The nation's brightest young men and women will be completing their transition from high school to college as the Class of 2003 arrives to enroll at Claremont McKenna College at 9:00 am on Thursday, August 26, 1999.
There will be excellent interview and photo opportunities as students arrive, move into dormitories, meet new roommates, and say good-bye to their parents. The 252 college freshmen and their parents will be arriving throughout the morning.
"This is the strongest class in the history of CMC," says Richard Vos, dean of admission and financial aid. "With nearly 3,000 applicants, the competition was intense, allowing us to choose from the best of the best."
The median SAT score for this class is 1380, the highest ever in the history of Claremont McKenna College. More than three-fourths graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class. In fact, 28 were their class valedictorian.
The Class of 2003 features wide geographic and ethnic diversity. The new students come from 31 different states and 13 foreign countries. Thirty-four percent classify themselves as ethnic minorities. The breakdown is 4 percent African American, 19 percent Asian American, and 11 percent Latino. The CMC student body is among the top-5 in student diversity, according to US News & World Report.
Claremont McKenna College's new president, Pamela B. Gann, will address parents and students at a welcoming ceremony at 1:45 pm on campus at Garrison Theater.
This year, the class community service project will take place at Casa Colina Hospital, 2850 N. Garey Avenue in Pomona. Four hundred students, alumni and staff will be doing administrative tasks and landscaping at the hospital beginning at 9:00 am on Saturday, Aug. 28. This event is also open to the news media.
Claremont McKenna College is a highly selective independent liberal arts college preparing students for responsible leadership in business and public affairs. CMC enrolls 1,000 students and is a member of The Claremont Colleges.