<p>I'm posting this question here as well as in Harvey Mudd forum, as it's a Claremont question . . .</p>
<p>My s is considering Harvey Mudd, but before we trek halfway across the country to visit it, I was hoping to get some insight from current students about the impact of HM being part of the Claremont consortium.</p>
<p>My s is very high-achieving in math and science, but is looking for a good liberal arts experience--as distinct from being immersed in a nothing-but-science-matters atmosphere. So he's not interested in engineering schools like MIT, and is strongly considering good LACs like Grinnell. The advantage to HM is that it has the high-level science and math of an engineering school but it's also part of the Claremont system. So (at least on paper) lots of access to classes--and classmates--who aren't exclusively tecchies. (And, yes the unfavorable male/female ratio at engineering schools matters to him too.)</p>
<p>But is this really how it is? I understand the various Claremont schools share the same campus, but do they really interact? Or do they, in practice, operate (academically, socially, whatever) as separate little worlds? </p>
<p>The interaction between 5C students depends largely on the individual students. Students who are involved with lots of clubs and 5C students or who are outgoing at things like parties know students from all 5Cs. I personally only know one Mudder and I met him through debate. My friends who play sports know many people from the other schools through their teams. You can go to a Claremont College and only know people from your own school or know more people from a different school, depending on what sort of activities you join. The 5Cs do not interact as much as advertised on a regular basis but the students who want to interact definitely can.</p>
<p>(from a Mudd student)
The campuses feel like they operate independently of eachother... because they do. However, as a HMC student, you can (and will) take classes (such as hums/music/art) at the other C's. However, HMC is where you'll spend pretty much all of your academic rigor.</p>
<p>Socially, it can feel big and small... at the same time...
My gf is from Scripps and we met at a party... I mean, if you want to meet people it is really easy to. They are all around you. However, if you don't want to meet non-mudders, that is just as easy. There are innumerable events going on all the time. I find them hard to keep up with. There's a weekly email that is sent out with some of the 5C events (and some info)... and each week it is 10+ pages long.</p>
<p>I personally think that the interaction is as advertised...but that's just me.</p>
<p>Ways to escape HM:
Go to another dining hall for any meal of the day
Go to a party on another campus
Join a 5C club, such as OnTheLoose, an outdoors club
Meet non 5C people at any of the HM sponsored parties
Take your non sci/math courses on other campuses (very easy to do, same as taking it at HM)</p>
<p>I'm a freshman at CMC and don't have any Mudd friends yet. I'm probably on the Mudd campus at least once a month or more. It is definitely possible to escape the whole MIT atmosphere with the 5C system, he just needs to take advantage of it.</p>
<p>ps- Already first semester, HM hosted like two of the biggest parties of all the campuses (one is ranked by playboy)...he will def be able to meet people from other schools.</p>