Claremont McKenna College supplemental essays

The prompts, one by one

1. Why CMC?up to 250 words · Why us

   “CMC's mission is to prepare students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in business, government, and the professions. With this mission in mind, please explain why you want to attend Claremont McKenna College.”

   What it's really asking

   Not "why is Claremont McKenna College good" but "what will you do here that you can't do elsewhere, and what in your past proves you'll actually do it." The reader already knows the school is good.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Opening with the campus, the ranking or the "world-renowned faculty." Every sentence that would survive with another school's name swapped in is wasted. Listing three programs with no explanation of any of them is the second trap.

   The shape of a strong answer

   Start with the specific thing you've already been doing. Name one or two concrete Claremont McKenna College resources (a course, a lab, a program, a professor's actual work) and say what you'd do with each. End on the next step, not on a compliment.

2. Open Academy dialogue essayup to 250 words · Disagreement

   “A critical part of fulfilling our mission is living out the commitments of CMC's Open Academy: Freedom of Expression, Viewpoint Diversity, and Constructive Dialogue. We want to learn more about your commitment to listening and learning from others with different viewpoints, perspectives, and life experiences from your own. Describe a time when engaging with someone about a specific topic resulted in you changing your attitude, belief, or behavior, or you changed the belief or behavior of someone else. What was the change that occurred for you, and what facilitated that change? What did you learn from that experience, and how has it informed how you engage with others?”

   What it's really asking

   Whether you can hold a disagreement without flattening the other person. Claremont McKenna College is checking for intellectual humility and the ability to keep talking, not for who won.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Choosing a disagreement where you were obviously right and the other person obviously wrong. Or ending with "we agreed to disagree," which says nothing happened.

   The shape of a strong answer

   A real disagreement with a real person, stated fairly from their side. What you did in the conversation (not what you felt). What shifted afterwards, in you, even if your view held. Specific lines of dialogue help.

3. Video: responsible leadership (optional)no stated word limit · Video

   “An important part of Claremont McKenna College's mission is preparing students for responsible leadership. How do you define 'responsible leadership,' and how have you demonstrated responsible leadership in your family, community, or school?”

   What it's really asking

   The same thing as a written essay, with your face: whether you can explain yourself clearly and specifically in a short time.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Reading a script to camera, or over-producing it. Running long. Speaking in generalities because the format feels casual.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One point, stated in the first ten seconds, one concrete example, one closing line. Film it in one take in a quiet room, phone at eye level. Clear beats polished.

4. Video: public policy issue (optional)no stated word limit · Video

   “At CMC, we promote the understanding of public policy issues as it makes our students and alumni more effective leaders in their respective career fields. What is a public policy issue (whether locally, nationally, or globally) that you feel passionately about, and how do you hope to address it either in the present or the future? How can CMC assist you with addressing the issue?”

   What it's really asking

   The same thing as a written essay, with your face: whether you can explain yourself clearly and specifically in a short time.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Reading a script to camera, or over-producing it. Running long. Speaking in generalities because the format feels casual.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One point, stated in the first ten seconds, one concrete example, one closing line. Film it in one take in a quiet room, phone at eye level. Clear beats polished.

5. Video: Athenaeum speaker (optional)no stated word limit · Video

   “The Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum is the heart of intellectual and social engagement at Claremont McKenna College, bringing students, faculty, and staff closer together through active discussion on a daily basis. If you could invite someone to speak at the Athenaeum, who would they be, what questions would you ask them, or what topic would you want to discuss with them at the Athenaeum dinner?”

   What it's really asking

   The same thing as a written essay, with your face: whether you can explain yourself clearly and specifically in a short time.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Reading a script to camera, or over-producing it. Running long. Speaking in generalities because the format feels casual.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One point, stated in the first ten seconds, one concrete example, one closing line. Film it in one take in a quiet room, phone at eye level. Clear beats polished.

6. Video: challenging collaboration (optional)no stated word limit · Video

   “Collaboration involves working with people towards a common goal or project. It is a challenging skill that develops with time and experience. We want to learn more about the challenges you have encountered with collaboration. Tell us about when a collaborative effort you were involved in was challenging or even failed. What did your experience teach you about collaboration, and share how it has informed your leadership style?”

   What it's really asking

   The same thing as a written essay, with your face: whether you can explain yourself clearly and specifically in a short time.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Reading a script to camera, or over-producing it. Running long. Speaking in generalities because the format feels casual.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One point, stated in the first ten seconds, one concrete example, one closing line. Film it in one take in a quiet room, phone at eye level. Clear beats polished.

Every US applicant also writes the Common App personal statement: 650 words, seven prompts. Don't repeat it here; the supplements are for what the statement didn't show.

A self-check before you submit

Cover the school name and read the essay. Then cover your name and read it again. It should fail the first test (it only makes sense for Claremont McKenna College) and pass the second (only you could have written it). If it passes the first test, it's a brochure. If it fails the second, it's a template.