Visiting Claremont McKenna
On Tuesday, April 14, 2009 my family visited Claremont McKenna College for a few short hours. The Claremont Colleges consist of 5 undergraduate schools: Mckenna, Pomona, Scripps, Harvey Mudd, and Pitzer. Situated at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, the Claremont Colleges are about an hour drive from downtown Los Angeles. The individual schools are clustered relatively close together but distinctly separated by a wall or street. Students often take classes or eat at the other colleges. Each college specializes in a specific subject, or related subjects. McKenna emphasizes economics, political science, philosophy, history, literature, and international relations.
Of the three universities I visited, McKenna had the best academic program by far. Unlike other major universities, McKenna allows students to start major/minor work during the freshman year. Actually, majors are organized in a completely different structure. Most majors are, in fact, dual majors. The majority of listed majors involve international relations, economics, or government, but not all. A few listed majors:
- Biology-legal studies
- Economics-psychology
- Government– French
- International relations– history
One of the most popular majors is known as PPE (philosophy, politics, and economics). The majors listed above are not double majors, they are dual majors. McKenna allows students to combine subjects and thus lower the amount of required courses. The average class size (for all four years) is 20 students to every professor– definitely a plus.
During the Junior year, students are encouraged to study abroad. In fact, 50% of every class studies abroad as a Junior. In a pamphlet, the dean of the faculty wrote, “In a world of increasing interconnections, CMC students, as future leaders, need to experience directly the diverse world that surrounds us: its cultural perspective, its languages, its politics, and its educational customs”. Because so many students study abroad, the curriculum is designed to accommodate. I guess the classes missed while abroad junior year are completed freshman and sophomore year.
The downside to an excellent academic program is the size of the campus. McKenna only has 1,211 students and only about 320 students are admitted each year. The campus is fairly small and you don’t exactly feel like you’re in a very vibrant, happening place. I don’t exactly sense the stereotypical busy college atmosphere from McKenna. This is a big downside. I recommend visiting the school, even for a short time. You can quickly gain a sense of the lifestyle and atmosphere.
McKenna appeals to me because of its comprehensive academics. Students who leave the school feel they are ready to “take on the world”. The school, and faculty, can set students up with a variety of jobs, internships, and connections in the real world. Leaving McKenna, students are truly prepared. Being an international relations, politics, and economics enthusiast, I am intrigued quite a bit by the curriculum– but it’s not for everyone.
- Photo by Dcrowley10 / Used with Permission
- Photo by / Used with Permission
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I visited Harvey Mudd, and had similar concerns about the tiny size. I thought it would be too similar to high school. Aren’t the Claremont Colleges also located next to a quarry of some sort? I didn’t really love the surrounding area, but the campuses were certainly nice.
I had the same impression. Location is a very important factor in my selection of colleges. It’s next to a large mountain range and apparently in the winter the students can go skiing or snowboarding.
I’m not a fan of the physical campus– the academics are my enticement.