Claremont colleges
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Anonymous
| Is there a pecking order within the Claremont colleges or are they really considered to be the same, with different areas of focus? For instance, is Pomona considered to be the best because it’s the oldest and most selective? Is the easiest one to get in looked down upon by the others? |
Anonymous
| Pomona, Harvey Mudd, and Claremont McKenna are tops for their type of school. Pomona has historically been more prestigious than CMC but these days, finance bros would def take CMC over Pomona. Scripps is a women’s college (can’t think of better one in CA) and I’d put Pitzer as sort of the distant backup choice for Pomona but with same access to the other schools. |
Anonymous
| Order is Pomona, CMC, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer and then Scripps (women only). Pomona is the most selective and then CMC. Harvey Mudd is also very difficult to get into. CMC has a government and economics focus. Also just built a new science center so trying to promote that. Harvey Mudd is STEM. Pitzer and Scripps sometimes seen as easier to get into, but still very solid schools with good outcomes. |
Anonymous
I don’t really understand the question. My kid went to Pitzer because he wanted to major in Environmental analysis and do the CASA program. He took classes at Pomona and all the other schools. He had friends from all schools. He never experienced any issues related to “pecking order.” |
Anonymous
Is Pitzer the most liberal? |
Anonymous
They’re all very liberal- even CMC. If you care about that sort of thing, look at W&L. The order isn’t really existent as much as the major. CMC is best for economics, government, religious studies/philosophy, and history. Harvey Mudd is best for engineering, computer science, and physics Pomona is best for mathematics, neuroscience, biology/chemistry. Scripps is for the humanities and art Pitzer for Environmental Analysis/Sociology/anthropology |
Anonymous
WASP? Pomona>CMC=Mudd>Scripps>Pitzer |
Anonymous
Yes. |
Anonymous
| For an engineering major, the obvious #1 would be Mudd. So, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. |
Anonymous
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The point of the place is that you can study you discipline in the school that is best for that discipline.
You can also take classes at the other colleges, in the areas at which they excel. Bit of both… The idea is to complement each other and create a greater, robust social atmosphere while protecting the intimate class experience one gets at a SLAC. Each school has its own vibe and expertises. Pick the one that is best for you, knowing you are not limited socially to only that campus, and can also enroll in elective classes that your college does not offer. Take the win! It really is a well-executed concept. Arguably the best consortium in the US. |
Anonymous
Yes, but they are not easy pickings: Pomona is a near impossible admit and CMC and Mudd are very difficult. It is why Scripps and Pitzer are becoming more popular — and selective. |
Anonymous
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Pomona is considered the best, most prestigious all-around liberal arts college. You can learn and major in anything at Pomona, and the profs are wonderful. The others colleges fill specialized niches depending on what you're looking for.
Harvey Mudd is a smaller STEM specialist school. Amazing school but the required "core" of courses are very rigorous and hard for even some of the best students to cope with. Very collaborative. CMC is a smaller social sciences specialist school. They are trying to broaden with new integrated science but it's been a rocky launch so far, some say it's more style (pretty glass building) than substance. They will have a leadership change next year which is unfortunate. Scripps is a smaller all-women school. Strong in some sciences and humanities/social sciences. They are the only 5C with their own library and it has dark academia vibes. Pitzer is co-ed but is 2/3 women, 1/3 men. The focus is on many subjects unlike Mudd and CMC but the social vibe is very specific. Pitzer kids are very active and demonstrative in their progressive ideals. The entire 5Cs are very queer-friendly, and on the whole super liberal. |
Anonymous
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Scripps does not have dark academia vibes lol! It’s sunshine & fruit trees & a big pool & cheerful girls.
Within the 5Cs there’s not a pecking order, they all socialize and mix with each other. |
Anonymous
She said quite clearly that Scripps has its own library with dark academic vibes, which is true. It’s like studying in a small Victorian church |
Anonymous
| Okay the library maybe… but the rest of the campus is opposite of gothic. I wouldn’t use dark academia to describe any of it. |