Claremont McKenna College

Claremont McKenna College is extremely difficult to get into. The college admitted 10% of all applicants in 2022. In 2023, just 591 out of the 5,709 students who applied were accepted.

If you are applying to Claremont McKenna College, the regular decision application deadline is January 10 and the application fee costs $70.

Students who apply to Claremont McKenna College for fall semester should hear back from Claremont McKenna College by April 1.

Claremont McKenna College Admissions Stats at a Glance

Here's an overiew of some of Claremont McKenna College's admissions stats.

Claremont McKenna College 2023	Admissions Statistics
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class	68%
Mean SAT Score	1490
Admissions Test Policy	Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	28%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	17%
Waitlist	Yes

Claremont McKenna College Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for Claremont McKenna College.

Application Type	Offered	Application Deadline	Notification Deadline
Early Decision I	Yes	November 1	December 15
Early Decision II	Yes	January 10	February 15
Early Action	No	–	–
Regular Decision	Yes	1 10	April 1

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Want to Apply Early to Claremont McKenna College?

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Claremont McKenna College offers early decision but not early action. Early decision is binding, which means you must attend if you are admitted, while early action allows you to apply early without committing.

🗓️ Early Decision I applications are due by November 1 EDI applicants should receive a decision by December 15.

🗓️ Early Decision II applications are due January 10. ED II Applicants will recieve their decision before February 15.

The early decision acceptance rate at Claremont McKenna College is 30%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 10%. Last year, Claremont McKenna College admitted 219 of the 742 students who applied early decision.

Some students apply to college early because they hope it will boost their chances of acceptance. When you apply early, your application is considered before all the regular decision applicants apply. Applying early may increase the chance of being admitted, since it is a way to show your interest in a school.

➡️ Explore a list of some competetive colleges that admit significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

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More on Claremont McKenna College Admissions

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Transferring to Claremont McKenna College

For more information on transferring to Claremont McKenna College, contact the school directly.

For Students Waitlisted to Claremont McKenna College

In 2022, Claremont McKenna College waitlisted 850 students and 538 accepted a place on the waitlist. Of those, 11 eventually received an admissions offer.

What's Most Important for Getting Into Claremont McKenna College?

Colleges consider a range of factors when choosing who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college has a different way of determining which factors are they consider most important when choose which applicants to admit, and which to deny. When creating your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and choose schools that prioritize the admissions factors where you stand out.

Admissions Factors at Claremont McKenna College

What does Claremont McKenna College consider during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.

Admissions Factor	Level
Character/Personal Qualities	Very Important
Class Rank	Very Important
Extracurricular Activities	Very Important
Recommendation(s)	Very Important
Academic GPA	Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Very Important
Application Essay	Important
Interview	Important
Talent/Ability	Important
Alumni/ae Relations	Considered
Geographical Residence	Considered
Racial/Ethnic Status	Considered
Standardized Test Scores	Considered
Volunteer Work	Considered
Work Experience	Considered
First Generation	Considered

Make sure to check with Claremont McKenna College for more information on admission factors.

Claremont McKenna College 2022-2023 Application Requirements

To apply to Claremont McKenna College, all applicants must submit the following items. Make sure to check in with Claremont McKenna College's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

Area	Required	Recommended	Required for Some	Details (If Any)
Interview	–	√	–	–
Transcript(S) of College Record	–	–	–	–
Statement of Good Standing From Prior Institution(S)	–	–	–	–
Letter(s) of Recommendation	2	–	–	–
Written Essay or Personal Statement	√	–	–	–
Transcript of High School Record	√	–	–	–

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GPA and Testing

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What GPA Do I Need To Get Into Claremont McKenna College?

Claremont McKenna College has not provided an information about GPAs of accepted students. Any questions regarding applicant expectations should be addressed directly with the school.

Out of all students that were admitted, 16% submitted a class rank. At Claremont McKenna College 68% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 89% were in the top 25% and 100% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At Claremont McKenna College, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA	Percent of Students
4.0 GPA	–
3.75 and 3.99	–
3.50 and 3.74	–
3.25 and 3.49	–
3.00 and 3.24	–
2.50 and 2.9	–
2.00 and 2.49	–

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to Claremont McKenna College directly.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that reflects your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Standardized Test Scores

Claremont McKenna College is a test optional school. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2022, 28% of Claremont McKenna College's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 17% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for Claremont McKenna College?

To be competitive with other Claremont McKenna College applicants, you should aim to score between 1450 and 1540 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Claremont McKenna College 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1540 and 25% of scored lower than 1450, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.The mean composite SAT score for a Claremont McKenna College student is 1490.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Claremont McKenna College students scored 790 or higher and 75% of students scored 710 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Claremont McKenna College students scored 760 or higher, and 75% scored a 710 or higher.

To be most competitive at Claremont McKenna College, you should strive to earn between 33 and 35 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 35 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Claremont McKenna College's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 35, and three out of four students scored lower than 35 on the ACT.

A 33 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Claremont McKenna College students. Only one out of every four students scored below 33.

More Information on Transferring to Claremont McKenna College

For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is March 15. Applicants should hear back by May 15.

Transfer students can enroll in Claremont McKenna College during the following terms:

• Fall Term

• Winter Term

• Spring Term

• Winter Term

• Summer Term

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Claremont McKenna College Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to Claremont McKenna College?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to Claremont McKenna College.

Does Claremont McKenna College accept transfer credits?

✅ Claremont McKenna College accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

Does Claremont McKenna College accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

✅ Claremont McKenna College accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to Claremont McKenna College?

❌ No, Claremont McKenna College is test optional, so it's up to you if you want to submit test scores or not. If you have higher than average scores, you probably want to include them. If you scored lower than a school's average, you it might make sense to leave them out of your application.

What is Claremont McKenna College's acceptance rate?

✅ The acceptance rate for Claremont McKenna College is 10%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Claremont McKenna College?

✅ Claremont McKenna College's early decision acceptance rate was 30% in 2021.

Want To Learn More About Claremont McKenna College?

Click below to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.

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