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' admissions 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.