CMC Parent News - Fall 2021
In this issue:
Supporting Your Student in Their Job Search
Visiting Claremont
Exploring Southern California
How These CMCers Spent Their Summers
Things First-Year Parents Should Know
Tres cosas que las familias de primer año deben saber hoy
CMC Connects is Back
Expand Opportunities for CMC Students
Supporting Your Student in Their Job Search
By Steve Kapner P'22
“It’s only the second week of school and all my friends have job offers!” — An anonymous CMC senior
If that refrain sounds familiar, read on. We’ll cover the recruiting timeline and process, what your student can do, and what you can do to support them.
RECRUITING TIMELINE
For first-years, sophomores, juniors: summer internships
The summer internship recruiting process heats up after winter break. As such, today’s article will focus on the seniors. Stay tuned for more on the internship process in the winter edition of CMC Parent News.
If you want a preview, check out CMC’s Sponsored Internships and Experiences program. (Applications for SIE open up in Feb.) You can also learn about Handshake, VMOCK, and Interest Clusters.
For seniors: post-graduation work
The timeline varies by industry. For students interested in consulting, software engineering, product management, federal government, and some financial services careers, the primary recruiting season happens in the fall. Consulting, in particular, is happening right now. But these sectors account for only 40% of the CMC student interest.
For the other 60%, the crunch time is spring, especially during spring break. Companies recruiting in the spring are not typically looking to build incoming cohort classes. Instead, they are looking for individuals who can start in 7-8 weeks. This is good! Students can use the time between now and then to build their professional networks, focus on academics and clubs, write their thesis, and then launch into recruitment in spring.
Note: Some investment banking and technology firms use their junior summer internships to fill their post-graduation classes. So for those students, it actually is true that they already have their jobs lined up.
For seniors: grad school
About 12% of seniors go straight to grad school. Applications are typically due Dec/Jan, depending on the program.
RECRUITING PROCESS
The new normal is that the larger banks, consulting firms, and tech companies are NOT going back to on-campus recruiting anytime soon. Everything is still remote. One way CMC supports remote recruiting is by having 6 soundproof interview rooms that students can book, so they don’t need to do Zoom job interviews from their dorm rooms!
Some companies, though, are coming to campus for in-person recruiting, for instance, medium-sized consulting firms that want to get their brands better known. The current CMC visitor policy is that every visitor must be fully vaccinated. For the latest visitor guidelines, check out CMC Returns.
BUT: Only 14% of students find full-time work by applying online! Another 30% find opportunities by directly (and relentlessly) attacking a target company. The rest find work through networking.
I’ll say that again. 56% of students find work through networking! That is, they got a lead from someone they know—family, friends, alumni, professors—and the job offer came about because that person had them top of mind at the right time, advocated for them, and coached them on how to navigate the process and interview.
The networking path timeline
This is where you can tell your senior, “Don’t panic,” because they can start now and be right on schedule. Your student would do “Informational Interviews” this month and next, stay warm with their contacts in January, and then they might suddenly get an opportunity in March. But, this is a numbers game. Your student will have to do this with literally dozens and dozens of contacts to have a chance of something coming through in the spring.
And remember, as Ursula says, “It’s never too early and it’s never too late.”
ACTIONS FOR YOUR STUDENT
- Make an appointment to talk to Career Services. Ursula Diamond, Director for Student Opportunities, invites every single senior to meet with her personally to make sure they are feeling supported as they figure out their career goals and plans. Freshman and sophomores would sign up to meet with Jesal Patel, Assistant Director of First-Year and Sophomore Programming. Juniors meet with one of three Career Coaches.
- Connect with Industry Cluster coaches to get notified about coffee chats, info sessions, and mock interviews.
- ABC—Always Be Connecting. To start planting the seeds for a job offer from networking, your student can meet with Career Services about how to do informational interviews. Ursula can run reports from Linkedin to identify CMC alumni in your student’s areas of interests, and that’s a list your student can start calling!
- Check out CMC’s new Career Services website. Note: This is publicly accessible, so parents can view this too!
- For international students: Coming soon! CMC will be rolling out a new platform specifically designed to help international students find internships and jobs.
WAYS YOU CAN HELP YOUR STUDENT
- Tell Career Services if you know of any internship or job opportunities. These don’t need to be at your organization.
- Sign up to host a virtual job shadow or networking visit using the Job and Internship Posting form here.
- Volunteer to be an Expert-in-Residence and serve as a resource for students. Note: You don’t really need to be an expert :-). Having parents volunteer for this can be especially helpful to first-years and sophomores who might be more nervous about reaching out, as this is a way for them to ease into networking. More details on CMC’s Career Services for Families site.
- And if you want to be even more involved, consider joining the Parent Network Board’s Career Development Committee. If interested, please contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement at parents@cmc.edu or 909-621-8097.
SEE PAST CAREER SERVICES ARTICLES
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Visiting Claremont
By Tracey Breazeale P'23 P'24
Whether your child has been at CMC for a few months or a few years, it is always a treat to visit Claremont, the City of Trees and Ph.D.s! When you ask your student what they want to do when you're there, they’re likely to reply “go shopping,” “go out to eat,” or “I don’t know.” Busy with classes, sports, clubs, and socializing, your child leaves it up to you to finalize the plans. Luckily there is no shortage of fun things to do with (or without) them.
The first decision of course is “WHERE TO STAY?” There are 2 hotels to choose from in Claremont. These hotels fill up quickly, but not to worry. There are several excellent properties in Ontario near the airport, and in Pomona, near the Fairplex if you are flying in from LAX.
- DoubleTree by Hilton
Located just minutes from campus, the DoubleTree has all the amenities you need including an onsite restaurant, pool, and exercise room.
- Hotel Casa 425
Located in the heart of Claremont Village, Casa 425 is an upscale boutique hotel with an onsite restaurant and walking access to village shops and restaurants.
As wonderful as Collins is, the offer of a meal out is likely to be greeted with excitement. “WHICH RESTAURANT TO CHOOSE?” With dozens of restaurants and eateries in the Claremont area it can be hard to choose. Here are a few of my favorites to get you started.
- The Back Abbey (burgers and beer)
Best known for their extensive beer list (over 110 choices) and gourmet burgers The Back Abbey is located in a charming historic Mission building in Claremont Village Square,
- Bardot (upscale American with a vibrant bar and outdoor patio)
Known for it’s chic casual elegance, Bardot is the place for contemporary California cuisine.
- Gus’s BBQ (Southern style BBQ)
Housed in the Claremont Packing House, Gus’s serves traditional Southern cooking. Their corn bread and BBQ ribs are among the best in the country.
- The Meat Cellar (American, steak)
The Meat Cellar operates an onsite butcher shop. Although not inexpensive, the steaks and sides at The Meat Cellar are cooked to perfection.
- Packing House Wines (Wine tasting and locally sourced American food)
Packing House Wines is a wine store first and foremost, and then a restaurant and bar. Many wines are available by glass, and you can also ask them to open one of their bottles to go with your meal. The food is delicious and healthy prepared with fresh, locally sourced ingredients to create an imaginative take on American favorites.
- Tutti Mangia Italian Chophouse (Italian)
Upscale white tablecloth restaurant serving expertly prepared chops and steaks.
- Viva Madrid (Spanish)
A fun tapas style restaurant, Viva Madrid serves authentic Spanish flavors in setting reminiscent of old Spain.
A trip to the store to replenish snacks and other dorm necessities is a likely to be greatly appreciated by your child. This experience may remind you of past visits to the candy store with a much younger version of your student, so a list of what they have space for and need may be helpful. There are many STORES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO CAMPUS.
- Target – Montclair (2.1 miles from campus)
9052 Central Ave
Montclair, CA 91763
- Target – La Verne (3.8 miles from campus)
2462 Foothill Blvd
La Verne, CA 91750
- Target – Upland (6.3 miles from campus)
1931 Campus Ave
Upland, CA 91784
- Walmart – Upland (1.9 miles from campus)
1540 W Foothill Blvd
Upland, CA 91786
- Bed Bath and Beyond – Upland (6.3 miles from campus)
1865 N Campus Ave
Upland, CA 91784
- Best Buy – Montclair (2.3 miles from campus)
5391 Moreno St
Montclair, CA 91763
- Montclair Place – traditional indoor shopping mall (1.5 miles from campus)
5060 N Montclair Plaza Lane
Montclair, CA 91763
If you are lucky enough to find yourself with free time and do not want to venture too far, there is much to EXPLORE IN CLAREMONT.
Nearby Hikes and Outdoor Activities
- California Botanic Garden
- Located on the lower slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains on 86 verdant, lush acres, California Botanic Garden is the largest California native botanic garden. The Botanic Garden is home to more than 2,000 kinds of native plants that grow in southern California, southern Oregon, western Nevada and Baja California, Mexico.
- The Gardens also have a magnificent butterfly garden and more than a hundred kinds of birds that roam the garden freely.
- Claremont Hills Wilderness Park
- Established in 1996, the 1,620 acre stretches between the Marshall Canyon, Angeles National Forest and San Bernardino County line.
- Primarily a wilderness preserve with rough, rugged terrain, Claremont Hills Wilderness Park has a few trails and fire roads which provide great hiking, biking and horse riding with magnificent vistas and fields covered in wild flowers.
- Mount Baldy
- 21 miles from CMC is Mount Baldy, the highest summit in the whole territory of Los Angeles
- If you have a little extra time or are looking for outdoor adventure, Mount Baldy has many hiking trails, ziplining, scenic chair lift rides as well as skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing.
- Even if you don’t want to hike or ski, the drive up the mountain is quite scenic and offers many photo opportunities along the way.
- Park, eat and stay overnight (if desired) at Mount Baldy Lodge
Museums
- Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology
The Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology is a paleontology museum in Claremont, California, that is part of The Webb Schools. A fun spot to visit for dinosaur lovers of any age!
- Claremont Museum of Art
Located in the historic Claremont Depot, the Claremont Museum of Art celebrates the community’s rich artistic legacy and promotes the cultural vitality of the region by showcasing paintings, sculptures, and other works by local artists.
- Benton Museum of Art at Pomona
Known colloquially as the Benton, the museum was completed in 2020, replacing the Montgomery Art Gallery. It houses a collection of approximately 15,000 works, including Italian Renaissance panel paintings, indigenous American art and artifacts, and American and European prints, drawings, and photographs.
- Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery
The Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery was built in 1993 on the campus of Scripps College and shows the artwork of professional artists as well as works by the college's teachers and students
Markets and events
- Farmers and Artisans Market
Popular market featuring certified organic produce, specialty arts and crafts, flowers and plants
Every Sunday from 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
- Claremont Art Walk
Showcases art exhibitions throughout the Claremont Village
First Saturday of the Month, 6:00pm-9:00pm
- Movie Theaters and Other Entertainment
Laemmle’s Claremont 5 (in the village)
Laemmle's Claremont 5 is a 70 year old movie house right in the heart of the Village.
AMC Dine-in at Montclair Place (2.2 miles from campus)
Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theater
Want to watch a good, old-fashioned musical while being served dinner by tuxedoed-waiters, then Ben D. Bollinger's Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theater is the place to go.
No matter what you decide to do, your visit to CMC is sure to be a great chance to see your child in their “home away from home.” Enjoy your time in Claremont!
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Exploring Southern California: How to Get the Most Out of Your Visit to the Region
By Jay Cohen P'23
My wife and I both went to college in Schenectady, NY. While the Capital District of New York has its charms, during their visits to see us, our parents sought to leave Schenectady as quickly as possible and did not consider spending extra time in the area. (A side trip to Troy, NY was never on the agenda.) Fortunately, Jane and I hit it big in the “kids’ college location sweepstakes,” and we have tried to fully take advantage of Claremont’s fantastic location and have used every opportunity to explore Southern California (and beyond). As a photographer, our visits to the area have provided me with great opportunities to capture wonderful images.
Below I highlight some of the places we have visited and, depending on how much time you can carve out in your calendars, hopefully some of the images I share will inspire you to leverage visits to campus.
If you only have 30 minutes:
Drive to the mountains! Just hop on Mount Baldy Road and within 15 minutes, you will be greeted with wonderful scenery and views. There are winding road, hiking trails and spectacular sunsets overlooking LA and the Pacific Ocean.
If you have two hours:
Head west to Pasadena, a fantastic town with beautiful architecture, tons of restaurants and shops, and awesome museums.
If you have four hours:
Newport Beach is a charming beach-side community with a great, hip town and public beaches.
You can also check out Santa Monica and Malibu, both of which have amazing beaches and piers.
If you have a full day:
Drive south to La Jolla and San Diego for fantastic shopping, surfing, food, museums, and beaches.
If you have an extra day:
Santa Barbara is a wonderful destination any time of year that offers a beautiful town, wineries, and beaches.
Save Palm Springs for a winter trip when the weather in fantastic. See some great examples of mid-century modern architecture and take a tram up Mt. San Jacinto for amazing views.
If you have an extra week:
A drive on the Pacific Coast Highway should be on everyone’s bucket list. After we dropped our son off at college in August, we took seven days and meandered up the coast stopping in spots such as Pismo Beach, Big Sur, Monterey, and Santa Cruz.
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How These CMCers Spent Their Summer
By Lisa Therron P'24
The summer internship. It is the stepping stone that connects our students to “real world” experience, helps them form important networking connections, and provides the first steps toward their future after graduation. I had the opportunity to reach out to five bright, ambitious and compelling CMC students. In these students' stories, you will find five young people preparing to impact our world in incredible ways - from data and analytics with technology and marketing companies, to building public policies that form our society, to bridging the business and fashion worlds through cutting edge design. I’ll let them tell you about their incredible experiences and the exciting futures they are creating. Jad Gorman'24, Simrun Shroff'24, and Tara Mehra'23 have shared their experiences below. Laura Vences'22 and Carson Stubstad '22 have decided to share their stories via video. You may find the link below!
- Tell us about yourself and where you worked. Share a bit about what type of work you did and the projects you worked on.
JAD GORMAN '24: I was a studio assistant at the fashion house Enfants Riches Déprimés. I spent a majority of my time assisting in their clothing archive, helping with photoshoots, and driving fabric for the production manager.
SIMRUN SHROFF '24: I am majoring in Economics with a sequence in Data Science. This past summer, I was a remote Marketing Analytics Intern at Samba TV, an omniscreen advertising and media analytics company, and I am interning part-time at Samba TV during the fall as well. My major projects during the internship were creating three dashboards for marketing data, HR data, and recruiting data. I also worked on multiple smaller projects such as analyzing research studies to create benchmarks, using Excel formulas to streamline internal data processes, and updating demand generation campaigns.
TARA MEHRA '23: I am studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at CMC. I am currently working as a Research Intern in the Governance Studies Department of the Brookings Institution. Specifically, I assist Senior Fellows E.J. Dionne and Bill Glaston on their research and journalism projects relating to liberal democracies and the political economy. As an intern, my tasks vary each day; I might be copy editing articles, drafting research memos, or performing economic statistics. Work can change as fast as the news cycle does, which creates an energizing environment for a policy
- What experiences or classes at CMC helped you to prepare for the internship?
SIMRUN: A class that helped prepare me for this internship was ECON 120: Economics Statistics with Professor Raviv since I learned about the nuances of hypothesis testing and designing research studies in that class. Additionally, extracurricular roles such as Vice President of PR & Marketing at the College Programming Board, Community Impact Research Assistant at Kravis Lab for Social Impact, and Marketing Engagement at Claremont Accounting Association enabled me to excel during my internship.
TARA: I undoubtedly would not be at Brookings without the research and academic experience I have had at CMC. The Rose Institute of State and Local Government played an integral role in developing my interest in public policy research. As a Research Assistant at the Rose, I’ve had the opportunity to substantively engage with topics including federalism, redistricting, and state ballot measures under the guidance of Senior Staff. Through this experience, I’ve honed my writing skills and learned the value of a data-driven research approach. The PPE program has also helped prepare me for my internship. In Professor Hurley’s seminars and tutorials, I was challenged to form and defend well-structured, logical arguments about philosophical texts. Since taking Professor Hurley’s class, I’ve become confident that I can understand and break down complex texts, which is integral to my ability to make meaningful contributions in my internship.
- What is most memorable for you about the experience and why?
JAD: I was working for one of my heroes in the fashion design world, so having the opportunity to see glimpses of his artistic process was exciting to me. He and I had many long talks about the brand, but also the media that shaped his views on design.
SIMRUN: The most memorable portion of my internship was having the opportunity to work with data in a multitude of ways. I was able to clean and visualize data, to derive insights from data, and use data to automate tedious tasks.
- Finally, what are you excited about next?
JAD: I want to have a career in the design industry after graduation, and to set that up I hope to continue working with Enfants Riches Déprimés and the people I met there. This is great experience and knowledge that isn’t in the CMC curriculum, which this internship allowed me to learn.
SIMRUN: Looking ahead, I am excited to learn more about how to analyze data using various models in my current ECON 125: Econometrics class with Professor Vossmeyer. I am also eager to apply what I have learned from my work at Samba TV to the College Programming Board and my new positions of Product Manager of the Startup Marketplace at the Randall Lewis Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Project Lead at Pomona Consulting Group. In the future, I would also like to pursue product management, and the data skills I gained through my internship at Samba TV will be an invaluable asset.
TARA: In addition to offering an amazing opportunity to grow my network and skill set, my internship at Brookings has confirmed my interest in pursuing a legal career. I’ve always been fascinated with constitutional law, and am now researching the “grey area” of the Constitution and the crisis of liberal democracy in more detail than ever before. As I continue to pursue research experience and eventually a law degree, I will be forever grateful for the opportunities at CMC that helped me find my passion and gave me the tools to be successful.
View Laura's and Carson's summer experience here!
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Three Things First-Year Families Should Know Today
Students are heading into mid-term season and have more assignments due. This is a good time to remind them of all the academic resources at their disposal. Here are a few:
First-year students are still adjusting to the residential and social environment. This can feel a bit overwhelming, especially as students navigate this in the face of COVID. Remind your student that college life is a mixture of social and academic happenings, but it might take some time to find that perfect balance. Encourage them to join a new club or to attend the dorm activities, but also remind them to set aside some time for activities that help them relax.
Homesickness may be kicking in. It's only natural that there will be times when student’s miss their families, pets, and hometown. This is true even if your student was one of those who couldn't wait to get to college! Let them know you understand those feelings, and ask how you can help. A standing weekly FaceTime call, pictures of the pets, or even a care package from home may help your student though this time.
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Tres cosas que familias de primer año deben saber hoy
Los estudiantes se dirigen a la mitad de curso y tienen más tareas pendientes. Este es un buen momento para recordarles de todos los recursos académicos que están a su disposición. A continuación, presentamos algunos:
Los estudiantes de primer año todavía se están adaptando al entorno residencial y social. Esto puede resultar un poco abrumador, especialmente cuando los estudiantes lo afrontan frente a COVID. Recuérdele a su estudiante que la vida universitaria es una mezcla de acontecimientos sociales y académicos, y que puede llevar tiempo a encontrar un equilibrio perfecto. Anímelos a afiliarse a un nuevo club o asistir a las actividades del dormitorio, pero también recuérdeles que reserven algo de tiempo para actividades que les ayuden a relajarse.
La nostalgia puede estar apareciendo. Es natural que haya momentos en que los estudiantes extrañen a sus familias, amistades, mascotas, ciudad y lugares de conocimiento. ¡Esto es cierto incluso si su estudiante era uno de los que no veían la hora de llegar a la universidad! Hágales saber que comprende esos sentimientos y pregúnteles cómo puede ayudarlos. llamadas de FaceTime semanales, enviar fotos de familiares y mascotas o incluso un paquete de regalos y objetos de confort podrían ayudar a su estudiante.
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Connect with CMC Virtually and In-Person!
This academic year CMC celebrates its 75th anniversary, and we are inviting our community to join in the festivities. After the success of our CMC Connects series during the pandemic, we will continue to offer virtual opportunities for our parents and families. In addition, you will find a vibrant lineup of activities designed to connect our community across the globe. To view a list of upcoming programs, please visit the CMC Connects website.
The Athenaeum has kicked off its 75th Anniversary Distinguished Speaker Series streaming live from the Ath at 6:55 p.m. PT. The series aims to showcase an extraordinary line up of public officials who are addressing issues and leveraging opportunities in areas of responsible leadership. Speakers will engage in one of three academic collaboration themes for the 75th Anniversary: Civilization and Commerce, Unity and Division, and Science and Policy. For in-depth information, please visit the Distinguished Speaker Series website. We hope you join us as we celebrate CMC and 75 years of responsible leadership!
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Make a Difference: Expand Opportunity for CMC Students
You can make a real difference at CMC by identifying work opportunities within your professional or personal networks to share on Handshake, the Soll Center for Student Opportunity's online job resource.
Many of our alumni are now working or have successfully grown in a position offered by our parent community. Please consider any job resources you might offer to our students and post your job here. If you can offer an internship, please complete this form and consider our bright and motivated first-years, sophomores, and juniors for your summer positions.
Thank you for increasing opportunities for CMC’s bright student leaders. Do not hesitate to email Anne Sinek P'22 and Kristen Manion P'22 for more information and insight.
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Parent Network Board Meetings
The Parent Network Board meets quarterly to discuss ways to enhance the College experience and to hear from College leadership. Read the August Board Meeting minutes.
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Past Parent Newsletters:
Fall 2023
Summer 2023
Spring 2023
Winter 2023