How to Apply to Mathematics at Claremont McKenna College: A Liberal Arts College Where Mathematics Can Be Paired with a Second Major, Test-Optional for Fall 2027 Entry, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Claremont McKenna College (CMC) is a liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Undergraduate mathematics is offered by the Department of Mathematical Sciences, and students apply to the College through the Office of Admission. Here is what you need to know, based on the department’s and the Office of Admission’s websites, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science is not covered here; the department’s computer science and data science sequences are mentioned only as links to mathematics.

1. Degrees and areas

• Mathematics major: the department page says CMC offers a strong and comprehensive mathematics major along with sequences in computer science and data science; students can also combine mathematics with a second field as a dual major, and there is an interdisciplinary major in data science. The programs page says the mathematics major prepares students for graduate study in the mathematical sciences, natural sciences, economics or engineering, and that many majors go into business, industry or finance, or combine the major with pre-law or pre-med. All prospective mathematics students are encouraged to seek the advice of department faculty in choosing courses.
• Courses and the consortium: the department says a large variety of math and computer science courses are offered across the Claremont Colleges every semester and that math majors have a wide range of electives at CMC and throughout the consortium; the department belongs to the Claremont Center for Mathematical Sciences (CCMS), with weekly seminars and colloquia. Majors build communication skills in the math majors seminars and can mentor other students in the Quantitative and Computing Lab.
• Senior thesis and research: the programs page says the senior thesis gives math majors a chance to do original research under faculty supervision, often resulting in journal publications; the department page points to undergraduate research opportunities.
• Accelerated master’s route: in cooperation with the Institute of Mathematical Sciences at Claremont Graduate University, students can work toward a master’s degree simultaneously with their undergraduate degree.
• Required courses: the mathematics major’s required and elective courses and any GPA condition are in the College catalog, which runs on the Acalog platform and was not accessed; see the Mathematics catalog link on the department page.

2. How admission to the major works: apply to the College, major after entry

• At application: the first-year checklist does not ask for a mathematics major or review by major. The Office of Admission says review is holistic, considering academic and leadership achievements, commitment to CMC’s values and potential to benefit from and contribute to the mission. Whether the mathematics major has limited places is not stated in the pages read; please ask the Office of Admission.
• Declaring the major: the programs page says all undergraduate students must complete at least one major, either at CMC or through intercollegiate and off-campus majors in the Claremont Colleges consortium; admission to off-campus majors is determined by those programs and is not guaranteed. When and how to declare, and any grade condition, are not stated in the pages read.
• Internal transfer into the major: not published in the pages read.

3. Prerequisites and placement

• High school program (College level): the Office of Admission’s minimum recommended program is four years of English; three (preferably four) years of mathematics at least through precalculus (calculus recommended); at least three years of a foreign language; at least one year of history; and at least two years of science. There is no minimum GPA, competitive candidates take the most demanding coursework possible, and honors and AP coursework is strongly recommended.
• College math starting point, placement and AP/IB credit: not stated in the pages read; see the catalog and the Registrar’s pages.
• Honors entry: not stated in the pages read.
• Math competitions: how they are viewed in admission is not stated in the pages read.
• A math-related scholar community: the scholarships page says the St. Dennis Scholars are students interested in mathematics and other quantitative disciplines who graduated from public high schools, are first-generation college students and have financial need; admitted students can submit interest in a Scholar Community in the applicant portal.

4. Deadlines and application materials

• Rounds and deadlines: Early Decision I (binding) is due 1 November, with notification by 15 December and a reply in early January; Early Decision II is due 10 January, with notification by 15 February and a reply in late February; Regular Decision is due 10 January, with notification by 1 April and a reply by 1 May. Financial aid forms (CSS Profile and FAFSA) are due 8 November for ED I and 17 January for ED II and Regular Decision. For priority consideration for merit scholarships, apply by 1 December with all credentials in by 10 January. The pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry.
• How to apply: the Common Application or the Coalition Application, with no preference; QuestBridge is described separately. The application fee is $70, with fee waivers through both systems.
• Recommendations and transcripts: the school report and counselor recommendation, one teacher recommendation (from a core academic area: English, mathematics, foreign language, science or social sciences; the pages do not require a math teacher), official transcripts from all secondary schools attended (work through junior year) and a mid-year transcript when seventh-semester or tenth-trimester grades are available. ED applicants also submit an Early Decision Agreement.
• Testing: CMC’s provisional test-optional policy is extended to applicants for the fall 2027 entry term, so students may choose whether to submit SAT or ACT results, and CMC returns to a test-required policy for the fall 2028 application cycle. Applicants who do not submit are not asked why and are not disadvantaged in admission or merit scholarship consideration; enrolling students who did not submit are asked for scores after enrollment for institutional research only. The SAT and ACT are superscored, but not across test types.
• Interviews and video: interviews are not required but highly recommended; they are evaluative, part of the application and about 30 minutes, offered from May to mid-December, and ED I applicants should interview by mid-November. Applicants who cannot interview are encouraged to submit the optional two-minute video response.
• Supplemental essays: three required prompts: why you want to attend CMC; your commitment to listening and learning from different viewpoints (Open Academy); and a time when engaging with someone changed your attitude, belief or behavior, or theirs.

5. US domestic applicants

• Tuition (2026-27): the costs page lists tuition of $75,300, student activity fees of $420, housing (single/double) of $12,490 and food of $10,780, for total direct costs of $98,990; estimated indirect costs of $3,000 for a total cost of attendance of $101,990. First-year students pay a one-time orientation fee of $500, and students who do not provide proof of insurance are enrolled in the consortium’s student health plan at $3,312 a year. The page shows no in-state or out-of-state difference. The rates for fall 2027 entry are not stated in the pages read.
• Aid: the financial aid page says CMC is committed to meeting 100% of demonstrated need; for U.S. citizens, eligible non-citizens and DACA or undocumented students the process is generally need-blind, while it is need-aware for international students, transfer students and waitlisted applicants; 48% of students receive financial aid and 20% are Pell Grant recipients. The Kravis Opportunity Fund provides, among other things, up to $5,000 for a first-year summer internship or experience and $2,000 kick-off grants for students receiving need-based aid.
• Merit scholarships: determined by the Office of Admission in the review process with no separate application; first-year applicants who apply by 1 December get priority consideration. The scholarships page lists, among others, the McKenna Achievement Award ($15,000 merit award for entering first-years), the Seaver Leadership Scholarship (full-tuition merit scholarship) and the Interdisciplinary Science Scholars (full tuition for students with demonstrated need who plan a dual major pairing science with a non-science major).
• In-state priority or guaranteed admission: not stated in the pages read.

6. International applicants

• Who counts as international: students who do not hold U.S. citizenship; U.S. dual citizens, permanent residents, U.S. citizens living abroad, undocumented or DACA students, and those with refugee or asylee status living in the U.S. are not included.
• English requirements: applicants whose first language is not English, or who did not attend a school where English was the primary language of instruction for at least three years, must submit one of: TOEFL iBT (recommended minimum 100 for exams before 21 January 2026 and 5.5 for exams after; TOEFL Essentials is not accepted), IELTS recommended minimum 7.5, Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency recommended minimum 190, or Duolingo English Test recommended minimum 130. DET scores must be official; official scores are preferred for the others, but where that is a financial burden, applicants can self-report through the applicant portal with a PDF score report. Scores self-reported in the Common App or Coalition application are not accepted, and admitted students must send official scores before the fall semester. Applicants who qualify for an exemption that is not applied automatically can submit a waiver request in the portal.
• Interviews: InitialView is the preferred option for international students and Vericant is also accepted; the optional video response does not replace it. The Office of Admission has limited fee waivers, which should be requested from InitialView or Vericant.
• Aid: the website says CMC is need-aware for all international students, so financial need may be considered in admission, but if admitted CMC is committed to meeting demonstrated need; packages typically combine grants, scholarships, work and loans. Students seeking aid must say so on the application and submit the CMC Financial Aid Application for International Students in the applicant portal; the IFSAA and CSS Profile are not accepted and the application will not be reviewed without the form. Packages are based entirely on the self-reported information, the family contribution stays fixed for all four years, there is no appeals process and no annual reapplication, and students who do not apply or are not awarded aid at admission are not eligible later. International applicants can be considered for merit scholarships through an application submitted by 1 December.
• Materials: the same as for domestic first-year applicants; documents not in English need an official English translation.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: whether and how Gaokao results are used is not published; the pages read do not mention it. The international page lists admission officers by region, including an Assistant Dean of Admission for “Asia (China only)”, and questions can go through the Office of Admission.
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: no China-specific requirements are published in the pages read; the general international requirements are in section 6.
• International curricula: how AP and IB results convert into math credit is not stated in the pages read.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see section 5.
• Department scholarships and research: the department pages read do not mention math-specific scholarships; the department offers undergraduate research opportunities and lists sample senior thesis topics.
• Outcomes: the department’s careers page says math majors have many career options ranging from actuarial work to consulting to teaching to working in the aerospace industry; some students go to work directly from CMC while others pursue graduate work in operations research, an MBA or other fields. The department page says students continue to graduate studies and a variety of careers in the mathematical sciences and related fields. No employment data is printed.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer: any student who has enrolled in a U.S. or international college or university after high school, regardless of courses or credits completed; applicants who have already completed a bachelor’s degree are not considered.
• Deadlines: spring entry 15 October (notification by 3 December, reply by 17 December); fall entry 15 February (notification by 4 May, reply by 1 June); applications open on 1 September. The pages show no year, so check. There is no transfer application fee; apply through the Common App with a college report, one academic recommendation (from a college professor, lab instructor or graduate teaching assistant), official transcripts from all colleges and the final high school transcript or equivalency proof; testing is optional. Aid applicants submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile by 22 February (fall) or 22 October (spring). Transfer admission is need-aware.
• Math prerequisites and GPA: CMC requires that transfer applicants have completed precalculus; calculus is highly recommended, particularly if the applicant will likely have junior standing; there are no other required courses. There is no minimum GPA, but the page says you should have at least a 3.3 to receive serious consideration and most successful applicants have earned a 3.5 or higher; full-time enrollment and no unexplained withdrawals are preferred.
• Credit transfer: at most 16 CMC units transfer (one CMC course equals 4 semester units or 6 quarter units, and 32 courses are needed to graduate); a course transfers only if CMC or another Claremont College offers an equivalent; grades of C- and below do not transfer; CLEP, online and distance learning courses are not accepted; grades from other institutions do not enter the CMC GPA. In typical years CMC enrolls fewer than 10 transfer students in spring and 12–15 in fall.
• International transfer students: the same procedure, plus high school transcripts and national exam results and the English requirements in section 6; the website says no need-based aid or merit scholarships are available to international transfer applicants and asks international students who need institutional aid not to apply.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED I 1 November; ED II and Regular 10 January; $70 fee; one core academic teacher recommendation and a counselor recommendation; testing optional for fall 2027 entry (required again from fall 2028)
• CSS Profile and FAFSA: 8 November for ED I and 17 January otherwise; merit scholarship priority 1 December

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL 100 (5.5 for exams after 21 January 2026), IELTS 7.5, Duolingo 130 or Cambridge 190 (or an exemption); an InitialView interview is preferred
• Apply for aid at the same time with the CMC international aid form; how the Gaokao is used is not published, so ask the Office of Admission

After entry:

• Every student completes at least one major; check the catalog for the mathematics major’s requirements and talk to department faculty when choosing courses

Transfer students:

• Fall 15 February, spring 15 October; precalculus completed; at most 16 CMC units transfer

Sources: Claremont McKenna College, Mathematical Sciences Department; Mathematics: careers; Departments, majors and programs; Admission: first-year applicants; Admission: first-year international applicants; Admission: transfer applicants; Admission: international transfer applicants; Scholarships; Costs and payments; Financial aid. The dates on the admission pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry and see the College’s website for the latest.