Small College Dynamo Builds on Core Strengths
Claremont McKenna College wanted to be known for more than a few stellar programs
THE CHALLENGE:
Claremont McKenna College (CMC), a top liberal arts school in California with a strong reputation for economics, business, and public policy, wanted to strengthen its position in the face of increasing competition. When College leadership contacted A&S, they already had some ideas about initiatives they might undertake to improve their ability to attract and enroll talented students, but they also wanted to understand which of these could form the basis of a new strategy to help them reach their enrollment and revenue goals.
OUR SOLUTION:
A&S then worked with the CMC team to develop a clear set of concepts that were consistent with the mission and goals of the College and that could be tested with prospective students to determine which offered the greatest opportunities and could form part of an overall strategy for strengthening the College’s position. The resulting research findings revealed that CMC needed to reinforce its commitment to providing an education that balanced the liberal arts experience with more professionally oriented programs, such as economics, business, and policy. The findings also showed that investing in other initiatives consistent with this overall position would benefit the College: enhancing the College’s already strong reputation for producing leaders, expanding opportunities for international programs, and making investments in its science programs.
To help facilitate campus-wide understanding of the research and project results, A&S helped lead a retreat with the College community, including the board, faculty, staff, and student leaders. Over the course of two days, A&S presented findings and recommendations to the overall group and facilitated break-out sessions organized around particular initiatives to help school leadership and faculty proceed with implementing the new strategic direction.
CMC adopted A&S’s recommendations and experienced immediate positive results: applications increased by 40%; the admission rate declined from 15% to 11%; and applications from international students increased by 44%. Applications have since stayed high, and the College’s impressive admission rate has remained around 11%.
