<p>Just 2 or 3 weeks ago I looked at my college list and realized that I wasn't applying to any crazy selective schools. I was looking at liberal arts colleges that offered my major and came across Claremont McKenna.</p>
<p>The reason I'm doubting myself when it comes to the admissions process is my academics. I have a 3.48 GPA BUT I jumped from a 3.2 GPA Freshman year to a 3.96 Senior year. I transferred from a large, predominantly all-white public school where I faced hardships (discrimination, financial, etc.) to a well-known Preparatory School after Sophomore year when I was offered a scholarship. My ACT English is a 32 and Math is a 27. I am in 5 IB Classes and 1 AP (my school is technically "all-IB").</p>
<p>I have 2 pretty good recommendations and 1 average. I have spent summers at UC Santa Cruz (course on Logic), Roger Williams University (course on Psychology), Princeton University (course on Global Politics), and UC Berkeley (Civic Leadership Institute).</p>
<p>I am currently President of 3 clubs (Key, Pre-med, Sports Management), Captain of the football team, hold 2 Varsity baseball letters, and have received honors in both Band and Choir. I work upwards around 25 hours/wk helping my mom sell clothes at the local swap meet (I guess you can say I have a "Manager" role in this family business). I'm also a Eucharistic Minister and have 100 hospital volunteer hours.</p>
<p>I believe that my answers to my supplements are very, very good. I tell about being raised by a single, uneducated mother from Mexico and the abandonment of my abusive father. I also demonstrate my ambition to become a doctor in a setting where I will be able to utilize my skills to assist the underprivileged.</p>
<p>I'm Hispanic, First Generation, Low Income (<20,000).</p>
<p>The most important thing is a good highschool transcript (which could easily counteract a bad math score- it’s what I’m banking on!), a good reference, decent ECs, and numbers that are in the ball park. So you should be all right :)</p>
<p>Your GPA is pretty low by CMC’s standards and only 14% or fewer getting in overall. However, your being Hispanic and your athletics may well get you in.</p>
<p>I think I wrote a really good Common App essay and added an explanation for my low GPA (along with what I learned, how I grew, etc.) in the additional info section. Overall, they’re going to read four solid pieces of my own writing. I’m applying and hoping that my EC’s and status as URM with my story will outweigh the low GPA.</p>
<p>Also, I am 1 point above average for ACT English and 1 point below the lower 25th percentile for ACT Math. I’m hoping that i’m somewhat in the ballpark.</p>
<p>These responses are easing my worries a little. Thank you so much and keep em coming!</p>
<p>Of course. They just take the averages of their admitted class from past years. It’s depressing to look at the numbers and realize that you don’t meet some of their averages but that’s why holistic review (especially at liberal arts colleges) is a great thing.</p>
<p>You have an astounding story and great leadership - captain of football team and triple president. CMC loves leadership. You also have 2 legitimate hooks. If you nail the grades explanation, I’d say you have a pretty decent shot at CMC. Always remember that there are people who populate the bottom 25% of academic stats. </p>
<p>Having said this, CMC is highly selective and at schools of it’s selectivity, lower standard testing is more easy to compemsate for with story/hooks than are grades. So I’d suggest looking at some good but less selective schools as well. If you’re into LACs, consider schools like Pitzer, Occidental, Whitman and Colorado College.</p>
<p>Do you need aid? The deadline for qualifying for the merit aid was December 1st. It is a beautiful school. My son and I took the tour last month. The admission director kept on talking about the right fit, the right fit. They must look for certain attributes in their selected few. I still don’t know what that is. My son did not want to pursue the school or any of the other Claremont colleges.</p>
<p>That’s MERIT aid. My stats fall below the 25th percentile, virtually removing the possibility for merit scholarships.</p>
<p>Luckily, they do claim to meet 100% of financial need. I’m hoping to receive a fair amount of grant aid along with the help of some private scholarships.</p>
<p>Not trying to sound bitter, but this school is incredibly hard to get into… I had ACT’s which were in the “ball park” and a GPA that was “ball park”. And, not trying to brag, a ton of Leadership… Student Body President, NHS President, Varsity Basketball team captain, Varsity Golf Team Captain, Youth Advisory Board Member, Intern for Senator Andy Kerr’s . etc etc… </p>
<p>CMC is tough, but you might get in because of your “hooks”</p>
<p>A little upset here, too, spike22. my son much like you (but we’re from Calif so that does not help) with numbers, leadership, extracurrs, recommendations, told his interview was fantastic, stayed overnight there, visited 3 times, and still did not get in. Very unusual interests for a kid his age, economics, etc. and still a no go.</p>
<p>What’s your composite ACT score?
I think your GPA is still low, but everything else looks great. Like people said earlier, your hooks should help you a fair amount.
You have a chance, so you should apply. Don’t be too disappointed if you don’t get in, though, Claremont McKenna has a 14% acceptance rate.</p>
<p>My composite ACT score is a 27. HOWEVER Claremont McKenna says this about superscoring:</p>
<p>“Admission Committee will consider your best scores from individual sections of the test to give you the highest combined SAT score. We will also take the highest score from the individual subsections of the ACT to give you the highest ACT Composite score.”</p>
<p>So by CMC’s standards, my composite (superscored) ACT is a 29.</p>