Student Profile
Adrienne
- Class: Junior
- Major: Psychology
- Gender: F
- High School: Saratoga High School
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
Whether CMC is the right size depends on what you're looking for. A small residential campus with small class sizes is perfect for me and I think most people are happy here. CMC is something of a no-name school: people either know it or they don't. If they do know it, they have *a lot* of respect for it and understand the caliber of students. Claremont is definitely a college town considering that there are four other colleges and a graduate school. The Village really contributes to the college town feeling. The Athenaeum is very unique. Other, bigger schools may get the occasional speaker; we get them four nights every week, and we have the chance to talk to them personally by sitting at the head table. There's a great emphasis on studying abroad, and it seems like about half of students do. The Off-Campus Study Office is very organized and really helps students through the process of deciding where they want to go, picking the program, applying, and returning to campus. It's a great opportunity not to be missed.
Academic Life
Classes are small enough that professors know your name if you participate in discussion, which is encouraged. Students are very intellectual and I think we add to each others' education. There's more competition with oneself than with each other, which I prefer. I've really enjoyed almost every class I've taken and usually walk away feeling I've learned a lot. Professors occasionally invite students to dinner at their homes. The Psychology major is pretty unusual compared to those at other colleges. There's less emphasis on the brain. The variety of courses is better. Upper level organizational psychology courses are unique as far as I can tell. Students are encouraged to work with professors on their research projects. Some students complain about the many general education requirements, but I think they define the liberal arts education. Students are well-rounded and prepared for the next stage of life, whether it's a job or graduation.
Student Body
Most students where jeans and flip-flops on a daily basis. Most students are from California but I think we have a great diversity in terms of where in the country students are from, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. International students add to the mix too: I would venture to guess that every student knows at least two. CMC is a very political school. People are all over the map in terms of their beliefs, but Republicans tend to be socially liberal and fiscally conservative. I don't know about the econ department, but most students aren't thinking about becoming rich. They're thinking about finding a job they can be passionate about and survive on financially. Many people are involved in the associated student body, ASCMC. Campus elections are taken seriously, and chances are that you have personally met all the candidates and may be good friends with a couple. The LGBT community feels safe but not necessarily comfortable coming out on campus. There's a club called AQUA: the Alliance for Queer Understanding and Appreciation which does activist and social events.
