UNIGO SUMMARY
Claremont McKenna may not receive as much national attention as other small liberal arts colleges in the northeast, but its students know that they’ve found a well-hidden gem.
CMC is one of the “5Cs,” a group of colleges located in Claremont, California. Eventhough the undergrad population is only slightly more than 1,000, students can take advantage of the classes, facilities, and student organizations that
neighboring institutions offer, as well. Set in laid-back Southern California
rather than chilly New England, CMC’s standards are more rigorous than at most
other liberal arts schools: Students must complete eleven courses in four
disciplines and meet foreign language and physical education requirements
before graduation. The college’s challenging academics are highly regarded by
those in the know – especially the economics department, which is no
surprise, considering that 28 percent of students are econ majors. Classes are notable for their intimacy: 79 percent have fewer than 20 students. The drinking culture at the school is unique in the sense that it is tacitly accepted (in its legal form) by the administration; students report that on-campus events are known to use school activity funds on alcohol. The student body is more diverse than many other similar schools, and most enjoy living on campus for four years.
UNIGO REVIEW
Despite being relatively unknown on the national stage, Claremont McKenna is a small school with a great reputation among those savvy enough to know where it is. One of the Claremont Consortium's 5C schools, CMC is known as the college with “
a bunch of jocks that party hard.” Sporting an undergraduate class of a little over 1,000 students, CMC is small enough to fly under most people's radars. But according to students, the education does not suffer for the lack of recognition. “
A CMC degree can compete against any other institution's, including the Ivy League,” says one recent alumnus.
CMC students take small classes in which discussion is not only encouraged, but is practically required. "
CMC's approach to education is very pragmatic and practical," one junior writes. Collaboration is also a key CMC value: "
The atmosphere here is extremely cooperative—many classes even have group presentations, papers, problem sets, etc. as a large component of the class grade. I have never been asked what my GPA is or what I received on a test...[this is] definitely something unique among schools of such high-caliber students." CMCers take their schoolwork quite seriously, and often talk about political and economic issues everywhere: in the dorms, the cafeteria, at parties, wherever. Professors are known to give students personal attention and often serve as valuable resources. Political science and economics are two of the more popular majors, perhaps giving rise to the stereotype that CMCers “
all aspire to be investment bankers or politicians.” With a lot of attention given to those programs, some students feel that the
"arts are being overlooked". However, most are generally pleased with the quality of their educations, even within smaller departments.
Many would expect a small liberal arts school like CMC to carry the typical pot-smoking, far left student stereotypes, but the reality is quite the opposite. CMC is known as the most conservative of the five Claremont schools. Students are thought to be on the jock-y side, generally coming from upper-middle-class families. These labels lead many to believe that CMCers are extremely career-oriented and ambitious. Indeed, writes one alum, "
Students are extremely politically aware, even those who are not government majors. We're also obsessed with financial success, to the point that the president of the Alumni Association had to remind the class of 2008 at a recent class dinner that there are other ways to measure success in life." While most college stereotypes do not represent a majority of the student body, at CMC, many students agree with—or even embrace—their school's reputation. “
A recent class T-shirt sums it up: 'Claremont McKenna: We'll do whatever it takes for a keg and an internship,'" writes a sophomore. But there's always room for rebels—in fact, a lot of room, according to a junior: "
For every one person chasing a banking job and a flashy party, there are three people who think that's lame."
As for the social life, one student sums it up bluntly: "
Social life at CMC is the bomb." "
Drinking is a huge part of the culture at CMC,” claims a junior majoring in biology. The lack of organized Greek life on campus hardly stops students from bonding over beers. "
There are no fraternities, but because the campus is so small and alcohol-friendly, it's kind of like one really big frat," says a recent alum. There are notable distinctions between the campus' geographic regions, according to one sophomore: "
Keep in mind that living is divided into rambunctious North Quad, somewhere in-between Mid Quad, and silent South Quad (although I now live in North Quad and had a wonderful time as a freshman in South Quad)." There are even events at which the alcohol is sponsored by the school itself. This gives students the freedom to get creative in their partying without fear of an administration-led crackdown. "
You can always expect there to be a keg at a party, and last semester our school sponsored tequila and sake parties. When seniors are done with their theses, they have a party in the school fountain where they drink alcohol in bikinis and swim trunks. Mind you, this is in broad daylight at the center of campus," a freshman explains. "
There's always someone playing beer pong at CMC. I've seen some students playing at the oddest times, such as on Sunday night or Monday morning." CMCers are commonly found partying with students from the other 5C schools, which can involve a soiree under the stars, afternoon barbecues, countless theme parties, and the like. Occasionally, students will go out into the Village, an area of Claremont that is home to a number of student-friendly bars and restaurants. Of course, not everyone drinks and parties all the time, and there are plenty of campus events to entertain students sans alcohol. Guest speakers at the Athenaeum are often a big draw, and Bono, Antonin Scalia, Gore Vidal, and Salman Rushdie have all made recent appearances.
Even though CMC is a Division-III school, athletics are also quite popular among students. One CMCer says that the school's small size belies its big athletic pride, especially when the Stags match up against fellow D-III rivals: "
I was afraid by choosing the smaller D-III experience, I was going to miss out on a lot of the rah-rah sports pride that characterizes larger colleges, but I almost prefer this experience, where the whole school turns out for the Pomona basketball game, for example." Many students participate on the varsity and intramural level. ASCMC, the student government, is another popular campus pursuit. The small student body leads to serious elections and legitimate races. “
Chances are that you have personally met all the candidates and may be good friends with a couple,” says a junior psychology major.