<p>After doing a lot of research, it seems Harvey Mudd is the school I am most interested in attending. I'll be touring it in a few months. </p>
<p>Assuming I get in, I'm worried about the financial costs. I understand that the cost of living is around $52k a year. My parents are decently well off, and are willing to contribute $20k a year. I also know that HMC offers a scholarship of $10k a year for those with the required SAT scores. However, that still leaves $22k a year to pay off. I am planning to get a part time job like the responders to my other thread, and i see that the average amount of time that can be spent working a week is around 8 hours, as to still be able to balance studying and friends. However, I don't see how that would pay off such a great amount. That, and i don't see how you could take out such huge loans. </p>
<p>I just don't understand how it adds up? Are most of the kids rich at Mudd? My dad is a professor, and my mom is a doctor, but her business hasn't been doing that great, do to economic conditions. I never thought that I'd have a financial problem, but now I do.</p>
<p>What are your suggests, and how do you guys afford Mudd? Would I just be better off going to Berkeley? :/</p>
<p>I personally take about 30k$ per year in loans, my parents contribute 10 and Mudd contributes the other 10. To me, it is most certainly worth it. But I came to that conclusion after attending another university and finding that I wanted a more rigorous education, and to also be at a place where I fit in. </p>
<p>And Mudd does have its share of rich kids, but many are working their way through and expecting that benefits/enjoyment of attending Mudd will give full compensation for what we cant take with us, money.</p>
<p>As for:*
Would I just be better off going to Berkeley? :/*
If Mudd did not exist, Berkeley would be at the top of my list with its price tag. Plus with good advance placement its not that difficult to graduate in 3 years. However, I met some Cal students over summer break at an internship at Rice University, and they didnt seem to pleased with their choice. The common complaint was that it was too easy, way more than they expected, and they were graduating early even with double majors. Note - these were math/physics people, not EECS and the like.</p>
<p>"owever, I met some Cal students over summer break at an internship at Rice University, and they didnt seem to pleased with their choice. The common complaint was that it was too easy, way more than they expected, and they were graduating early even with double majors. Note - these were math/physics people, not EECS and the like."</p>
<p>Well, let me put it this way -- I might've had the math requirements to graduate with a major by freshman year if I played the game correctly...most certainly by the first semester of my second year. Berkeley is very easy on you if you want to do the bare minimum, but if one does that, there's literally no chance of making it anywhere in the math + physics research world. </p>
<p>On the flip side, if you look at the resources the school has for top students who want to go way beyond, it's nothing short of amazing.</p>
<p>I.e., the complaint that it's too easy to get a double major in math and physics is really silly -- those who want to do more can, and those who aren't interested in doing more don't have to. So I'd ignore those guys.</p>
<p>But yeah, one should go to the school which will push one to do the greatest things possible. Different schools for different people. </p>
<p>The one thing I'll concede, though, is that if I see a math or physics major come out of Mudd, I am more likely to <em>assume</em> the student is very good than if I saw a random math or physics student from most other schools, Berkeley and other large schools heavily included.</p>