<p>Mudd does seem to be reaching out to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, 1st generation backgrounds, and ethnically diverse backgrounds through their FAST program.</p>
<p>My son applied to, and was accepted into, the Spring FAST but couldn’t attend due to a conflict. He’ll apply again to the fall FAST (my son is a rising senior intersted in Mudd). </p>
<p>He is 1/2 Puerto Rican, and my husband never went to college and we are very middle income (78K a year). However, my son is also a top student (800 on SAT I in 8th grade, 800 on SAT II math (after a 760 in 8th grade, he retook it this year) and 800 in physics in 8th grade) with 7 semesters of college physics and 8 semesters of college math among other national and local awards, so I don’t think Mudd is lowering their bar; I think they’re just trying to draw students from a wider body.</p>
<p>Interestingly, for my son, it would not be the work in his major that will be difficult. It would be in subjects that he has little interest such as biology and an overall workload that will prove the more challenging.</p>