Frequently Asked Questions About CMC

These are some of the most common CMC Admissions questions. If your question is not answered in the list below, please write our Admissions office at joinus@coloradomtn.edu.

Where are you located?
Our college is located across 12,000 square miles in the North Central area of CO. We have 12 campuses and sites in nine Colorado counties, including Routt, Summit, Lake, Chaffee, Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin, Grand and Jackson. Our residential campuses are located in Glenwood Springs, Steamboat Springs and Leadville. You can find out lots of information about our locations by clicking here. Or check out our District Map.

Are you the college in Steamboat?
Yes we are! Steamboat Springs (Alpine Campus) was built in July 1981 and is actually the newest Colorado Mountain College residential campus. The first two CMC residential campuses are the Roaring Fork Campus in Glenwood Springs and Timberline Campus in Leadville.

Are you a 2 or 4 year, public or private?
Colorado Mountain College is a two-year public institution with full articulation/transfer agreements with all Colorado 4 year colleges.

How many full-time residential and out of state students are there? What are the male/female ratios?
Residential students are those who live on-campus.

What types of programs do you have?
CMC offers many different programs, ranging from one-semester certificate programs to two year transferable degrees. Each campus offers the "core" AA/AS degrees that are designed to transfer on to four-year colleges.

Each CMC campus and site also offers specialized programs that are unique to only their campus, i.e.:

How Do I Request a Brochure from Admissions?
To access our online information request form for brochures, catalogs, or answers to any of your questions, please use our request form.

How do I Get to CMC?
We have online campus maps and available shuttle service to all 7 of our community campuses. Click here to visit our district map page and click on the campus you are interested in.

How Do I Buy CMC Merchandise?
One of two ways--either from our online store, or at either of our three residential campus bookstores, located in Steamboat Springs, Leadville, and Glenwood Springs. All stores have a unique and continually evolving selection of clothing, supplies, and accessories.

What types of competitive sports programs do you offer?
We offer a varsity-level ski team at our Alpine Campus in Steamboat. The Ski team participates in the Rocky Mtn Conference.

We also offer beautiful soccer fields and strong competitive and intramural soccer programs at our Spring Valley and Alpine Campuses.

We have sports related scholarships available for in-state students. E-mail us at joinus@coloradomtn.edu for more information.

How hard is it to get into Colorado Mountain College?
The majority of Colorado Mountain Colleges programs have open enrollment, where you have to have a GED or graduated from high school. Some programs are more competitive due to their popularity and have more selective admissions procedures. Culinary Arts, Natural Resource Management, Nursing, and Photography are a few examples of more selective programs.

How much does it cost to go to CMC?
Here's the estimated average cost of attendance, Fall 2008-Spring 2009.

Do you have an application deadline, or a fee?
Some programs do have an application deadline, but CMC does not charge application fees to apply to any of our programs.

Do you require test scores?
We do not require ACT/SAT test scores, but we do encourage you to submit them. If you do not submit them, you must take our ACCUPLACER testing prior to meeting with an advisor. Some programs that encourage the use of the test scores:

• Nursing
• Veterinary Technology
• Professional Photography

Are merit and need-based scholarships available?
Yes! We can make your educational experience very affordable. Depending on your academic, financial, and residency status, we offer a full selection of private and public need-based scholarships. Scholarships and financial aid have a priority deadline of March 31. Email our Financial Aid office for more information.

Do the classes I take transfer in state and out- of-state?
Some programs like the AA and AS degrees are designed to transfer to 4-year colleges within Colorado. Other programs that are designed to get you hired in an occupation are not designed to transfer, but we have formed some specific transfer agreements with colleges to accept those credits, i.e. Western State College. If you plan to transfer out of state, we recommend that you meet with your advisor to start working with the other institution to guarantee a smooth and complete transfer of your coursework.

What is the student/teacher ratio? The average class size?
Student to teacher ratio is 1:12, and the average class size 25 students.

How old is Colorado Mountain College?
The college was established in 1967.

Where is the main campus?
Our main campuses are the three residential campuses:

• Alpine (Steamboat Springs)
• Spring Valley (Glenwood Springs)
• Timberline (Leadville)

How many students attend Colorado Mountain College?
24,866 students attended CMC in 2000-2001. 2551 of those were full-time residential students.

The residential campuses in Steamboat and Glenwood Springs house about 550 full time students, and the Leadville campus house around 350 students.

What is the minority population?
Cultural/Ethnic Breakdown of CMC student body (2006-2007):

My parents have a condo in Summit County, but actually live in Boulder. Do I qualify for In-District tuition?
Residency is based upon where you permanently reside. In the example above, you would qualify for in-state, but not in-district tuition.

How do I qualify for In-District tuition?
An In-district resident is a person who has lived in Colorado for at least one year and at least 32 days within the CMC District. See our district service area.

Can I take classes while in High School?
Yes! High school students are eligible for enrollment. We recommend that you consult with your high school counselor or CMC counselor to determine which courses are best for you.

Generally this means choosing from specialized, college preparation and freshman level core curriculum courses.

Where is your ski team and are there ski team scholarships available?
The ski team is located in Steamboat Springs at the Alpine Campus. Depending on your skiing and academic ability, there are ski team scholarships available. They apply only to Colorado residents. Contact the CMC Ski Team Coach, George Thomas, at 970-870-4471 or e-mail him at: cmcskiteam@coloradomtn.edu.

Do you have campus visit times?
Yes, we offer tours Monday through Friday at all three residential campuses. Tour times are 10am and 2pm. We also offer Formal Visit Days in February and April at the residential campuses. In addition to campus tours, we have Visit Days with all activities and events planned during the Fall and the Spring semesters.

What types of special services do you offer for students with learning/physical challenges?
Special Populations. Colorado Mountain College is committed to providing access to everyone with the ability to benefit from a program of higher education. We empower students to take responsibility for their education. Services are available to meet your special needs and assist you in meeting your educational goals. These accommodations may include instructional support such as note taking, oral testing, proofing of written work, interpreting, books on tape, tutoring, and extended testing time. Special equipment may be provided upon request. To qualify for services, documentation of the disability is required prior to enrollment. With these accommodations, students are required to meet the academic standards of the college. Please contact the Special Populations Coordinator for your campus to obtain services.

Will My Credits Transfer? Even out of State?
Generally yes, particularly if you complete an entire AA or AS degree program. There are two types of courses related to transfer--courses that are part of the ColoradoGuaranteed State Transfer Curriculum, and those that are part of our AA/AS degree programs, transferable on a program-by-program and case by case basis. Our academic catalog uses symbols to delineate each type and our advisors, counselors and faculty members are well-versed in the intricacies of the articulation agreements between Colorado colleges. Read more information about transferability.

Can I bring my pet?
Sorry. Only if it is a small freshwater fish. No piranhas or exotic saltwater creatures.

Do I need a car?
It might be helpful, but you don't really need one. All of our communities are easily accessible by bus, and many by bike trail. Alpine and Timberline campuses are less than a mile from the center of the closest town, and Spring Valley is about 3 miles from downtown Glenwood Springs.

Will I get my own bathroom in the dorms?
Absolutely. Our residence halls are modern and roomy and offer private bathrooms and other amenities. See the residence hall virtual tours for more info.

What kind of high school grades and test scores do I need to get in?
Colorado Mountain College is an open enrollment school where admissions is granted to anyone, so testing scores from ACT or SAT are no required but highly recommended and are used for advisement and placement. If you are seeking a degree and have not completed ACT or SAT exams prior to enrollment, you will be required to take a placement test. Colorado Mountain College requires placement tests to determine which classes best suit your abilities. You will not be required to take these tests if:

a. If you have taken the ACT and achieved and English score of 18 or higher, reading of 17 or higher, and a math score of 23 or higher you are considered to be at College Level of each of these subjects. Colorado Mountain College will take test scores up to 5 years old.  However, with some subjects, such as math, you may want to retest.

b. If you have taken the SAT and achieved a Critical Reading Score of 440, and a Math Score of 460 or higher you are considered to be at College Level of each of these subjects.  Colorado Mountain College will take test scores up to 5 years old.  However, with some subjects, such as math, you may want to retest.

See the placement testing section of our catalog for more information.

Where are the closest ski areas to CMC?
Of the 27 major ski resorts in Colorado, 13 are in our service area and near our campuses. Which is closest depends on the campus. Timberline campus is within an hour drive of 8 ski resorts including Ski Cooper, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Vail, and others. Our Breckenridge, Vail, and Aspen campuses are minutes from the base of Breckenridge, Vail Resort, Buttermilk and Ajax, respectively. Alpine Campus is about 10 minutes from Steamboat Resort, and Spring Valley Campus in Glenwood is about 15 minutes from Ski Sunlight and 45 minutes from all of the Aspen ski areas and Vail Resort.

Do you have on-campus housing? Is it co-ed?
Yes. Colorado Mountain College offers three fully-equipped and modern residential campuses and they are all co-ed. See the residence hall virtual tours for more information.