Claremont McKenna College is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Sometimes called CMC, the college is part of the Claremont Colleges consortium, which means students can take classes, use resources and share spaces with Pomona College, Scripps College, Harvey Mudd College, and Pitzer College. It’s a pretty great deal for students who want to go to a high-ranking liberal arts school but also want to access a larger network of students and opportunities.

They recently extended their , but don’t be fooled—it is difficult to get in. Last year, their acceptance rate was about CMC is looking for passionate students who are the whole package. If you hope to get in, you need a great application; part of that is their supplemental essays. We wanted to help by sharing our tips on the CMC supplement. Let’s break it down.

CMC only asks for two short essays. However, they also allow applicants to upload an optional resume. We highly recommend sending a good resume. We have a ton of blogs about crafting a perfect college resume, but if you need more help, reach out. We would love to assist!

��Ѱ�’s is to prepare students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in business, government, and the professions. With this mission in mind, please explain why you want to attend Claremont McKenna College.  (150-250)*

You don’t really need to speak to the mission but feel free to look it over and keep it in mind. This essay simply asks, “Why do you want to go here?” We have a formula for approaching this kind of question. It always starts with research. Before you even begin writing, you should be an expert in what CMC offers and what makes the school unique. Once you have cemented yourself as a CMC stan, you can jump into writing following these steps.

Step 1: Introduce what you want to study and why you love it.

You should start with what we sometimes call an “academic origin story,” aka a short personal story about how you fell in love with the subject you hope to study in college. For example, if you hope to study Computer science, maybe it was signing up for the Hackathon team freshman year or building your own gaming computer. Once you have introduced your academic passion, state that you plan to major in at CMC.

Quick tip: don’t be undecided here. Trust us, they want passionate students with an academic plan. We promise they won’t hold you to what you write in your application; take a best guess if you are unsure of your intended major.

Step 2: Back it up with facts.

This is where your research will be helpful. You want to name two upper-level classes in your major and explain why they fit into your academic interests specifically. Avoid any beginner or intro classes. They are usually the same everywhere. Higher-level courses will be much more unique to CMC.

You want to show the overlap between their offerings and your experiences/interests. You should do the same thing with a professor whose research you would like to assist with. Remember you want to connect their research with your academic passions. Once you have done that, you can mention any other educational opportunities that have piqued your interest and led you to apply. This is a great place to mention the Consortium or any other unique programs.

Step 3: Add campus life.

Once you have fully explored who you would be academically at CMC, it is time to discuss campus life, on-campus opportunities, and extracurriculars. Choose a club, center, or extracurricular activity that aligns with your current out-of-class passions. For example, if you are your class VP, maybe you want to join their student government, the Associated Students of Claremont McKenna College (ASCMC). Again, you want to show the overlap between who you are now and who you will be in their campus community.

Step 4: Wrap it up.

You don’t need a super formal conclusion (this essay is short), but you should leave the reader with the feeling that you are a dynamic and exciting student and that they have the right resources for you.

The TL;DR of this essay is that you want to use specific opportunities to answer why you would be a great CMC student and why they should want you.

A critical part of fulfilling our mission is living out the commitments of : Freedom of Expression, Viewpoint Diversity, and Constructive Dialogue. We want to learn more about your commitment to listening and learning from others with different viewpoints, perspectives, and life experiences from your own.

Describe a time when engaging with someone about a specific topic resulted in you changing your attitude, belief, or behavior, or you changed the belief or behavior of someone else. What was the change that occurred for you, and what facilitated that change? What did you learn from that experience, and how has it informed how you engage with others? (150-250)*

Okay, so this question has a long preamble. You can ignore it. This question really needs to be answered with a story about a time you reconsidered a prospective or opinion, which usually takes the form of a conversation.

We generally prefer stories where you change your mind. While you can tell a story about a time when you changed someone else's mind, those essays often give a “and then everybody clapped” vibe. It is far better to show growth and vulnerability by changing your own attitude, belief, or behavior.

This is only 250 words max. You want to make sure you choose a story and topic that isn’t too huge. If you try to tackle a really big topic, you might bite off more than you can chew. Ideally, your topic should come with some nuance. If you choose to write about a strawman position, it may not work well.

Remember that there are multiple parts to this question. You need to start with a story where someone’s perspective shifts AND then what you learned from that experience. For example, maybe you and your friend disagree about country music. You love playing it in the car while you are driving but she hates it. You originally think because you are driving that you should always be able to pick the music. However, she shares more about why she doesn’t like it and you realize that her confomfort is more important to you and having your way. You both compromise and play oldies, which you both like. End the essay with how the experience made you think about other people’s preferences more and how it brought you and your friend closer together. Note, that this isn’t a big or political topic. It doesn’t have to be. As long as it has a good lesson, the story can be small.

��Ѱ�’s supplement isn’t that tricky. They ask two questions that you will see again and again on college supplements. They are classic for a reason! Take your time to brainstorm, research, write and edit and you should be golden (state)!

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