<p>My child was just accepted to CMC as a recruited athlete but is worried the school may be too small. Can anyone comment on this? I am sure the proximity of the other colleges helps, but is the atmosphere too much like a high school?</p>
<p>Too small? No, not at all. Because so much of the social life is on the 5-C level, it feels more like a school of about 5200 students. You can eat in any of the dining halls of the 5 colleges, most of the clubs and organizations are for all 5 colleges, everybody takes classes at the other colleges, etc. Like high school? Absolutely not. Because 98% live on campus and college students are much more mature than high school students, the atmosphere is decidedly not at all like high school. Add in the fact that everybody is at CMC because they want to be there and you have a much more motivated group of people than you find in high school.</p>
<p>My kid was initially worried about this as well. It has not been issue at all. In a school with over 1200 students, he will not have any trouble finding friends either at CMC or the other campuses. In fact, he will probably be so busy at CMC with academics, extracurricular activities and the social scene, he may not even have the time to interact with the students at the other schools. Of course, because of the size of the school, most classes will have no more than 19 students, allowing the students to develop close relationships with their professors. Most students take advantage of the many opportunities to participate in sports, clubs, and other activities, which are too many to mention here. As CDad observed, it is a very motivated student body and CMC does a great job providing them with a plethora of opportunities to make their college experience very meaningful. Finally, I have talked with many students the various times I visited the campus, and I am always amazed how many students tells me how much they love being there. I always joke with my son that they must be putting something in the water, because everyone seems too happy.</p>
<p>The second to last sentence should read: I am always amazed how many students “tell” me…</p>
<p>As the other posters have said CMC is not like HS at all. But it is small, even a school of 5000 is relatively small. This is a great thing for the students that chose it and attend and it probably contributes to the happiness of most of the students. Having said that a school of this size isn’t for everyone. A school of 20 or 30,000, and/or located in a big city is a very different experience. Students looking for that type of vibe may not be happy at CMC. CMC is a wonderful school on so many levels but your child should go to the admitted students weekend, spend the night at the dorm if possible and then decide if it feels right.</p>
<p>Another CMC parent here-</p>
<p>My D was torn between wanting the small classes and supportive environment and wanting the mid-sized larger than high school experience. She cut one of each type of school to make her final decision. Both fine colleges that she would have loved to attend but she felt that CMC provided the best of both.</p>
<p>D has taken classes at 2 of the other 5cs. Probably her two best friends are at Mudd and Pomona, but she has one across the hall (athlete) as well…and really all over. She eats on a different campus on a regular basis. It’s almost a rotation. She also walks into the village, uses the zip car service and has been to things in the LA area with friends and on retreats that were school sponsored/funded. Now it is not like living in the city, but she likes to have access without living in the city. She has also found that what is most frustrating is not having enough time to do everything she wants to do on campus!</p>
<p>Anyway, she was totally sold after revisiting a few of her choices. In the end, it was at the admitted students weekend that she absolutely just knew it was the place for her. (So attend if you can. It makes a difference being there and interacting with potential future classmates.) She still love, love, loves it there! (And we are now searching for the place that will make her brother that happy.)</p>
<p>Here’s hoping that your kid finds their happy place!</p>