<p>My son is a HS junior, and so is starting to focus on colleges. He has always been interested in MIT, and I believe has a shot at it. His second choice is Harvey Mudd. When I first looked into Harvey Mudd, I thought it sounded perfect for my kid. But the more I read, especially on these boards, I get the impression that it's actually a party school, in it's own way. My son, though, is not really a party kid. He's social and friendly, etc., but parties are just not his thing. </p>
<p>So, would a non-party type, like my son, still be happy at Mudd? Or will he feel left out if he doesn't go to parties?</p>
<p>After visiting many campuses and talking to a lot of older friends, there seems to be an even distribution of personality and social types in colleges. Just because a school has a party reputation doesn't mean every person on the campus can be pigeonholed as a party animal.</p>
<p>I'll have to agree with iloveschool on this one, when there are thousands of students not every single one is a partier, I'm sure your son would do fine at any college he goes to and will be able to meet people who share his thoughts whether it be Arizona State, MIT or Harvey Mudd.</p>
<p>NaFree,
I think HMC pitches the "work hard, play hard" card because many students around the country are turned down by places like HMC because they feel that all we do is work. Albeit, everyone at Mudd works most of the time, the point of "work hard, play hard" does not necessarily revert to the notion that playing is partying. While a few dorms on campus would argue that when they play they party (West, North, Linde), 70% of the people on campus do things like play B-ball, video games, watch movies, or just hang out when there is any free time.</p>
<p>By no means is Mudd a party school. I think, however, Mudd does have a certain socialble side to it, yet for the most part, it is a bit geeky around here.</p>
<p>I would venture to say that Mudd is more geeky than, say MIT. Ever been to East Dorm? Can you say WoW? (pun)</p>
<p>I'm a sophomore and I don't party much. Most of the time when I have extra time, I feel like watching movies or tv shows (on the extensive network). I think a lot of people do this because, quite honestly, Mudd can get very exhausting at times.</p>
<p>ok this may sound very naive. . . but when you say "parties" . ..
do you mean lots of friends getting together and eating pizza and dancing. . .
or a bunch of people making out and getting wasted? Or both?</p>
<p>One thing about tech schools is that they tend to be very nonjudgemental -- I know from experience that MIT students would never pressure a non-drinker to drink or a non-partier to party, and it would surprise me very much if Harvey Mudd students were different in that respect.</p>
<p>Students at tech schools tend to live and let live. :)</p>
<p>
[quote]
ok this may sound very naive. . . but when you say "parties" . ..
do you mean lots of friends getting together and eating pizza and dancing. . .
or a bunch of people making out and getting wasted? Or both?</p>
<p>I really haven't a clue.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well Harvey Mudd has a unique party system. On wednesday and thursday night you won't find any "official" parties. But, three dorms (Linde, North, and West as already said) and a few suites in other dorms will throw toned down parties. North will usually have a few kegs and play a lot of beer pong. Linde will usually light up marijuana and drink some and maybe play beer pong. West will drink and do stupid things like set fires and destroy computer monitors and explode chickens. Sometimes there will be dorm meetings on thursday nights. Dorm meetings are typically an excuse to get wasted at the three dorms already mentioned, but at the other dorms there is usually a keg and people socially drink and actually discuss issues. Sometimes there are also special events, usually put together by West and Linde... like playing "broomball" (a rugby-like game where everyone is drunk on an ice rink)... or going into Claremont and trying to do the craziest stuff possible and get it on camera.</p>
<p>The weekends are an entirely different story. I would say on average there is one big official mudd party per week. This means that the party is registered, has bartenders, and is quite large. Mixed drinks are served and there are usually hundreds of people there (usually at Linde, North, or West). Only Mudd students are really there. Then about once every two weeks on average we have a "5C party" which is huge and has security. Anyone from the 5Cs can come and it's advertised. These parties tend to be the best ones and are absolutely crazy. About half of these parties are dance parties I'd say, but there is always a dance floor and most of the times DJs. On the weekends there are still suite parties and stuff going on at Linde, West, and North as well. It's not rare to find two official parties in one weekend, and several suite parties going on at once. For a school of only 700 students, it's a pretty good party scene.</p>
<p>I'd estimate that about 50% of the freshmen "party." Maybe about 25% are pretty diehard partiers that get drunk on the weeknights and weekends. You can surely be fine at Mudd if you don't party. People here don't pressure others to drink and we take care of each other (no Mudder has gotten alcohol poisoning in 5 years). If you are interested in the parties (and by the time your son is a senior he very well might be), then Mudd is also a great place because it's well known that we throw the best parties in the 5Cs.</p>
<p>OK, well, I definitely find rocketDA's response a little more reassuring than atomicfusion's. I do appreciate the detail in your response, though, atomicfusion, and your assurance that kids who don't party can be fine and are not pressured to drink. I guess I would still be concerned, though, that my son would feel out of it he didn't join these parties -- sort of a self-imposed pressure. But I also understand this may be an issue anywhere, and that for all I know, my son might end up eventually enjoying all the partying. I was hoping, though, to be convinced that the party scene is a bit quieter than it sounds from atomicfusion's post.</p>
<p>Anyway, rocketDA, yes, I can say WoW, and also FFXI, because those are my son's favorite games! It sounds as if East might be a good dorm for my son, if he is accepted at Harvey Mudd and decides to go there. Which leads me to another question: do incoming freshman get to choose which dorm they'd like to be in?</p>
<p>Mudder's_Mudder, I will PM you -- thanks for the offer. </p>
<p>One more question, for atomicfusion: are you talking about live chickens or dead ones??</p>
<p>"One more question, for atomicfusion: are you talking about live chickens or dead ones??"
i can answer this... considering it happened very close to my room...</p>
<p>dead ones. the chickens you buy at the grocery store...</p>
<p>Also, freshmen fill out a roommate and dorm matching form. If you make it apparent that you want East, you'll probably get East. They review each student's form on an individual basis...</p>
<p>Also, I think the deviances between atomicfusion's posts and my posts can be attributed to the fact that we do very different things even though we live so close. While atomicfusion may party and drink, I will rarely have a drink and I spend most of my free time either in my lab or watching movies. I don't feel pressured (at all) to drink EXCEPT during dorm meetings, which is a unique situation at West Dorm. (We are trying to get rid of this pressure this semester)</p>
<p>Anyways, like atomicfusion said, only 50% of people really drink. Only 50% of those will be the party type.</p>
<p>Oh.. and about what a party is:
My definition is music (maybe lights) and any type of theme. They usually aren't a bunch of people making out (except for this one time...) and I've never really seen clothes come off, unless THAT is the theme of the party...</p>
<p>Thanks for the explanation of the difference between your posts and atomicfusion's, rocketDA. I'm beginning to think I really should not worry about this so much. </p>
<p>I'm glad you guys post here -- this is such a great resource.</p>
<p>I know 1 lot students who got in but did not go there because they thought the opposite,there was not enough of a social life even though academically they liked the school. 1 student chose Brown, others chose Tufts, CMC, and Northwestern. My son is at Pomona so I know that Harvey Mudd has parties. There is a famous foam party I've heard about but your son will be fine and find like minded peers. There are always sub free dorm as well</p>
<p>
[quote]
>>...but parties are just not his thing.<<</p>
<p>How does he feel about unicycles?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Can we please not overplay this? Probably less than 5% of Mudd students actually ride unicycles. It does not define Harvey Mudd at all...</p>
<p>Sorry, I just don't like people saying "that school where everyone rides unicycles" amongst the other overplayed images of Mudd like "that really really nerdy school."</p>
<p>no matter what school your son goes to, parties and alcohol will be easily accessable.
the two things I hear more often than anything else from all my friends who entered college this year, no matter where they are, are (1) they love their school, whether or not they thought they would, and (2) the amount of alcohol is rediculous
Pretty much, no matter where he goes he either will cope with avoiding alcohol/parties, or will party. I'm guessing the 2nd. He's only in 11th grade, give him a few years, the best thing you can do is, instead of telling him never to drink because it's dangerous and illegal, teach him to be responsible. (I'm not saying teach him how to drink, but teach him to be responsible, self-aware, etc in general).</p>