- Kelsey Brown on Letters to Freshmen: The High School Sweetheart: "I believe what she meant was that if you are consumed by your relation..."
- missed the point on Letters to Freshmen: The High School Sweetheart: "I think my name says it..."
- in a relationship on Letters to Freshmen: The High School Sweetheart: "why can't someone feel satisfied with their relationship and be happy ..."
- Jillian on Pimp My Campus: "oooh, new walkway! so excited to see it when I get back!!..."
- Jillian on Summer Stories Series: "how do we submit? just by comment?..."
Mission: Admission
It’s time once again for the Office of Admission to dig through the 4000 or so applications and choose the lucky few to be given spots at CMC.
So what am I complaining about this time? Nothing. CMC’s application is fine…but maybe that’s it, it’s just fine. For a school touting “Leaders in the Making,” shouldn’t we apply this to the admissions process? Shouldn’t we try to set an example? I am, of course, speaking about the decision of Tufts University to include an optional YouTube video to supplement the traditional admission application.
I am quite fond of the quirky questions that we got asked in the CMC application. Reading some of the frankly genius retorts gave me that warm feeling of being completely outclassed by plenty of my peers. However, when I checked the 2009 application, those quirky questions are exactly the same as when I applied in 2008.
I know we are not the most creative school. We all remember the new and improved CMC website, which garnered the impressive C- grade from EDU Checkup. However, maybe we should adopt a more progressive attitude when it comes to encompassing technology. A look at Tufts’ ad
missions website fills me with a sense of shame when compared to our beloved one. Tufts’ site has vibrant titles and a nice, simple layout. Compare this to the bland reality of our own (although the faces of Claremont McKenna idea is good). And what’s this…Tufts doesn’t have both an “Apply” tab and an “Admissions” tab? How will we ever click back and forth? Their website also shows that Tufts understands technology and social media. There are signs for Facebook, Twitter, podcasts, and of course the YouTube videos.
Maybe CMC doesn’t have to be as progressive as Tufts, which is known for its quirky applications, but we should add something new to our application. We would be able to learn something more about future CMCers rather than the drivel that is normally spouted in college admission essays. Who knows, a more cutting edge admissions program may result in a higher application rate, which could only do good things for CMC. An appreciation for the new and the fresh, rather than comparing ourselves to the old Ivy League style schools, will create a much stronger and I feel more interesting brand image for CMC. Let those colleges be the symbols of tradition and decorum; we shall be the vanguard of progress, creating leaders who know how to lead in the modern world.
More posts by Javed »
Javed Jasani
Javed Jasani is a freshman at CMC. He is from England, so be prepared for articles, full of "wit" (which probably only he will get), and complaints. Do take care to note the correct spellings of words. If it pleases you, you can read the article in a british accent... just remember to lock the door so as not to torture anyone else with your impression. Hobbies include drinking tea and standing in queues.
Recent
8 Comments
2010-03-03
23:26:58
Good article!
Tufts DOES have a pretty snazzy website, but perhaps.... just perhaps, our website is like our architecture.
A tale:
Several alumni were invited back for a review of the Master Plan, when they took a walk around campus and thought of architecture plans for future buildings. When the meeting resumed, they presented their findings:
"The architecture may be ugly as sin, but its Our architecture."
So,
The new-and-improved website may look about seven or eight years old, but damnit it's Our website.
2010-03-04
00:11:49
Yes, You are absolutely right. I like the architecture too! Maybe we can keep our website... and just update our applications to keep up. Having said that, Adam Miller, the Assistant Dean of Admissions has contacted me (very promptly too!) and is more than happy to discuss potential additions to the application. So if anyone has any ideas, please post it online!
2010-03-04
03:02:57
ello JJ!
I read the article in a British accent. (Though it's still a good article sans accent).
I actually heard from someone that the CMC application turned people away because it was too much effort. I mean, I guess it's a good way to separate the applicants who really really want to go here, but if it's too quirky we might turn away people who are considering CMC (but won't follow through because the app is too much trouble).
But I don't know. Maybe the creative element for the app shouldn't be on it, but rather how you get it to the admissions office. I'm a big fan of carrier pigeons.
2010-03-04
15:18:38
yeah, we need to rework the website/admissions to set ourselves apart.
Also:
-It takes significantly less effort to build a new website that is functional and visually appealing than it takes to construct an entire campus.
-I feel most alumni are less attached emotionally to the website than to the campus.
-It would be one thing if our website looked like it was 7 or 8 years old, its another thing that our website sometimes functions like it was designed by a 7 or 8 year old.
2010-03-04
16:01:10
Nice article JJ! and way to get Adam's attention! :)
I disagree with what Priscilla said (i still love you) about turning people away...something that I love about CMC is the fact that most of the people here came here because it was one of their first, if not top, choices. If people chose not to apply because the application weirded them out, I feel like it's their loss, since CMC is such a wonderful place. With applying to college being as stressful as it was, I think I would have enjoyed completing some unorthodox components of an application. The fill in the blank questions we did were fun, but I agree that we should do something more.
Perhaps as part of that section, ask the applicant which Ath speaker from the previous year he/she would have most liked to see. That way, he/she would have to do some digging into the aspect of CMC that I think makes our school most unique while also providing insight into what interests him/her. I love the Ath!
2010-03-11
11:02:03
[...] is fun and important to learn the basics of movie creation. Tufts University thinks so too; their application process now calls for an optional YouTube video supplement. If you need to make a quick movie to [...]
2010-03-19
17:51:42
Look, if you want to change the admission's process, we need have serious interviews with top applicants. For example, ask them intellectually challenging questions and observe their composure and listen to their responses. I do not like the BS interviews that most colleges have with their applicants--that mean close to nothing in the admissions process. With an increasing number of qualified applicants in the admissions process, with a small school like CMC, the interview should be a central--if not the central--component of the admissions process
2010-03-19
19:31:20
But we'd need to have two rounds of decisions then -- first, the application to get an interview (like many graduate schools do), then the actual interview and perhaps additional components during that stage. Finally, we'd have to give a decision by the same week that every other elite college gives its decision in early April.
Otherwise we would not attract the caliber of students that we currently do, especially the ones who apply to CMC as a safety school.