How tough is getting into Claremont College?

Hey all! I'm considering applying to Claremont College but have heard the admission rates can be really competitive. Do any of you know if there's a particular college within Claremont that might be easier to get into? Thanks for any advice!

Hello! It's important to note that when people refer to "Claremont College," they're often referring to the Claremont Colleges, which is a consortium of seven independent institutions: Claremont McKenna College, Scripps College, Pitzer College, Harvey Mudd College, Pomona College, Claremont Graduate University, and Keck Graduate Institute.

Each of these colleges has its own admissions process, and the acceptance rates at each can vary year by year. In general, Pomona and Harvey Mudd tend to be the most selective, with an acceptance rate often below 15%. Claremont McKenna is also quite competitive, often with an acceptance rate around 15% to 20%. Scripps and Pitzer generally have slightly less competitive acceptance rates, which typically hover around 20% to 30%.

However, it's important to focus on finding the best-fit college for you, rather than simply applying to the one with the highest acceptance rate. Each of these colleges has its own strengths and focuses, and they all offer a nearly unparalleled level of intercollegiate academic flexibility.

Claremont McKenna tends to emphasize leadership and government, Pitzer focuses on social justice, Harvey Mudd on STEM, Pomona on a broad liberal arts education, and Scripps is a women's college with strengths in humanities and social sciences. My advice would be to research each and apply to the ones that are in line with your academic and personal interests.

Remember, colleges are looking for applicants who will contribute to their community and take full advantage of the resources the college has to offer. Thus, demonstrating your interest in the specific programs, resources, or opportunities of a Claremont College could help your application. Good luck with your college search!