On March 12, federal authorities announced charges against dozens of individuals who were allegedly involved in bribery and fraud to gain admission to highly selective universities throughout the country. The alleged criminal conduct includes the payment of bribes to coaches to falsely designate applicants as athletic recruits, and the facilitation of cheating on college entrance examinations. These activities were allegedly coordinated and facilitated through an admission consulting firm based in Newport Beach, CA.
Claremont McKenna College has no evidence or reason to believe that any of its staff has had any contact with the consulting firm named in the charges, or otherwise engaged in this or any other type of misconduct.
CMC does not monitor the use of consultants by applicants. The College also does not accept information or advocacy from private consultants on behalf of their individual clients. CMC promptly investigates and responds to potential evidence of any misconduct in our application process.
We are now aware of a CMC family that appears to have been a client of the agency involved in the alleged crimes.
There is no indication that there was any irregularity or impropriety during the admission process regarding this family or any other. Many families employ private admission counselors expecting only guidance in navigating a lengthy process. The College is reviewing all available information in order to ensure the full integrity of our admission process.