<p>Here are reviews of both schools from The Princeton Review:</p>
<p>Claremont McKenna College</p>
<p>"It’s almost awkward the way students at Claremont McKenna College gush about their “pragmatic” little liberal arts school. “There is no better place to come to college,” promises a sophomore. CMC offers small classes, and a “challenging academic environment.” “Classes kick my butt, but I keep coming back for more,” admits a biology major. Courses also tend toward discussion and CMCers report that “your beliefs and ideologies will be challenged whether you like it or not.” There are “super boring” profs but, generally, “professors are here because they want to teach and love students. Their enthusiasm is palpable.” The faculty is “on a completely different level of accessibility” as well. Administratively, CMC is among “the best-run” anywhere. Even the folks in financial aid are “amazing.” The broad core curriculum includes a mandatory senior thesis. Resources are “vast.” “Students have the opportunity to get involved with nearly anything they can think of, and mostly with the college footing the bill.” A wealth of institutes allows undergrads to participate in research. Internships and study abroad (and internships abroad) are readily available. The Claremont Colleges Consortium allows students to supplement their curricula with classes at four other schools. The Athenaeum brings a slew of “prominent speakers” to campus (e.g., Bill Clinton, Antonin Scalia, and Bono). Great programs here include many in the hard sciences and some students loathe the notion that CMC is purely based on economics and government. However, the fact is that “the school is incredibly focused on those fields.”
““People here are smart, and they have a pretty good idea of what they want to do in their life and what has to get done in order for them to be able to do it.” CMCers are “driven,” “extremely career oriented,” and “incredibly ambitious.” More than two-thirds end up with advanced degrees. The typical student “drinks a lot but studies like a slave.” Some “would trade their soul for a keg or an internship.” “CMC students are all closet nerds,” reflects a senior. “They look like normal people, work out a lot, love to go outside on sunny days and throw footballs around, play some video games, and drink a lot of beer. On the other hand, they talk about politics, investment strategy and economics, philosophy, and science while doing all those things.” Many students are “relatively rich” but others come “from less affluent backgrounds” thanks to generous financial aid packages. “Very few students can be described as reclusive.” “You won’t see too many students with dyed hair,” either. Politically, CMC has a conservative reputation but liberalism flourishes just fine here. “I think the number of Democrats outweigh the number of Republicans, but only slightly,” estimates a junior.”
“CMC’s campus is “constantly abuzz with activity.” There are so many events around the Claremont campuses “that you constantly have to sacrifice one for another.” Intramural and varsity sports enjoy tremendous popularity even though CMC’s athletics facilities “really need improvement.” “Food is good and healthy, dorms are big and spacious, and the campus is always green and sunny.” “People are always outside.” There’s also a “vibrant” political atmosphere. These students “debate politics 24/7.” “It’s common to overhear very complex political discussion as you walk by people who appear to be casually conversing.” The level of debauchery is solid if not outstanding. If you don’t drink, “it doesn’t make you uncool.” On the whole, though, “people at CMC party.” They also “know how to manage their time well” because, in addition to all the diversions, there are “bundles of work.” “Learn to balance them,” warns one student, “or you will be screwed.” “The school is very academic from Sunday till Thursday. Then everyone parties Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.” The festivities “are open to everyone, as there are no frats.” There are many “big, school-sponsored outdoor parties that are generally themed.” “The student government buys us alcohol and that’s important,” notes a junior. The other Five C’s throw a lot of bashes, too. “There will always be a big party somewhere, and there will usually be free drinks.””</p>
<p>Swarthmore College</p>
<p>“Swarthmore College, a school that is “as intense and stimulating as it claims to be,” suits students who prefer “an emphasis on learning because it’s fun and interesting rather than learning to get a job.” One undergrad writes, “A lot of what unifies its student body is the fact that, whether we’re pursuing a degree in engineering or we’re planning on writing the next Great American Novel, we’re all passionate and devoted to something.” Swatties love that “Swarthmore is amazingly flexible. The requirements are very limited, allowing you to explore whatever you are interested in and change your mind millions of times about your major and career path. If they don’t offer a major you want, you can design your own with ease.” Professors also earn raves: They’re “genuinely interested in giving the students the best academic experience possible” and “challenge students to become knowledgeable in so many areas yet force them to create their own thoughts.” Best of all, they come to Swarthmore to teach undergraduates, meaning that “here you can interact with A-list professors straight out of high school. At other universities I’d be lucky to interact one-on-one with professors of similar stature in my third year of graduate school.” Students also think you should know that “the school has a lot of money and is very generous with spending it on undergrads, as there isn’t anyone else to spend it on.””
and everyone tends to get along well. We’re all a little idiosyncratic: When anything that you might call eccentric, or maybe even a little weird at Swat occurs, the typical reaction is, ‘That is so Swarthmore!’” A Swattie “tends to have a tremendously hectic life because he or she joins organizations for which he or she holds a passion, and then has 28 hours of work to accomplish in a 24-hour day.” Swatties also tend to be “politically left-wing. One says, “If you are not left-wing it is more difficult, but still possible, to fit in—you just have to expect a lot of debate about your political . . . views.”
““There is a misconception that Swarthmore students do nothing but study,” students tell us. “While we certainly do a lot of it, we still find many ways to have fun.” Though there “isn’t a lot to do right in the area surrounding Swarthmore,” “With a train station on campus, Philly is very accessible.” Most students, however, find no need to leave campus on a regular basis: “The campus provides for us all that we need, and we rarely make it out to Philly,” one content freshman writes. On-campus activities “are varied, and there is almost always something to do on the weekend. There are student musical performances, drama performances, movies, speakers, and comedy shows,” as well as “several parties every weekend, with and without alcohol, and a lot of pre-partying with friends.” For many, things that are the most fun are “the low-key events, just hanging out with friends, talking about classes, or playing in the snow.” One student sums up, “While it is tough to generalize on the life of a Swarthmore student, one word definitely applies to us all: busy. All of us are either working on extracurriculars, studying, or fighting sleep to do more work.””</p>