The past 24 hours have delivered some of the most astonishing news that many Claremont McKenna students will ever receive.

Jillian Raftery CMC '12 interviewed by The New York Times.

The information regarding doctored SAT scores and the immediate resignation of the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Richard Vos, has produced reactions in the student body ranging from anger to anxiety to viewing the situation in an almost favorable light.

One predominating reaction on campus is contempt for the administration. Many are outraged at the emphasis that the administration has placed on improving the college’s rankings. In particular several students are calling for the resignation of CMC President Pamela Gann, stating that her near obsession with rankings (fall classes capped at 19 students, anyone?) was the main cause of the situation.

Other students are fearful of the smudge on CMC’s reputation that could potentially result from the news. With a $56,000 a year sticker price, a decent ethical reputation is one of the basic requirements that many students expect from the college. With many students counting on CMC’s reputation to put their job resumes at the top of the pile, the potential smudge could decrease their chances of getting a job or being accepted to a top-notch graduate school.

Television truck parked in front of the Kravis Center

“I am going to go into my workplace tomorrow and I am afraid people there are going to associate me with the negative actions of my college,” an anonymous senior CMC student said. “I am afraid my degree may be tainted.”

Many also fear the disastrous effects that a drop in the rankings could bring to CMC.

“If CMC was not in the top 15 rankings, it would not have even been on my radar when I was applying to colleges,” an anonymous international student said. “Not being able to travel to the United States to tour college campuses, rankings were everything for me.”

In addition, the lack of channels of communication between the student body and the administration has also caused tempers to flare. Until the scheduled appearance of Max Benavidez, Associate VP for Public Affairs, at next week’s ASCMC meeting, a full week after President Gann’s email, students who are desperate to hear more news on the matter and what its ultimate effect will be are left with only hearsay for the time being.

A tour group in the Office of Admission

Not all outlooks are negative, however. Some students believe that the very acknowledgement that SAT scores were fudged deserved merit. With hundreds of colleges and universities reporting their rankings to reviewing agencies such as US News and World Report and the Princeton Review, CMC is the first to acknowledge the innacurate reporting of its numbers.

“People fudge numbers all the time. This guy fudged numbers but he got caught,” said Will Sippl, CMC  ’14. “The administration is handling the situation well. I just look at the non-transparency of the political system and feel that the openness of the situation speaks to CMC’s character.”

Furthermore, The New York Times piece covering the incident that was published on Monday, began its story with “Claremont McKenna, a small selective liberal art college in Southern California.” Even if the rest of the article is negative coverage of school, with an introduction like that, any press coverage is good press coverage.

Students also question the gravity of the situation and whether the national news media flocking to the campus is really necessary. ”I feel this whole situation has been blown out of the water,” said Nick Hobbs, CMC ’14. “10 points is bad but it is not terrible.”

We can only hope that it is not any worse than what the College has reported.

Hailing from the great state of Wisconsin (he has never met a brat he didn't like), Sam is this year's Campus Editor. He enjoys cheese curds that squeak, his Pandora disco and 80's pop radio stations and anyone who can recite the exact depth of Lake Baikal from memory. His is a dual major in chemistry and international relations.