Claremont McKenna College Top Questions

The academics are challenging but rewarding. The majority of the class sizes are small and taught be extraordinarily engaging professors. The few larger classes we have (which are still considerably smaller than would be found at a larger university) have breakout sessions for more one on one help. All of the professors have flexible office hours and truly want you to succeed. There is definitely a lot of work but it is manageable and for the most part very interesting. One of the biggest changes from high school is that my peers are all equally as engaged in each class as I am.

rigorous as hell. but when your done with each course you really know quite a bit about the respective subject.

CMC professors are all about the personal touch. Never have I had a class and the professor hasn't known my name. They love to connect you to our great alumni network as well as informing us about any opportunities they're aware of.

My professors are amazing. Two out of my four professors took the time to go out to lunch with a bunch of students and get to know them. All of my professors know me (and the other students) by name. The one thing I didn't realize about CMC until coming here is that there are a lot of General Education requirements. I don't mind it because I don't know what I want to major in so it helps to take a lot of varied classes, but that's something to keep in mind. CMC also doesn't accept credit for a lot of AP tests and will usually only take one test for a given subject.

Professors always know there students names! The only exception to this would be in large joint-science department classes (intro chem, intro bio, etc) when the professor allows more students than the cap of 35. CMC classes are almost all under 19 students, unless of course the professor allows extra students to add to their popular class. Many classes are very small, last year my intro economics class had 10 students and my other civilizations and lit classes each had 14 students. Small class sizes allow for a lot of class participation, even in non-discussion classes. If questions can't be answered in class, professors are always available in office hours and most will set up times outside of their office hours to meet with students for extra help or just to have lunch and chat. CMC has "general education" academic requirements. Most students feel that these requirements make them well-rounded but some students. However, there are also many government, for example, majors who don't want to do their lab science or math requirements or chemistry, for example, majors who don't want to do their foreign language or humanities requirements. Another common complaint is that not much credit is given for AP test scores. For example, credit is not given for AP government, literature or economics tests and only retroactive credit is given for Calculus AB or BC tests (meaning that to get the credit you must take a higher level Calculus course and receive a B+ or better).

predominately Government, Economics based, but there are plenty of other options. I love our science facilities at joints science. The options are somewhat more limited in the areas of languages and mathematics. The professors vary, like at every college or university, but i have definitely had some very good experiences with my professors. The best ones are usually very laid back, but demand a lot of work at the same time.

Claremont McKenna College is know for its emphasis on economics, government, and international relations. More than 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body has a variation of these majors, but this does not mean that other departments aren't popular. Literature, Philosphy, Science, and psychology all come with very string departments. The 5C consortium also allows students to cross enroll at Scripps, Pomona, Pitzer, and Harvey Mudd, meaning nearly 4,000 courses are offered every semester to roughly 5,000 students. CMC students generally rave about their professors. They are always available for office hours and willing to go the extra mile to get to know their students, both in and outside of class. Discussion and participation is always encouraged in class, often these conversations carry over in to lively debates outside class.

Professors know you by name and almost all of them will take the time you meet with you individually throughout the semester. Students are not competitive at all--no one really cares what grades other people are getting. There are tons of opportunities to get to know your professors outside of class--you can go to lunch with them or visit them during their office hours almost every day. CMC's academic requirements are very reasonable--I personally think it's a lot less work than I had in high school or middle school.

Our professors are amazing. They are (for the most part) always available to students. The small class size maintains an environment of closeness and comfort with a lot of attention. The student body is quite intellectual and you will always be able to find intellectual conversations outside of the classroom, at the dinning hall, while sunbathing and even at parties.

Depending on your major classes can either be tough or easy. Science majors will never leave the Joint Science Department but students get to know and become good friends with people from the other colleges. The JSD building had great facilities!

Academics are challlenging but so great. teachers are hard but fair and want you to do well. Biology is very strong as are all the sciences and sharing them with pitzer and scripps through the joint science program enables cMC to have way more resources in teh sciences than another college of the same size. having smallclasses makes such a difference, too. we have a lot of general education classes we have to take along with our major which some people dont like but i love because it exposes you to things you wouldnt have normally taken. i learned so much in a lot of my classes that werent related to my major. i could go on and on, the academics are amazing. education is definitely geared towards getting a job, cMC is very practical which I appreciate greatly.

Class sizes are very small, and the professors are amazing. Class participation is ubiquitous and everyone has an opinion about everything. The education at CMC is very geared for getting an internship (junior summer) and job (after graduation). The econ department at cmc is definitely one of the best in the nation if not the best.

All the professor know my name, even when I don't make it to their class every session (when I miss class, I actually stick out instead of blending in). One of the most important lessons I've learned is about developing relationships with professors. They are far and away the most important and valuable resources on campus, and THEY ARE THERE TO HELP. Whether it's a paper topic or a letter of recommendation, I have never had a professor that didn't go out of their way to help me. My major is one of the best examples of this - my advisor allows a huge amount of flexibility with what classes interest me, not what I need to fulfill some rigid requirement list. I was afraid that as a science major, I wouldn't be able to utilize all the school had to offer, but there are opportunities and interests for everyone.

-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.

Classes are hard at CMC, and require LOTS of work outside of class. Students are usually studying, and when they aren't studying, they're partying, and when they aren't studying or partying, which is very rare, they're sleeping. Lots of my friends are on close terms with their professors: they have worked with them on research projects, sometimes with a grant included, and quite a few have lunch or dinner with profs, even at their houses! We have a ton of GEs, which I think is one of the worst things about CMC: there are about 10 GEs!!

CMC is certainly a challenging, top-notch school. That being said, it can take a concerted effort to find the most interesting classes and the best professors- the professors make the courses, so getting to know who the faculty are early on can be a great help. Classes are typically small; occasionally you will have a class with the wrong mix of up people where the atmosphere is not conducive to the types of discussions you want to have in a college class. However, this is not the norm, and you should not forget that even if the guy behind you never speaks up and tends to smell like beer he is probably smarter than you. The most important thing to understand about CMC academics is that they are HIGHLY GEARED TOWARDS ECON AND GOVERNMENT. This is NOT your typical liberal arts school- it is possible and easy to take humanities classes at the other 5 C's, and Claremont does have great Lit, Philosophy, History, professors. However, what you really want is an small East-Coast "Vassar-esque" education, you would probably be better served at Scripps or Pomona. A lot of students focus on things like finance; these kids are after jobs in a way that still intimidates me.

Excels in all aspects.

I love the academic side of the school. You get to participate in class as much as you want or as little as you want. But most people who do come here are here because they enjoy participating in class and you get to do so much of that especially in classes such as literature or government. People such as proffesors and Dean of students really want you to succeed. It is easy to meet with a proffessor and they are always willing to help because they want you to do well.

Professors know you and always have time to meet with you whether it be about the class your taking or just to chat. Depending on your major there are students studying at all different times for all different amounts of time. I'm a bio major, we have a joint-science department with 2 of the other 4 colleges around us which makes for the resources of a university at a small liberal arts college. It's great! The GE's can seem a bit rigorous, some I still dont see a point in taking but it'll be nice to have some knowlegde in areas besides science.

All of my professors know my name within the first week of classes. I have had classes of 6 people, a few with 8, a handful with 15, and my largest two have been about 23 students. Definitely forces you to stay on task and actually go to class and participate! Claremont students will debate you in any topic, everyone here is very opinionated. 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... definitely something unique among schools of such high caliber students. CMC's approach to education is very pragmatic and practical. Many students classify CMC as pre-professional as students go on to earn graduate degrees or work in the professional realm. Some of the main paths students take after graduation include consulting, investment banking, graduate school for medicine or law, business school, or teaching.

Academics at CMC are great as well. Very rarely is class size above 20 people unless you're taking a science or reaaallly popular course that has a waiting list (any class that professor Valenza teaches). In all the classes I've taken, the teachers have encouraged discussion amongst students. My least favourite class was a required Freshman course called Questions of Civlization but that was only because the teacher was hard. She was the most intelligent woman I've ever met, and in class discussions, whenever you commented on something in class, she would challenge your comment. As someone who's not very good at forming logical arguments I was kind of intimidated. In general, CMC professors are very easy to talk to. Professor Valenza, a math teacher, even invites people over to his house for dinner and his wife baked the class cookies. Sometimes when I've gone to a professor's office for help I end up talking to them for way longer than I anticipated and about random topics not even related to class. One of the things I love about classes is that when the weather's nice, teachers sometimes hold class outside in the grass. I've never attended a school with so many smart people, lol. Its not uncommon to hear heated discussions out of class about politics or a country's economic policy. I don't think students here are overly competitive, they just work towards getting a good grade in the class, not to do better than everyone else. The best class I've taken has been my French class because the teacher's (Sylvie Young). She's really enthusiastic about the subject, and she always ends up singing songs in French which is really cute. Another really good class I've had is my Victorian Poetry and Essay class with Professor Juarretche. Although I found the readings a bit dense and boring at first, Juarretche would be so enthusiastic about them that I started to get into them too. Another thing I love about CMC is that you can take classes at any of the other claremont colleges, so theres a wide variety of options open. I really want to take a Human Sexuality course at Pomona, and there's a class on Fairy Tales at scripps.

The academics at CMC are extremely good. All of the teachers are interested in you and your education. They know your name and always offer to help you outside of class. The classes are hard, but you learn a lot.

It is very strong compare to other school. I cannot expect that there will be someone in class to bring up the curve. Majority of the people work hard.

Professors almost always know the name of every student they teach, and they can frequently be found outside the classroom, often at the Athenaeum, talking with students about almost anything. CMC professors are also extremely accessible in person and by e-mail. Students study constantly, some more than others of course, but I think the amount CMC students study is very high. Class participation is extremely common - actually, it's very uncommon for students not to participate in class. One of my favorite things about CMC is the amount of intellectual conversation that takes place in formal and informal settings outside the classroom. I spend a fair amount of time with my professors outside the classroom, in the their offices and at other events on campus.

* Professors will know your name if you take the initiative to participate in class. * My favorite class was Social Neuroscience because it dealt with topics that are directly relevant to the kind of research I want to do in my career, and the professor was a wonderful facilitator of discussion. My least favorite class was Developmental Psychology because it required 3 hours a week of interning at a kindergarten. * Students study about an average amount of time compared to most schools. However, in senior year, they study well above average because of the senior thesis that is required to graduate. * Class participation is very common. In most classes, it is not only encouraged, but is worth 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of one's final grade. * CMC students have very deep intellectual conversations outside of class. They range from political discussions over dinner to random philosophical ponderings on Facebook walls. * CMC students are not competitive in the sense that they want to succeed at the expense of others. However, when it comes to national internships and scholarships such as Fulbright and Rhodes, CMC candidates are highly successful. * The most unique class I've taken is a seminar in Cognitive Neuroimaging. It's a class of 6 students, we've met at the professor's house to discuss papers (he was wearing gymn shorts and a t-shirt) while eating leftovers, and there is no pre-determined structure to the course. We pretty much comment at random. * The Psychology department is solid but small. Most of the research is in line with the school's interests in business/government/law/leadership, so if those topics are interesting, the department has a lot to offer. But for a well-rounded psychology experience, take courses at the other Claremont colleges. * I've had lunches and office talks with quite a few professors, plus a bowling event with the psychology faculty. Most are very personable and encourage close student-teacher relationships. * It would be nice if there were fewer GEs, but I enjoyed most of them. The required senior thesis is a plus - it pushes students to go beyond what most undergraduates would do in terms of research and writing, and the finished product is something in which we can take a lot of pride. * Education at CMC is what a student makes of it. Students can take classes for the joy of learning, or they can go the extra mile and use classroom learning to build career opportunities. It depends on how much they are willing to talk with professors outside of class, apply for internships or scholarships, and/or take career-driven courses such as accounting.

CMC is hard work. Classes are small enough that you'll definitely be noticed if you skip class. You have to be willing to be a leader and speak up in class.