<p>Yesterday, I got "the email," followed by "the call" that got me off the HMC waitlist. This was a shock, because I had already committed to Williams college, deposit and all. I have until next Thursday to make a last-minute decision!</p>
<p>Are there any Harvey Mudd students reading this right now who would be willing to talk to me over the phone at some time? I am a prospective math major, so perspectives from current math majors would be particularly valuable. Please PM me if you would be willing to talk, and we can arrange a time.</p>
<p>Seems like the workload is insane at HMC. Sometimes I think this wouldn't be a huge problem because math is practically play for me, but other times I'm afraid that it will cause mental breakdowns, instability, hives, etc.</p>
<p>Also, the grad school situation. Somebody said that at HMC, a 2.9 GPA is "darn good." Ouch. I'm sure I can take it if my GPA drops significantly (being the smartest kid in the class never really mattered to me), but I'm worried it will make grad schools frown down upon me. Online, some people say that the grad schools will recognize that Mudd is a difficult school and adjust accordingly, while others claim that's a myth. Any input on this issue would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Thank you for helping me out in this critical window!
Primerib</p>
<p>I’m an incoming freshmen, so I wouldn’t be able to answer too many of your questions. Plus I don’t intend on majoring in math. However, as for grad school–it depends. Med school will be very difficult but it’s doable. Grad work in your own field should be much easier. This might not be exactly the same for math, but the engineering department sent me a letter congratulating me etc., that said that over 50% of the engineering seniors are going to Michigan, MIT, Caltech, or Stanford (I think those were the four mentioned) for grad school. Needless to say, that’s really impressive.</p>
<p>Both schools have fantastic math programs. That said, if you got into Williams, you clearly had some great options, but vied for a more secluded and upper-size LAC. Your experience at Mudd–especially socially–would be very, very different from that at Williams. I have twin friends, one at Williams and one at Mudd, and their experiences have differed completely. So if you liked Williams in the first place, you may want to stick with that. Especially if you want to ensure yourself an adequate GPA for grad school.</p>
<p>From what I see, Mudders do quite well getting into grad school generally. They may have a little difficult when going ‘out of field’ -into areas for which Mudd is not well known.
You will need to hit the ground running at Mudd - what is your current math background? Have you been challenged in math yet - by self study or competition or courses?
(Not a Mudder, but my son will soon be one…)</p>
<p>Grade deflation is a bit overblown. It might have been a big issue in the past, when 15-20% failed E&M, but now that’s not the case. Most Core classes make the class average a B-, but upper-div classes have B or B+ averages. Specifically, the math department goes with a B+ average. If you look at the registrar’s statistics, you can see how people have done:</p>
<p>For some, Core is long and hard, especially those with narrow interest in just their major. If you have strong interest in the sciences, not just math, you’ll be fine though. You should also ask Mudders from your high school how hard they think it is…it should give you a good gauge of your preparation.</p>
<p>Mudd has fantastic math faculty. If you fit well into Mudd’s residential life, you’ll be very happy you came here.</p>
<p>I attended ASP at HMC, and after seeing the list of grad schools that their graduating students are attending, I stopped worrying about the GPA issue. They assured us that all the grad schools are aware of Harvey Mudd’s reputation for no grade inflation, and that they even include a letter with your transcripts that explains all about it. The only thing they warned against was not to go to HMC if you’re planning on attending medical school, as GPA matters no matter what school you attended undergrad at.</p>
<p>My cousin graduated from HMC and he went on to get his masters and PHD at Cal Tech. He is now in his early 30s and makes a 6 digit salary. HMC graduates are very successful, and I suggest you invest 4 yours to them.</p>
<p>I recently graduated as a math major. It really depends on how good you are at math and how hard you are willing to work. Mudd students get into grad schools, but there are of course several tiers of grad schools. To be able to determine how well you can do, we’d have to know more about your stats and what you’ve done so far. If you are prone to mental breakdowns or are a perfectionist Mudd might be too much for you. If you are the type that can work endlessly or knows when you’ve had enough, I think you should be fine seeing as how you’ve been accepted.</p>
<p>That is interesting about twins at Williams and Mudd. What exactly are the social differences between the two? It is hard to know from the outside looking in.</p>