Hey all,
I just sent in my Early Decision app to Claremont McKenna. I think I have a pretty solid app, but I want to know the chances that I do get in. I think my common app essay and supplemental essay are unique and solid enough to the point that it would be a big, beneficial factor in my application. Any feedback is welcome!
IB Student
3.8 UW GPA
34 Math ACT
33 English ACT
31 Science ACT
30 Reading ACT
32 English w/ Essay ACT
690 Writing SAT
710 Math SAT
680 Reading SAT
Swimming: all 4 years of HS, varsity, state team in my junior year
Tennis: Senior year of HS, varsity, team captain
Speech and Debate: all 4 years of HS, State qualifier in 10th and 11th grade, 10th at State in 11th grade, National qualifier in 11th grade, 2x team captain
Viola: all 4 years of HS, Western States Honor Orchestra all 4 years, All State Honor Orchestra in 10th and 11th grade, 4x section leader in HS Orchestra
Volunteer at Hospital: all 4 years of HS
Member of Youth Coalition: all 4 years, Worked to stop underage usage of tobacco
Intern for a University professor: Summer after freshman year
Member of school’s service club: Senior year
Member of National Honor Society: Senior year
Also, take notice that I did switch schools during high school. After a semester of my freshman year at school A, I moved to school B until after first semester of my sophomore year. After a year at school B, I moved back to school A. I didn’t do anything bad at either school; my parents thought that I should got to school B, but I didn’t enjoy the atmosphere that the school had, so I moved back after a year. I don’t know if it will hurt my application or not, but I do plan on explaining the situation at my interview.
Thanks for the feedback! If I may ask, why do you believe my ECs are weak? I actual thought they were a stronger part of my application. How strong should ECs be? @sanieldalib
I, on the other hand, think you will get in… ACT is in the range and GPA is solid. You have solid EC’s, (Depth, leadership, and lots of state qualifying.).
Thanks for the feedback! Also, if I do seem to be missing a “wow factor” in my app, it’s because I plan to tell my interviewer about it. There’s a backstory to when I placed 10th in speech and debate. The day that the state team traveled to the school it was taking place, I was feeling awful in my stomach. After checking into the hotel at night, I told my coach I had to go to the hospital. We figured out that I actually had appendicitis, and that I would have to get surgery that night. My coach and father were convinced that I wouldn’t compete, but I was determined to do so. 4 hours after going under the knife, I competed at the state tournament and placed 10th! My debate coach is one of my letter of rec writers, and he assured me that he would add a lot to my letter on that experience. @cappex@sanieldalib
I plan to do so. I just felt that I could write a more solid essay on the “adulthood” common app essay, and my coach had agreed to write about my surgery experience for me. It’s definitely going on the UC apps though. @cappex
I do not necessarily agree with @cappex. OP, I visited CMC, interviewed there, and attended an hour long information section. Your GPA is lacking, as are your test scores. Most of your ECs are flat, and you lack a “wow” factor in your app. Just think, if you were to walk into a room full of CMC applicants and read out your stats one by one: “who has a >~3.8 UW GPA?” “Who did research?” “Who was on a varsity team?” and so on, trust me, hands would still be raised up high after you have read out the info in this thread. It’s still a reach for you, but I do wish you luck.
Thanks for the feedback! I do appreciate your luck; I do understand I need all of it that I can get! Once again, I feel as if the true “x factor” in my application is my common app essay and the supplemental essay. @basedchem
I will throw my 2 cents worth in, landing somewhwere between sandielalib and cappex, I don’t think you’'re out of the range for acceptance but at the same time, I certainly would not count on it,especially for ED. I think basedchem makes a valid point with his illustration …i.e, “…if you were to walk into a room full of CMC applicants…”.
I imagine its too late (especially for the ED process) to add a supplement to your essay, about placing in the top ten
in the state debate tournament 4 hours after your surgery ((btw,I would word it that way…sounds more impressive than placing 10th), but if you can get it in there, i would make an effort. BTW I wouldn’t dwell on the school A vs B issue…that’s not a biggie.
Good luck to you!
I think your chances are good, as in no worse than average.
The average ACT there is a 32.
The acceptance rate there is very low but that school has been caught before manipulating the acceptance rate, so I would take it with a grain of salt.
Bottom line, the CMC 10% acceptance rate is real. What that means for the OP is a lot less clear. But CMC is famous for looking for fit. As the parent of one kid who was a debater and another kid who is in choir, I know the effort that goes into being a national qualifier for debate and in the honors orchestra or honors choir. So I happen to think the EC’s are strong enough, but it will come down to the overall application including the essays and LOR’s.
@scaredNJDad.
Sorry to be blunt, but that is a ridiculous comment to put on this post!
Yes, iti s true that a few years ago, an assistant dean at the College did report SAT scores which he inflated by a few points. But, and this is key as to CMC’s integrity, he was discovered doing so by the President of the College, who
immediately fired him, reported the violation, and hired one of the country’s top firms to investigate the matter thoroughly, to insure that everything else was above-board.
US News did not alter Claremont’s spot in that year’s rankings (I think they were #8), saying the change was not significant enough to warrant it.
Additionally, Claremont is truly 'holistic 'in its admissions process, looking for “leadership traits” more than mere numbers.
If anything, CMC is now more careful than most colleges to insure that all of its reporting is accurate and tansparent.
@scarednjdad you are right about that, although according to the investigate report that did not affect the acceptance rates in 2010 and 2011 (the last years before the misrepresentations were caught). And now the CMC CDS clearly states that only complete applications are counted.
Forgot to mention:
Since the afore-mentioned incident, Claremont’s applications have shot though the roof (no correlation…lol!)), resulting in its being tied with its sister college, Pomona, as the nation’s most selective LAC. With an acceptance rate of 9.76%, CMC and Pomona are th first two AC’s to ever break into single digits.
OP: Best of luck to you. Claremont is a terrrific place to spend 4 years!
Thanks for all the feedback! I really do believe that Claremont McKenna is the college for me, so hopefully I display that a fit in the CMC environment in my interview! @stagalum@Corinthian@ScaredNJDad
9.76% was Pomona’s acceptance rate when decisions were announced in April, but after going to the wait list to fill the class, the acceptance rate for the class of 2019 ended up being 10.3%. Not sure where CMC ended up. http://www.pomona.edu/sites/default/files/pomona-college-admissions-2015-16-profile.pdf. Suffice it to say that CMC has a very low acceptance rate.