CMC vs Amherst-Econ and Philosophy Major

[Anonymous]

DC is leaning toward Economics and Philosophy as his major, and he’s looking for a place with a strong academic community where he can dig deep into both fields. He values a close-knit environment with small class sizes and a sense of connection between students and professors. Claremont McKenna stands out to him because of its resources like the Athenaeum, its research centers, and the opportunities that come with being in California. He loves the idea of having access to diverse internships and opportunities, especially in the business and policy spheres, which he’s interested in exploring.

That said, I’ve got some strong connections to Amherst, and I’ve always thought of it as a top-tier liberal arts school with a respected reputation across a variety of disciplines, including Economics and Philosophy. The rigorous academic environment there is something we both admire.

What I’m struggling with is how to balance the location, opportunities, and academic environment at Claremont McKenna with the overall prestige and longstanding reputation of Amherst. Is Claremont McKenna seen as strong in the areas DC cares about—specifically Economics and Philosophy—or is Amherst’s name and academic rigor just too hard to beat?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is leaning toward Economics and Philosophy as his major, and he’s looking for a place with a strong academic community where he can dig deep into both fields. He values a close-knit environment with small class sizes and a sense of connection between students and professors. Claremont McKenna stands out to him because of its resources like the Athenaeum, its research centers, and the opportunities that come with being in California. He loves the idea of having access to diverse internships and opportunities, especially in the business and policy spheres, which he’s interested in exploring.

That said, I’ve got some strong connections to Amherst, and I’ve always thought of it as a top-tier liberal arts school with a respected reputation across a variety of disciplines, including Economics and Philosophy. The rigorous academicenvironment there is something we both admireWhat I’m struggling with is how to balance the location, opportunities, and academic environment at Claremont McKenna with the overall prestige and longstanding reputation of Amherst. Is Claremont McKenna seen as strong in the areas DC cares about—specifically Economics and Philosophy—or is Amherst’s name and academic rigor just too hard to beat?

Apply and see if you get accepted to one or both. No sense nitpicking now.

[Anonymous]

Both are exceptionally good schools. Amherst is very stronger in a broader array of subjects and is a more traditional LAC. It also has a bigger name, although I'd take that with a grain of salt given that LACs in general aren't particularly well known. CMC is more focused on professional and career development. Economics and philosophy happen to be two of CMC's strongest subjects and you might look into their PPE major (philosophy, politics, and economics). Anyhow, I would make a decision based on fit more than prestige.

You might also consider Pomona, which is also very strong in economics and philosophy (and offers the PPE major), although it bends more academic/intellectual than CMC or Amherst and thus sends fewer students to Wall Street if that's your aim.

[Anonymous]

As one basis for comparison, Claremont McKenna appears in this site on colleges suggested for the study of public policy, an interdisciplinary major that relies on the fields of political science, economics and philosophy for its foundation:

https://www.collegetransitions.com/blog/best-colleges-for-public-policy/

[Anonymous]

"...very stronger..." got the brightest minds today I see.

[Anonymous]

CMC is amazing at Government, Economics, Religious Studies, Philosophy, History, and Literature-it's a classical liberal arts college.

[Anonymous]

If he wants pre-professional grinding & finance bros, go CMC. If he wants traditional LAC, go Amherst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"...very stronger..." got the brightest minds today I see.

It's a typo, brianiac. By the way, you might check a style guide on the use of ellipses and punctuation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he wants pre-professional grinding & finance bros, go CMC. If he wants traditional LAC, go Amherst.

Completely wrong and a stereotype this forum needs to shed. These students are interested in an intellectual environment.
Links to follow for anyone interested in going beyond stereotypes:

https://www.cmc.edu/athenaeum

https://gouldcenter.org

https://human-rights.cmc.edu

https://www.cmc.edu/the-open-academy

https://www.cmcforum.com/post/henry-long-2025-class-elected-commencement-speech

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"...very stronger..." got the brightest minds today I see.

It's a typo, brianiac. By the way, you might check a style guide on the use of ellipses and punctuation.

Sure, illiterate surf.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"...very stronger..." got the brightest minds today I see.

It's a typo, brianiac. By the way, you might check a style guide on the use of ellipses and punctuation.

Sure, illiterate surf.

Serf?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If he wants pre-professional grinding & finance bros, go CMC. If he wants traditional LAC, go Amherst.

Completely wrong and a stereotype this forum needs to shed. These students are interested in an intellectual environment.
Links to follow for anyone interested in going beyond stereotypes:

https://www.cmc.edu/athenaeum

https://gouldcenter.org

https://human-rights.cmc.edu

https://www.cmc.edu/the-open-academy

https://www.cmcforum.com/post/henry-long-2025-class-elected-commencement-speech

Thank you for sharing. Very impactful words from this year's commencement speaker, and a clear demonstration of a strong, intellectual culture.

The word humility—and the word human, for that matter—both come from the Latin word humus, which means ground, earth, or soil. That’s kind of a lame namesake, right? But it’s a poignant reminder that we’re material creatures—for dust we are, and to dust we shall return. But we’re not merely material either. We’re also filled with what ancient traditions call “the breath of life,” which is prana in Sanskrit, ruach in Hebrew, and psyche in Greek. This breath, however shallow it may be, inspires a hunger for the heavenly, a thirst for the transcendent, and a recognition of our incompleteness and ignorance.

But that’s not the end of the story. We’re not just stuck wallowing in ignorance. Humility and wonder are the beginning of knowledge, not the end. Even more remarkable than reality itself is our uncanny ability to understand it. The universe follows patterns, which our minds can recognize. Just think for a second about how miraculous that is.

At CMC alone, we have math professors researching the rules of Banach spaces, philosophy professors exploring German theories of metaphysical grounding, and science professors researching tree reconciliation methods for host-symbiont cophylogenetic analyses. I’m not even sure what most of those words mean. But without the strange correspondence between our minds and reality, none of this research would be possible. Science would be defunct, education would be a farce, and this College as we know it wouldn’t exist.

Philosophers have a name for this improbable connection between our mental experience and the world around us: It’s called “psychophysical harmony.” How’s that for a five-dollar word? Some philosophers argue that this harmony is so striking and unlikely, it’s as though it were by design. Follow the patterns of reality, and you may be surprised where you end up.

Graduates, the world you enter is a wonderful place, but it has its dangers. Your life poses a series of questions to you. Despite what some say, there are wrong answers, and these wrong answers will ruin your life. Don’t let the drudgery of your office job, the mundanity of your daily routine, the intensity of your political loyalties, or the vapidity of your Instagram feed distract you from the enchantment of the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is leaning toward Economics and Philosophy as his major, and he’s looking for a place with a strong academic community where he can dig deep into both fields. He values a close-knit environment with small class sizes and a sense of connection between students and professors. Claremont McKenna stands out to him because of its resources like the Athenaeum, its research centers, and the opportunities that come with being in California. He loves the idea of having access to diverse internships and opportunities, especially in the business and policy spheres, which he’s interested in exploring.

That said, I’ve got some strong connections to Amherst, and I’ve always thought of it as a top-tier liberal arts school with a respected reputation across a variety of disciplines, including Economics and Philosophy. The rigorous academic environment there is something we both admire.

What I’m struggling with is how to balance the location, opportunities, and academic environment at Claremont McKenna with the overall prestige and longstanding reputation of Amherst. Is Claremont McKenna seen as strong in the areas DC cares about—specifically Economics and Philosophy—or is Amherst’s name and academic rigor just too hard to beat?

I think Amherst would be stronger in Philosophy/Economics to be honest. CMC seems more practical in focus (pre-business, pre-law) versus rigorous intellectual or academic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he wants pre-professional grinding & finance bros, go CMC. If he wants traditional LAC, go Amherst.

Finance bros at a school without a finance major?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is leaning toward Economics and Philosophy as his major, and he’s looking for a place with a strong academic community where he can dig deep into both fields. He values a close-knit environment with small class sizes and a sense of connection between students and professors. Claremont McKenna stands out to him because of its resources like the Athenaeum, its research centers, and the opportunities that come with being in California. He loves the idea of having access to diverse internships and opportunities, especially in the business and policy spheres, which he’s interested in exploring.

That said, I’ve got some strong connections to Amherst, and I’ve always thought of it as a top-tier liberal arts school with a respected reputation across a variety of disciplines, including Economics and Philosophy. The rigorous academic environment there is something we both admire.

What I’m struggling with is how to balance the location, opportunities, and academic environment at Claremont McKenna with the overall prestige and longstanding reputation of Amherst. Is Claremont McKenna seen as strong in the areas DC cares about—specifically Economics and Philosophy—or is Amherst’s name and academic rigor just too hard to beat?

I think Amherst would be stronger in Philosophy/Economics to be honest. CMC seems more practical in focus (pre-business, pre-law) versus rigorous intellectual or academic.

In what ways? Actually look at the faculty line ups for Amherst and CMC and there's a stark contrast. CMC also has a PPE program with amazing outcomes: both academic and professional. Live outside your bubble.