who are enrolled at the college. While most student aid is need-based there are also merit scholarship programs. One exciting scholarship is the McKenna Achievement Award, a $10,000 scholarship renewable for all four years, which is awarded to thirty incoming first-year students who have demonstrated outstanding academic and personal achievements during their high school careers. The average need-based financial-aid package in 2005–2006 was $26,650. Family incomes of students qualifying for financial aid range from $0 to six figures.

All students who wish to apply for financial aid must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Financial Aid PROFILE form that is processed by the College Scholarship Service (CSS) in order to be considered eligible. The deadline for these forms usually occurs soon after the admission application is due.

Though it may seem a long way off now, CMC graduates leave Claremont with less debt than the average college graduate. The average need-based loan debt of students in the 2004 graduating class was $10,769—less than ten percent of the four-year tuition bill.

Claremont McKenna College Students

It is often said that Claremont McKenna students study hard and play hard too. Extracurricular activities and social life at CMC are part of the experience. They are a way to meet new people, develop friendships, take a break from studying, follow hobbies, and develop a support system.

Clubs and Organizations

There are a wide variety of clubs, sports teams, and other organizations for CMC students to choose from. Everything from orchestra, to Debate Club, to religious and ethnic organizations, to the student newspaper, to karate, is available.

It is also always possible for students to develop new clubs themselves if they find that a niche is lacking at CMC. Students can apply for money from the student activity fund and charter a new organization. In recent years, students have founded clubs and organizations focused on everything from human rights to vegetarian cooking to boxing.

CMC also hosts International Place (I-Place), the heart of the international program at The Claremont Colleges, which provides support to international students and hosts weekly luncheons with presentations on international politics and culture.

The Associated Students of CMC often hosts concerts in Claremont Bridges Auditorium. Recent concerts have included Claremont native Ben Harper, the Black Eyed Peas, and George Clinton.

Community Service

Many CMC students take part in community service, ranging from tutoring to working on Habitat for Humanity projects. CMC clubs and sports teams are also active in service projects. An annual community service project is also part of the freshman orientation.

Every year two students serve as community service coordinators organizing service projects in the local community.

Dorms

CMC does not have fraternities or sororities and the vast majority of students (over ninety-five percent) choose to live on campus. As a primarily residential campus, the heart of CMC social life is the college’s twelve dorms. Divided into North Quad, Mid Quad, and South Quad, each grouping of dorms has a different feeling and most students develop an allegiance to one residential area. In their fourth year, students can choose to live in on-campus student apartments located on the eastern edge of CMC’s campus. Dorms often host parties that range from simple gatherings to themed affairs including disco parties and costume parties. Popular themed parties include Mardi Gras and Monte Carlo, complete with blackjack tables. Another popular event is the semiannual SYR (“screw your roommate”) dance in which students set their roommates up on blind dates.

Off-Campus

The “Village” of Claremont is only a five-minute walk from campus and offers restaurants, coffee shops, shops, and a local farmers market. All that southern California has to offer is only a car or train ride away from Claremont. Weekends often find students heading into L.A. (forty minutes away by freeway and by Metrolink commuter rail train) or to nearby beaches. Claremont is served by Ontario International Airport—only fifteen minutes from campus—so going home for vacations is never a problem.

Claremont McKenna College Alumni

CMC graduates leave Claremont with a sense of direction as they move into the workforce or on to graduate or professional degree programs. On-campus recruiting by firms, graduate schools, and the local and national government takes place throughout the senior year and the majority of CMC students have a job lined up by the spring.

CMC students are also competitive in the field of postcollege scholarships and fellowships such as the Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall, and Truman. Claremont McKenna College has been ranked third, nationally, among undergraduate colleges for the number of Fulbright Scholars it produces, according to a national ranking just published by The Chronicle of Higher Education. Seven CMCers from the class of 2004 were awarded Fulbright scholarships that year.

In talking with students who attend top colleges across the country, I have yet to encounter a similar degree of generosity and support for the interests of students. CMC seeks to make leaders that will leave their mark on society and thus do all that they can to provide students with a well-rounded education that can hardly be gained anywhere else. — Joanna Respold, Class of 2007

The CMC Career Center is a helpful resource throughout the process. Professional career counselors and student assistants are on hand to help fine-tune resumes, practice interviewing skills, search for internships, and also keep alumni informed about career development opportunities.

CMC alumni stay in close touch through the Alumni Office, which organizes nationwide events, publishes a newsletter, and sponsors class reunions.

Prominent Grads

• Betsy Berns, President, Bvision Sportsmedia
• Robert Day, Chairman of the Board,Trust Company of the West
• David Dreier, U.S. Congressman and Chairman of the House Rules Committee
• Ray Drummond, Acclaimed Jazz Bassist
• Donald Hall, Chairman and CEO, Hallmark Cards, Inc.
• Mike Jeffries, Chairman and CEO, Abercrombie & Fitch
• Henry Kravis, Founding Partner, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
• Robert Lowe Chairman and CEO, Lowe Enterprises
• Nancy McCallin, President, Colorado Community College System
• Harry McMahon, VIce Chairman, Merrill Lynch & Co.
• Thomas Pritzker, Chairman and CEO, The Pritzker Organization
• George Roberts, Founding Partner, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
• Karen Rosenfelt, President of Production, Paramount Pictures
• Tasia Scollinos, Director of Communications, U.S. Department of Justice
• Julie Spellman Sweet, Partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore
• Julie Wong, Deputy Mayor for Communications, City of Los Angeles

Carnegie Foundation Classification

Baccalaureate Colleges — Arts & Sciences

General Characteristics

Highest offering	Bachelor's degree
Calendar System	Semester
Years of college work required	N/A
Variable Tuition

Special Learning Opportunities

Distance Learning
ROTC — Army / Navy / Airforce	— / /
Study Abroad
Weekend College
Teacher Certification