Claremont McKenna College 2025-26 Supplemental Essay Guide  

Claremont McKenna College 2025-26 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 2 short answers of 250 words each

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why, Diversity

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. (250 words)

This is a classic Why Essay. Do some research on CMC’s course offerings, campus, and extracurriculars, and then show admissions why CMC stands out from the crowd. With the prompt’s focus on future careers, make sure your response mentions how your favorite aspects of CMC will prepare you for life after college. Maybe you’re drawn to CMC’s strong international relations program because you aim to become an ambassador one day. Perhaps the Blockchain Club will help you develop ethical crypto trading practices. No matter your reason, admissions just wants to know that you’ve thought this through and aren’t just asking them to prom (applying) only to drive by and egg their house (withdraw your application) later — a la Never Been Kissed.

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? (250 words) 

Admissions wants to know that you are open to new ideas and can reflect in order to see things from a different perspective. Scroll through your memory to identify a time when you had a disagreement with friends, family, or even mere acquaintances. This can be something as small as a friend helping you learn to appreciate lacrosse to something large like debating Roe v. Wade with your elderly grandparents. As you tell your story, keep your focus on how you were able to change and what that has meant for you going forward. Maybe your Indian best friend cooked you lentils for the first time, making you more open to trying unfamiliar cuisines. Perhaps debating your classmate’s belief in a flat earth taught you how to separate the argument from the person and avoid belittling your opponent. Applicants who can articulate their thoughts and feelings while showcasing malleability and a willingness to thoughtfully consider new ideas will likely stand out as valuable additions to the CMC community.