Claremont McKenna: The Big Picture
-CMC has a lot of great things. Among them are academics, social life, great Southern California weather. Dining hall food is some of the best. Seriously.
-The school borders on too small, but they are building a new dorm that will open for the 2008-9 school year, so there will be more students admitted.
-I would say there is not much controversy on campus. Things run very smoothly.
-There is a lot of school pride. Students and alumni generally love CMC.
-When I tell people I go to Claremont McKenna they either say: "You go where?" or "Wow, that's a great school." The only opinions that you should care about are those of employers and grad schools and they all will give you the second response.
Claremont McKenna Academic Life
-Academics are tough at CMC. The number one reason to choose CMC is so that you can get a good education and go do whatever you want after you graduate. A CMC degree can compete against any other institutions, including ivy league. Some students turn down ivy league admission offers to attend CMC.
-If you are interested in studying government or economics/finance, THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE. The professors are top notch and many students will share your interests. Students discuss politics and economics outside of class frequently and students learn a lot through that exchange.
-All classes are small and you will learn a lot more that way. Professors will know you and probably see you on campus often. Students are competitive, but no one will sabotage you.
-Most students graduate with a job already lined up. A lot of employers come to CMC and want CMC graduates.
Claremont McKenna's Student Body
-Students come from all across the country and around the world. However, most come from California. After that, many students come from Hawaii, Oregon, Arizona and Washington.
-Most students come from families that are reasonably well-off, but there are students from all socio-economic backgrounds. Financial aid at CMC is amazing, do not let the high price of tuition discourage you from applying.
-Many students are politically active. By politically active, I mean most are very interested in politics, vote, and get government and public policy related jobs upon graduation. There are no protests, marches and rallies because students are smart enough to know that kind of thing doesn't really accomplish anything. Leave that stuff to Berkley students. Students that are serious about have the opportunity to become powerful people after they graduate.
-While left-minded people make up more than 50% of the both the student body and the professors (as is the case at all colleges), CMC has more Republicans for students and professors than you will find at most colleges.
-LGBT issues are not really a big deal on campus. People generally don't give a shit. If you go to Pitzer, Pomona or Scripps, its a different story.
Claremont McKenna Student Activities + Social Life
-Social life at CMC is great. Students are given incredible freedom by the college to socialize, drink, party and police themselves. No one is going to search your room for alcohol or do anything lame like that. The RAs are very chill, but they will keep an eye on safety. Students are expected to be adults and they are treated as such.
-Athletics are not a huge deal at CMC. If you are playing a sport, you play it because you love the sport. If you want to play in the Rose Bowl, be on TV or go pro, CMC is not the place to do it. Students are students before athletes and there are NO breaks for student-athletes in the classroom. Don't be fooled though, competition is fierce and athletes take their sports seriously.
-If you are awake at 2am on a Tuesday, you are either studying(most likely), drunk, or just watching a movie/whatever. If you are awake at 2am on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday, you are either having sex or puking in a bush somewhere.
-There are not fraternities/sororities. There is so much alcohol and partying on campus that there is no need to go find a frat party elsewhere. Most students would agree that its better that way.
-There are students that don't drink and they seem to be just fine. However, CMC has a long tradition of serious alcohol use. When students get together or alum meet up at reunions or whatever, they will drink.
-Don't be fooled into thinking CMC has a bunch of drunken idiots on its campus. Students may be drunk, but they are also really smart. Refer to my thoughts on academics and the school's rankings.
Claremont McKenna Naked Truth
There is no school that combines fun/social life/alcohol and serious academics like CMC. Academics are ivy league level, but the fun is pretty much unrestricted. The rules are as follows:
1. Do not rape/sexually harass anyone.
2. Do not plagiarize/cheat on exams
Pretty much anything else goes. Break those two rules and you will be expelled pretty quick.
The best way to get a feel for CMC is go visit the campus and spend the night. Ask students questions. Your best bet is to go on a Thursday. You can sit in classes during the day and Thursday night parties are some of the best.
