Yale vs CMC

Colleges and Universities A-Z Claremont McKenna College
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If my end goal is to get into a good grad school/MBA program, which would be the better choice (better chance of going to top grad schools)?

As of now, I’m leaning towards CMC because of its focus on a practical education and small class setting (easier to get teacher recs for applying to grad school). I’m aiming to study finance as an undergrad. Tuition is not an issue.

I know CMC is known for its amazing career services center, but would having the Yale name on my resume make it so that getting internships would be just as easy?

Also, in terms of academics, would it be harder to maintain a good gpa at Yale because I’ll be competing with other brilliant students?

Thanks

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Hi HenryKravis,

First off, I like the name. Current CMC senior here, embarking on CMC Masters in Finance program next year, so I guess i’ll be a super-senior soon! I have no experience with Yale, but I can attest that CMC’s career services and RDS career services are top-notch, and have some of the best placement percentages in the world. I think you need to think of this in geographic terms - if you want to be on the west coast, CMC is the place to be for finance, especially in LA. East coast - I would probably choose Yale. But the experiences are very different… are you for certain you want to do finance?

I think that the liberal arts education that CMC provides in invaluable. I have chosen the path (for now) of finance, and understandbly, CMC’s brand name is not as powerful as Yale. However, I do not regret a single moment that I’ve spent here at CMC. I have made so many great friends, participated in so many numerous on campus activities, wallowed in the sunshine all year round, and essentially had the time of my life. The academics here are amazing, professors are insanely talented, as well as the students themselves. If you want a liberal arts education, with the size, resources and contingent of a mid-sized university, along with wonderful weather, friendly people, great food, etc… (list goes on and on), then CMC is for you. I cannot speak to Yale, as I have not attended, but I’m sure it offers a lot, and certain aspects that CMC doesn’t have as well (elaborate history, traditions, greek life, etc.).

Finance is based off of reputation. CMC has a great reputation on the west coast, and is considered a target schools for major investment banks, consulting and accounting firms (financial services in general). However, Yale is a much bigger name nationwide, and globally.

This is really up to you. I got accepted at first into a lot of bigger name schools, which may have made my full time recruitment efforts easier - but if you do your time right at CMC, you will be essentially guaranteed any job you want. I have many friends working at top financial services firm. I am personally entering the equity-research/investment banking industry, and CMC has definitely helped me obtain the internships and jobs that I wanted.

In my opinion, there is nothing like the Claremont Colleges. People here live life differenly, people are simply happier, I think, compared to other places. If you consider happiness as important to your lifestyle, CMC is the place for you.

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Feel free to message me/PM me for any questions!

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Thanks for the detailed response! As of now, I’m really firm on going into finance, but I can’t deny that I’m still a high school senior and, from an outside perspective, prone to change.

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“my end goal is to get into a good grad school/MBA program”

Yale and don’t look back.

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I love CMC but I have to say that you have to go to Yale. I turned down Cornell for CMC but Yale? That’s incomparable

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incomparable in facilities, opportunities, networking?

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Yale is Yale.
It is a terrific school with a storied past. But, ‘incomparable?’ Maybe, vis a vis Cornell…but, not CMC!
I would say ‘incomparable’ in terms of prestige and name, mostly.
These days, it is not unheard of for applicants to turn down Harvard and Yale for CMC, and I personally know several
who have turned down Stanford.

I have no doubt you will be successful whatever your choice of colleges,but I support your inclination towards Claremont. it is an incredible place, and a wonderful environment to learn from the best!

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I respect you @HenryKravis I truly do. But please have in mind that those who turned down Ivy institution more prestigious than Cornell mostly plan to continue their study as Graduate student(at least in my perspective), and I confidently can say that LAC is the best undergraduate institution that can prepare its students to excel in their graduate year.

Continuing study as graduate student, however, requires years of consideration and no one including yourself can dare to foresee exact same future career you have in mind right now. Maybe financial circumstances could turn bad and parents would not be able to support another years of education. Or maybe you could have changed your mind throughout four years of real life in college and decide to get a job.

What I want to say is that there are some risks in turning down Yale for CMC that can hardly be overlooked. But I believe that you can make a right decision that suits the most, because that you got into those two schools with the nation’s most selective acceptance rate tells that you have successfully identified who you really are and proves that you can do well anywhere you go.

Good luck!!

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Thanks for the support, and the added perspective, of course!

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Hey Henry, just curious…did you end up picking CMC or Yale?