Day 2: Claremont McKenna Consortium

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont McKenna College, also known as CMC, is one of the colleges making up the “5Cs”: Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, Scripps, Pomona, and Harvey Mudd. All of these colleges had completely different impressions on me, but at the end they work together to make a big society that helps each other, which I thought was interesting. For example, even if you are in CMC, you can take other school’s lectures and the other way around, too. There are also around 250 clubs any student from any college can join. Like this, there are many unique programs they offer because of the shape of their college community.

In Claremont McKenna College specifically, they have 33 majors. What piqued my interest is that you get to have two years to decide your major. The college knows that people will still struggle to find what they actually want to pursue and study, so the college waits for two years for your final decision. 90% of the students participate in internships and 75% of the students research with faculties, which is one of the advantages of a relatively small student body as they only have around 1400 students.

Their campus life looked fun and lively where they include and support students of all kinds. They match the needs for a lot of students, which I thought was very inclusive. My biggest impression of this school is that they work hard to help the students’ mental wellbeing. Students tend to study late at night and work hard for their exams and stress out; however, the school takes care of that. For example, the guide said they have free buses that take you to Target every Sunday so students can go grocery shopping. Also, they have an app where they can order fast food with free shipping when restaurants and cafes on campus are closed. Also, the guide said he basically doesn’t need to pay anything by himself for the fun excursions and activities, and his favorite memory was how they went to Disneyland for free with the meals also covered for free. They also apparently had a goat yoga session last week and were adored by the goats on campus!

Y. O. (M3 girl)

I personally thought CMC was a fun and interesting college. The CMC guide seemed very nice and everyone sounded very friendly. I liked how he toured the college explaining even the tiniest details of each place. I liked the campus overall, but I especially liked the arena and the dorm the CMC tour guide stayed in which has a kitchen and a big room where all the students living in that building have fun. He mentioned that students can go to Target by bus from there, which I thought was really convenient. In addition, he told us about the events and parties in the college which made me think it’s a fun school. Since I get distracted a lot, I’m happy there are people that could help them organize their time and help them be productive with their studies as well. Furthermore, I was fascinated by how much the college spends money for the students there and how they can financially support them, because the tour guide told us that he got a lot of financial aid from the college and if it weren’t for the support he got he wouldn’t be here.

Since I haven’t chosen what I want to do specifically, I think liberal arts colleges fit me the best. I liked how they focus on helping people be thoughtful and responsible leaders in economics and government. In addition, I think the study abroad programs will be helpful since I love going abroad and traveling. Moreover, I like how the average class size is 18, since I can get to know most of the people in the college, which will help me be more comfortable. The student to faculty ratio is 8:1, meaning I can interact with teachers often since there aren’t too many students. This can help the students get a deeper understanding of what they are learning, which I thought was really helpful. Therefore, I think this college is one of the colleges I am most interested in because I believe that this school will fit me by the fun spirit, the programs, financial support, and the number of students in the college.

H. M. (M3 girl)

Claremont McKenna College is a small university. It’s part of a group of colleges called Claremont Colleges. This makes it really cool because students can take classes with different universities and learn from many different perspectives. The advantage of a small school is that the students are close to the teachers and there are 15 to 17 classmates in the classes creating a lively conversation and a friendly atmosphere.

The university plays in a division 3 basketball league and has a shiny and impressive arena. I was just imagining how cool it would’ve been if I played on that hardwood. Although the classes are challenging, the university has great resources - for example, the Kravis Leadership Institute and state-of-art libraries, which help students prepare for their future careers.

Due to the relatively small student body, the students receive great service because the college can provide financial support to students. They also have movie nights or sports watching before the stressful finals, which I thought showed that the university is really caring about the students so that they could have a fun campus life.

K. A. (M3 boy)

Pomona College

Pomona College is a small but amazing school in Claremont, California. It’s one of the best liberal arts colleges in the U.S., and students get a top-notch education. Since it’s part of the Claremont Colleges consortium, students can also take classes at schools like Claremont McKenna College and Harvey Mudd College. The campus is beautiful, with a lot of vegetation and wildlife, and the weather is almost always nice.

Academics at Pomona are challenging, but the small class sizes make it easier for students to get help from their professors. Some of the most popular majors are Economics, Psychology, and Biology, but there are many other subjects to choose from. Besides studying, students can join clubs, play sports, and participate in fun events. Since Pomona is close to Los Angeles, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the city.

The school prepares graduates for top jobs and graduate programs, and students love the balance of hard work and fun. If you’re thinking about college in the future, Pomona is definitely worth considering.

T. T. (M3 Boy)

We visited Pomona College, which is a small liberal arts college,a founding member of The Claremont Colleges. It is located in Claremont, California. 98% of the students live on Campus. There are many dorms and in Pomona, they call their roommates a “Sponsor group”. They are basically an informal mentoring guide who can teach you about the school in your freshman year.

One of the places I found interesting was the language table. In that place, students, professors and even their family can grab food and sit at a table where you have a chance to speak in a different language. Once you step inside the room, you are not allowed to speak English. Some examples of languages spoken there are Chinese, French, German, and Japanese. These are only a few examples of the languages that they speak, and our tour guide also said that it is one of his favourite places in Pomona.

Another place that I really liked about Pomona was the big stage in the yard. It is called the big bridges or bridges and many famous artists came to perform there, such as Taylor Swift. Our tour guide told us that when they were deciding which school Taylor Swift was performing in the Claremont Consortium, it was supposed to be Harvey Mudd who won, but they realized that they didn't have the space for it, so they asked Pomona. That is the reason why Taylor Swift ended up performing in the big bridges.

Also I want to talk about the music community. Right next to the big bridges, there is a place where students can learn music. Some music departments that they have are acapella, orchestra, and bands. They get to have a free one-on-one lesson with a teacher. One of the teachers is a Grammy winner. I found this really cool, because I also love music and instruments, so the fact that they can learn one-on-one from a Grammy winner is such a dream to me.

It was such a pleasure to get a chance to visit Pomona and have an information session about the school. I, myself, still haven't decided if I should go to a STEM school or a liberal arts and humanities school, but I know for sure that I will love this school.

M. O. (M3 girl)

Harvey Mudd College

Today, I got to visit Harvey Mudd College, a school known for teaching engineering, science, and math along with liberal arts. From the guide’s talk and the information session at the end of our tour, we found out lots of useful and interesting facts and details.

The college was started in 1955 and has about 905 students. There are 11 majors to choose from. What really stood out was that every student does research or works with some companies to solve real problems. This hands-on experience can help students get great experience for the future.

I think the best part of the tour was the visit to the engineering lab. There were some students working hard on projects when we arrived. Our guide said they sometimes work with real companies to fix real problems. The lab had lots of cool tools and machines, and it was amazing to see how the students worked on their projects.

I also liked that the college values diversity: the guide told us there are almost equal numbers of male and female students. Furthermore, we heard that some of the tasks need work in groups or pairs, showing the college clearly values not just academics but also teamwork.

My visit to Harvey Mudd College was really inspiring. The mix of academic classes, real working experience and teamwork makes it a special place. It’s a school where hard work, creativity, and community come together to create something amazing.

M. S. (M3 girl)

Today, we had the option to go to either Pomona college or Harvey Mudd college. I decided to visit Harvey Mudd since they excel in STEM majors. Their most popular majors are computer science and engineering. All the buildings were huge, beautiful on the inside and outside. I especially loved the animals that we don't usually get to see in urban or suburban areas of Japan, such as squirrels, and many types of songbirds, and hawks. In the interior, we saw many posters and reports related to chemistry, but I couldn't understand much.

At first, I thought that Harvey Mudd was a college solely focused on STEM, so I was surprised to know that they also focus on humanities. Ironically, their biggest building was called the HSA which stands for Humanities, Social sciences, and Art. This is to give an all-rounded education to the students so that they have a good foundation for the future.

K. I. (M3 boy)

Harvey Mudd College, located in Claremont, California, is a prestigious liberal arts college known for its emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, also commonly referred to as STEM education. Founded in 1955, it is part of the Claremont Colleges consortium, which allows students to take courses and engage in activities at neighboring institutions such as Pomona College and Claremont McKenna College. Harvey Mudd is widely recognized for its rigorous academic programs and innovative approach to STEM education, aiming to develop not only technical expertise but also critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.

One of the defining features of Harvey Mudd is its commitment to small class sizes, which fosters close interactions between students and faculty. The average class size is about 10 to 15 students. This personalized learning environment ensures that students receive individual attention and can engage deeply, resulting in not just the teacher's input alone but also the students' interactions with the lesson, peers, and teachers. While the college is known for its technical programs in fields like computer science, engineering and mathematics, it also integrates humanities and social sciences into its curriculum, known as HSA. The students are required to take 11 of these HSA courses. This balanced approach encourages students to develop a well-rounded perspective, essential for addressing the complex challenges in today’s world.

In my opinion, one of the most appealing aspects of Harvey Mudd is the flexibility it offers. As a liberal arts institution, students are not required to have a fixed career path from the start. This allows for intellectual exploration across a variety of disciplines. I am more interested in the STEM route than the Humanities route, so Harvey Mudd really stood out to me. However, I am currently unsure about what I specifically want to do in the future, so the liberal arts curriculum of the college could let me explore the various fields and help me find my interests or path I want to pursue.

K. K. (H1 boy)

Scripps

Today, we went to Scripps College, which is one of the five colleges that make up The Claremont Colleges. There are approximately 1095 students. The school is relatively small, and students and professors are really close to each other, which helps students to find their majors and what they are interested in. Students can take more than one major and minor, which doesn't have to be connected. For instance, you could take science as your major and dance as a minor.

The first thing I noticed was how beautiful the campus looked. It was old-fashioned, but still very neat. There was a grand piano in every shared room, as well as a comfortable sofa and tables. Moreover, in the wellness centre, the gym looked very neat and taken care of. There was a swimming pool, where students can swim and work as a lifeguard. This building included a meditation room, studios for dance, karate and kickboxing.

After I visited Scripps College and heard the tour guide’s experiences, I felt this college had some unique features. The students were really close to each other and having a real fun time in the dorm and activities, which I thought was one of the great selling points of this college. The large number of sports facilities was also a great point and I feel like I would never get bored living there. The best part of this college was the design of its buildings, library and the gardens, with flowers and trees everywhere. This beautiful campus will make students’ studies more fun and relaxing.

N. T. (M3 girl)

Scripps College is part of the Claremont campuses in California, sharing space with five universities: Pomona, Pitzer, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Scripps itself.

Founded in 1931 by Ellen Browning Scripps, the college was established to support women's education during a time when such opportunities were very rare.

Today, Scripps is known for its commitment to empowering women, and free majors.

With only 1,095 students, Scripps offers a close community. Classes are limited to a maximum of 20 students, which makes strong personal connections with professors.

This small size helps students to have easier communication and creates opportunities for future experiences, like working in labs or obtaining internships.

Leadership is key at Scripps. One great example is the Motley Coffeehouse, a cafe run entirely by students. This space not only serves as a gathering spot but also promotes sustainability, making it a favorite place for students to relax and connect.

Scripps offers 65 majors, with strong programs in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. Students have the freedom to explore different areas of study by pursuing minors or majors unrelated to their primary focus.

Another tradition at Scripps is the iconic graffiti wall, which has displayed messages from graduating classes since 1941. This wall captures the voices of students, reflecting current events and serving as a visual time capsule.

Scripps College is a place where students can freely focus on academics, develop leadership, and express their creativity. I felt that it was a great place to learn in the future.

R. T. (M3 girl)

Pitzer

On the second day of the tour, we toured Claremont and their 5 undergraduate colleges: Pomona College, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, and finally Pitzer College which I will be writing about.

One thing I found really nice and convenient about all the colleges in Claremont was that they are very connected, so all students from all five colleges can use each other’s campuses, classes, gyms and so much more.

Each college in Claremont had its own theme and vibe that complemented the buildings in the campus. However, Pitzer College stood out to me as soon as I saw it, and entered the campus. Pitzer evidently values environmental sustainability by its greenery throughout the vast campus as seen in this photo. Each plant is chosen by its resistance to droughts, such as cacti. Thanks to this, the school can use less water even though they have many plants.

As someone who lived in a country of greenery, I found the college really comforting and allowed me to feel truly at home.

Pitzer has about 1,200 students attending at this moment, and 40 majors with minors as well. The college has 5 core values that the considerate tour guide mentioned to us multiple times. Making me realise that these values are taken to heart by all students. These values are: Interdisciplinary Learning, Social Responsibility, Environmental Sustainability, Student Engagement, and Intercultural Understanding. It was clear to me that all these 5 values are the core of Pitzer College.

Pitzer College is friendly towards newcomers (freshmen) thanks to their system. Freshmen come one week before college starts and have 20-30 orientation classes to choose from, allowing them to get used to and become familiar with others right before college life starts. Other than this, classes are located close to each other which further helps the students in their new life.

During the tour I saw many walls full of art by the students. Our considerate tour guide told us that the students are able to paint on the walls with permission. Really showing the freedom and creativity Pitzer allows the students to have. There was even a section of a wall that let any student freely express themselves. With no censorship, the wall is known as the ‘free wall’.

What might be most appealing academically about this school is it being among the top three politically-active schools in the country. Pitzer has a student senate including 47 members and it really showed just how versed the college and its students are in politics, which I personally believe is very important for our future.

As much as I would like to write much more about this splendid college, I would be continuing on for a long time. Pitzer College located in Claremont has so much freedom allowing students to show their quirks unlike any other college I’ve seen. This makes Pitzer College much more unique and fun. From my tour guide to the campus and academics, everything was so filled with excitement and enthusiasm, really living up to their 5 core values.

Y. S. (M3 girl)

Nestled between Chino Hills and Mount Baldy, Pitzer College is one of the five undergraduate institutions in the Claremont Colleges. With them being the newest of the five liberal arts schools in the group, Pitzer offers more than 60 majors with a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio. They boast a title as the “Best School for Making an Impact” by student surveys by the Princeton Review. With them having a top 3 politically active student body, Pitzer College has become a haven for students to express their own beliefs and opinions.

The five core principles of Pitzer College are a factor to the school’s success. They are: Social Responsibility, Interdisciplinary Learning, Environmental Sustainability, Intercultural Understanding, and Student Engagement. They help the institution distinguish their approach to education and guide their work as a community.

With Pitzer College being a part of the Claremont Colleges, they provide a special opportunity for the students to take part in classes from all five schools which total to 2130 combined. With them being so close to each other, communities are tight knit and there are plenty of chances to meet and interact with other students from different colleges.

Not only this, Pitzer as well as the other colleges in the group provide the ability to not only create your own major as well as provide significantly larger opportunities to study abroad. The national average for students taking a part in study abroad is 1 in 10 but at Pitzer it is 1 in 2. This helps students create a repertoire to help kick start their careers of their time at the school.

During the campus tour that I took part in, I was surprised to hear that Pitzer was rated as one of the ugliest campuses in the nation. I don’t believe this is true. The campus is filled with nature and wildlife, using drought-resistant plants to reduce the usage of precious water in the often dry Southern California. There also is a “free wall” that allows students to draw anything that they want without restriction. Although many may see this as a bad thing, the wall being used as a way to express students’ beliefs and not as a form of chaos shows the responsibility that the students have at Pitzer.

In conclusion, Pitzer College is a unique institution within the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges, offering students an engaging and interdisciplinary learning with its strong commitment to social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and student expression. The ability to take classes across the consortium, create your own majors, and participate in study abroad at a high rate furthermore supports the success that Pitzer has had. My visit to Pitzer College has helped me see a place where students are encouraged to make a lasting impact.

H. M. (M3 boy)

Campus and Culture

Pitzer College is a school with a focus on environmental sustainability and social justice. The campus is rich with colorful plants, 85% of which are drought resistant. With California being a very dry and drought-prone place, having drought-resistant plants like cacti make it more sustainable for the environment and ensure that no water is wasted. At the Gold Student Health & Wellness Center, the energy powering the building is all generated by the gym equipment. I was truly in awe at how committed the students were to stay on top of their values and by the overall greenery of the campus. However, the social justice aspect of the school is the real star of the show. Being a liberal arts college created in the midst of the Social Justice Movement in the 60s, Pitzer has a unique community of politically-charged, expressive students. The murals that cover the school are nearly 100% done by Pitzer students, and the Free Wall allows the students to draw or write whatever they want without fear of censorship, creating an artistic environment that encourages expression and freedom.

What I have come to notice about Pitzer, is how close to an ideal community it is. The Green Bike Program allows students to gain access to bikes for cheaper and the Shared Governance Model distributes the overarching power to the students, teacher and faculty. If you like politics, freedom, and being opinionated, you're going to love the culture at Pitzer College. Also if you like plants.

Academics

Academically, Pitzer College is extremely rigorous. There are no class limits, but everyone must study the five requirements: English, Humanities, Social Science, Physical Sciences, and Quantitative Reasoning. You might think that this would create competition and rivalry amongst students, but it's actually the opposite. The students at Pitzer are not only expressive, but they are also collaborative and communal, making the rigorous work more collaborative than competitive. The academic buildings of the school are put into one quad, making it easier to maintain a work-life balance at school. The classes are anywhere between 12-40 students each, with freshman classes being bigger, and getting smaller through the years.

Pitzer College also follows the study values of interdisciplinary learning, intercultural understanding, and student engagement. Students are able to study abroad three times, participate in internships, as well as in community service. The study environment at Pitzer College is very community centered, with many classes focused on communicating with people with diverse backgrounds, and lots of collaborating to better your studies.

To conclude, I believe you'll enjoy Pitzer College if you work well with others or value expressing yourself and your beliefs.

L. S. (M3 girl)