I came to Claremont McKenna College (CMC) having been an overachiever at my high school. With a perfect GPA and numerous leadership positions and accolades, I was hopeful that this same success would carry over into college. So when I came to college, I wasn’t expecting to have my ass kicked in the club application process for not one, but two years in a row.
I knew that academics would always be a challenge no matter how dedicated to studying I was, but where I really flourished in high school was my extracurriculars. My talents had always laid outside of school, expressed through various creative and social pursuits.
Freshman year, I tried out for two a cappella groups and was rejected from both of them. This year, as a sophomore, I tried out for four a cappella groups and was, once again, rejected from all of them. I managed to make it through the first round of cuts for Claremont Women in Business, but after putting a lot of faith in my creativity and marketing experience to push me through the interview stage, I was still rejected.
In high school, I led my school’s top a cappella group; I sang in multiple prestigious choirs; I did social media marketing for almost all of the clubs I was a part of; I flexed my leadership skills by organizing school-wide events.
My downfall in the club recruitment process wasn’t any skills that I lacked, it was the fact that all of the students I was competing against were also used to being “the best.”
Attending a career-oriented school like CMC comes with a lot of pressure. Oftentimes, I feel as though I have to join pre-professional groups like the Student Investment Fund or Claremont Consulting Group in order to build an impressive resume and attain desirable internships. However, most of these groups are highly selective, and their crushing rejections might shape how you view yourself.
At a school as competitive as CMC, it’s easy to view those around you as your competition. After all, I was raised to believe that the career world is just one big game, and that being “successful” means having a job that rewards you with high pay and a cushy lifestyle. Remaining genuinely happy for friends who land a position that you worked just as hard and are just as qualified for can be mentally onerous.
“At a school as competitive as CMC, it’s easy to view those around you as your competition”
To be honest, coming from a high school with 800+ students in each grade, I realistically wouldn’t be at CMC if I didn’t fight for every opportunity that came my way. Healthy competition can push you to be your best, but I know that I still struggle with not letting it overtake my thoughts.
Rejection during the recruitment process is incredibly common at CMC, and it’s inevitable that doubt will creep in: “Am I good enough to be here? If I can’t get into a single club how am I supposed to succeed outside of college?” These are all questions that I grappled with my freshman year.
Despite a first year full of rejection, last spring I put myself out there yet again and focused my efforts on finding a summer internship.
I met with career services. I used many of my afternoons to flag internship positions on Handshake. I wrote, scrutinized and then re-wrote countless cover letters. After hours spent on applications, I finally secured a position as a grant-writing intern at a non-profit. Even with zero clubs on my resume, I still had the most transformative summer of my life.
My losses in the club application season last year taught me resilience and led me to explore new avenues. Although I’ve experienced multiple rejections within the past month, my summer internship made me realize that both rejection and success will come and go in waves all throughout my life. No matter what, I have to keep swimming.
I’ve already begun applying to new internships and jobs. The more I open myself up to the possibility of rejection, the more likely I am to eventually succeed. Many more rejection emails will probably come my way this school year, but I have to trust that, in due course, I will again find the right opportunity. Thankfully, I can rely on the determination and optimism I’ve learned this past year to help get me there.
Norah Mannle CM ’27 hails from the suburbs of Washington DC. In her free time she enjoys long walks, trying exciting new coffee shops and skiing.
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