CMC student can take questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z Claremont McKenna College
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<p>Thanks Santino for the information.</p>

<p>Not until I came to this blog did I start to question how gay friendly the environment was, and that was primarily because of the mention of CMC being a party school with bro/jock types. </p>

<p>I'm definitely not the flaming gay type, but I also don't like the idea that if that was someone's personality that they should feel the need to tame it down just to fit in. I've seen that happen at my current school, where not only guys, but girls also criticize this one gay guy who is very comfortable in his own skin for the way he is.</p>

<p>It also made me remember my campus tour where I asked a question about how gay friendly the community was and the guy just said there was a club, but didn't really go to much in detail beyond that.</p>

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<p>Liek0806, we do have the few flaming gay types and there would be no bigotry. Contrary to other liberal leaning institutions, we won't congratulate you for being a flaming gay and see it as social progress. Some of the gay students I know at CMC are actually more comfortable here because people don't constantly focus on their sexual orientation as a defining characteristic.</p>

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<p>I understand that CMC is quite the party school, most of its festivities based around the lenient rules on drinking. I've read that students who don't drink fit in just as well as those who do. However, I'm not really sure what this means. What do non-drinkers do when everyone else is getting wasted?</p>

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<p>i'm kind of confused about the meal plan. there are only 16, 12, and 8-meals meal plans. does the meal plan cover 7 days? it seems like there's no option for people who like to eat breakfast/ eat three times a day. also, if you have lunch in the ath, is that free/ covered in the meal plan?</p>

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<p>As a current CMC student, I cannot let Santino’s statements (NOT reflective of most attitudes on campus) stand uncorrected. Talking about “flaming gay types” and “that high pitched sing-song accent that many homosexuals (have)” are statements that I have almost never head, and I am friends with most of the social conservatives on campus. (Sadly, there will be ignorant people anywhere, even at my beloved CMC). Many students here, although not all, do see it as “social progress” that we as a school and as a larger society are finally allowing gay and lesbian people to express who they are. </p>

<p>In response to the original question, the gay community at CMC is small, largely due to the size of the school, but the Queer Resource Center, a five college office, provides programming and services. It is true that CMC students tend not to go in for identity groups (of all types, not just sexual orientation), but this has more to do with our pragmatic nature. We don’t care if you are gay, straight, white, black, disabled, or a Martian, if you are smart, friendly, and don’t take yourself too seriously, you will feel right at home. Here you will be judged on your merits, not on your class year, your high school, what your parents do for a living, or anything else.</p>

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<p>Quick addmendum, my comment about ignorant people refers to those who use homophobic langauge, not social conservatives generally!</p>

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<p>Thanks CMC guy.
I actually found an article published in the 90's regarding a gay student at CMC who finally got CMC to add "sexual orientation" to their nondiscriminatory policy for students. Which made me suspicious of what the environment is really like for a gay student on CMC. </p>

<p>However, the more and more I think about it, the more I realized that my primary concerns for a school should be the academics and career opportunities, not if people will accept me for who I am. It's kind of like most work/company policies. You're there to perform a job, so leave your personal life out of it.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
i'm kind of confused about the meal plan. there are only 16, 12, and 8-meals meal plans. does the meal plan cover 7 days? it seems like there's no option for people who like to eat breakfast/ eat three times a day.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Correct (assuming that CMC handles all of this the same way that Scripps does, which I assume to be true). There are three meals per weekday and two (brunch/dinner) on the weekends, or 19 meals per week. Yes, the meal plan covers 7 days. In 4 years, I only ever knew one full-plan person to unintentionally run out of meals, but I did know one or two students who had to pay attention to make sure that they didn't run out before Saturday. Between weird class hours, sleeping late, non-dining hall options (Motley, Hub, Muddhole, Coop, etc.), local options (Starbucks, restaurants and coffee shops in the Village, Chipotle, In-N-Out, Mix Bowl, etc.), dorm kitchens, etc., this is rarely an issue. If it ever is, your meal plan also comes with "Board Plus" money that can be used to purchase a meal (otherwise, that money tends to go toward the non-dining hall eating options). As a back-up plan, you can always keep around a supply of Pop Tarts and ramen (worked for me).</p>

<p>
[quote]
However, the more and more I think about it, the more I realized that my primary concerns for a school should be the academics and career opportunities, not if people will accept me for who I am. It's kind of like most work/company policies. You're there to perform a job, so leave your personal life out of it.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Ultimately, of course, your priorities are up to you. IMO, though, your analogy is flawed. You're in college to perform a job (student), yes, but at residential schools like CMC, the campus is not only your "office"...it's also your home. You can't leave your personal life out of it. Furthermore, studies are often collaborative: office hours with professors, group projects, study groups, discussion-based courses. To a reasonable degree, you need to feel comfortable in whatever environment you choose. I think that you'd be doing yourself a disservice to totally discount other students' likelihood of 'accepting you for who you are.'</p>

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<p>I completely understand your reasoning, but at the same time when you've lived your whole life being gay(or as any type of minority) in an area that hasn't been open or exposed to your minority, it becomes what you see as normal. It wouldn't be anything new to me to be an environment that was accepting of my sexuality.</p>

<p>I think one of the reasons i posted the question up, was because if the student body was gay friendly, it would be more of a "new experience" for me to see or be an environment that was accepting of my lifestyle.</p>

<p>If one of the challenges I faced in a school was an un-accepting student body, that shouldn't be a reason for me to cross the school of my list, if anything that's what causes less diversity among schools. I'm up for the challenge, I have been my whole life being openly gay. Academics at CMC is just one reason it's my first and top choice, it's not the only one.</p>

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<p>I'm a CMC Mom and an artist. My daughter was raised with a lot of gay people including gay familes with children, in our circle of friends. She is part of the 1/3 of CMC students who are liberal. I'm positive she and all her friends are accepting beyond what you've experienced in the past. For example in seventh grade at her middle school one of the guys, a star football player, came out as gay. There wasn't a single ripple in his popularity at school and my daughter and her entire circle of friends continued unfazed in their affections for this very nice boy. I think people in general vary in their ease with sexual preference issues depending on their upbringings and their own sense of security in who they are as a sexual being. Of course it goes withoutv saying that there are jerks in every crowd. But from what I know as an observer of one small segment of the CMC student body-you will find plenty of people for whom your orientation, however you choose to express it-is an absolute non issue, as in-they won't give it a single thought other than to note it in the same way that they would note your hair color.</p>

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<p>I really like CMC, but I am worried that it is too "pre-professional". While I like that the school is "practical", I am hesitant to attend a school where students are simply there to prepare for grad school rather than actually learn for the sake of learning. Does this seem to be a problem at CMC? And do students, who aren't entirely sure of what career they want to have, frowned upon by the driven, practical students?</p>

<p>Thanks again for this thread.</p>

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<p>hi i dont knw why no1else has posted this question yet...i am a waitlisted student in CMC and i was juss wondering how i can improve my chances of getting in...bcause i really wanna go to this school...it's my top choice can any1 suggest any ideas please...thanx in advance...!!</p>

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<p>HI.. so when i went to the inside cmc day. Some of the students i talked to mentioned how CMC pays for your gas money or tickets when you want to go somewhere on the weekends. Can you elaborate on that? Also, I do live really close by, but my mom doesn't want me to drive. How can I get around cuz I know public transportation sucks. Does CMC help provide transportation? </p>

<p>THANKS!</p>

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<p>is it hard to transfer in? i'm ending my first year at a four-year university and looking to take the next semester off, most likely apply to transfer for spring 2009.</p>

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<p>i would recommend just staying in school at your school for the fall, and then transferring into the spring 2009 so you can enter sophomore second semester, and not be behind.</p>

<p>I think the admit rate for transfer is anywhere from 10-17 percent. You may want to check collegeboard.com for the exact numbers.</p>

<p>btw what happens if you dont get into claremont, you have to have backups.</p>

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<p>This year they're seeking to enroll 60 transfers which is a significant increase transfer wise. I think our chances improve a bit.</p>

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<p>i would stay next semester, but i can't afford tuition anymore. i'm a semester ahead anyway, so i'd just end up being right on schedule</p>

<p>and i'd be applying for different colleges as well, but cmc is my first choice transfer</p>

<p>Bourne - i saw that too, but that's for fall, so hopefully they keep spring admission open!</p>