Last Minute Tips: Senior Thesis

Seniors—it’s a four-day stretch till the deadline of senior thesis. I'm sure all of you are both awaiting and dreading Monday at the same time! To help ease both your worries during this stressful time, I have compiled a list of last-minute frequently asked questions. 

Where are the closest print shops nearby to bind my thesis? What are their hours?

Don't settle with Kinko's because it's the only print shop of which you know. The two closest print shops to Claremont McKenna College that offer velo and tape binding services are the following:

1. Connections Corner, Honnold Mudd Library: 0 miles 

Address: Honnold Mudd Library 1st floor, 800 North Dartmouth Avenue,  Claremont, CA 91711 

Contact: (909) 607-3969, Connection@cuc.claremont.edu 

Hours of Operation: Monday – Thursday from 8:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. Saturday from 12:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. Sunday from 1:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M.

Pricing: $0.10 / page, single sided    $0.15 / page, double sided   $3.50 tape binding, including the clear front and black backing

2. Inland Empire Printing: 2.1 miles

Address: 560 N. Mountain Ave., Suite B Upland, CA 91786 

Contact: (909) 982-1323, ieprints@gmail.com 

Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Saturday – Sunday Closed Closed during Thanksgiving

Pricing: $0.09 / page, single sided $0.18 / page, double sided Tape binding (including the clear front and black backing): $5.75 

Estimated waiting time: around an hour

Note: there are other print shops in Claremont, but many of them do not offer velo and tape binding services.

1. Claremont Print & Company: 0.9 miles

Address: 108 Olive Street, Claremont, CA 91711 

Contact: (909) 624-4615 

Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday from 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Saturday – Sunday Closed Closed during Thanksgiving

Pricing:  $0.06 / page, single sided $0.11 / page, double sided Doesn't offer tape binding, $5 spiral binding (including the clear front and black backing) 

Estimated time: at least a day

2. FedEx Office Print & Ship Center: 2.1 miles 

Address: 960 North Mountain Avenue, Upland, CA 

Contact: (909) 981-9850 

Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday from 7:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M. Saturday – Sunday from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.

Pricing: $0.13 / page, single sided $0.26 / page, double sided doesn't offer tape binding, $5 spiral binding (including the clear front and black backing)

Where is the best deal?

As noted above, each service offers binding at a different price. The Connections Corner service at Honnold Mudd Library is definitely the best deal in terms of price and proximity. When you ask for your thesis to be bound, make sure to specify velo binding or tape binding because many services offer spiral or comb binding as a default service.

How long does it take to bind a 30-100 page document?

It takes approximately fifteen to twenty minutes on an average day to bind one 30-100 page document. However, Honnold Mudd Library is expected to have a wait time of a couple of hours, especially on Monday morning. FedEx Office Print & Shop Center also specified that they ask customers to come back within an hour if it is particularly busy during the day.

Good luck, seniors! The deadline is so close, and champagne awaits.