Hi,
I was wondering if Mudders tended to stand outside the stereotype of technical school kids (like in GT, MIT, and CalTech) or fit it perfectly? By this I mean introverts who tend to not party, explore, etc. Not that I’m looking for a party, but I understand that there’s no greek life there.
Also being in proximity to LA, do Mudders often visit the attractions in that area or do they stay in the Claremont area?
Thank you in advance.
My Scripps friends and I always go over to Mudd to party since their parties are so much more exciting than anything we ever have on our own campus. There’s always parties on the weekends and usually some during the week. (excluding finals…mostly). And there’s also several other sorts of activities going on during the day which aren’t parties. And there’s also the other colleges to go to parties and such at, but Mudd parties have always been my favorite.
The train that goes directly to downtown LA is located at the end of the village right next to Pomona College, so it’s a short car ride or a bit of a walk.
Thank you @Scrippsie ! I might be PMing you with some more questions since you know first hand, if you don’t mind.
Bump for more input?
Ok, I’m a Mudd parent, but I have on D who graduated last year and one who is currently attending. Mudd has plenty of choices and opportunities for socializing and entertainment. Mudd has school sponsored (student arranged) trips into LA for concerts, amusement parks, play/musicals… and I’m sure lots of activities that my kids didn’t do. There are many clubs and sports teams. Students hike, skateboard, cook, sew, ballroom dance, sing, act, play zombies vs human… Movie theaters and restaurants are close by.
The Mudd parties are well known on the 5 C’s for being the best. I was once wearing my Mudd parent t-shirt at the gym and a Claremont McKenna student on vacation stopped me to tell me how great the parties at Mudd were. (Not really what a parent wants to hear about their kid’s school, but a testament to how much he liked their parties).
I think introverted is the last word that comes to mind when thinking about the Mudd students I’ve met over the years. I’m sure some are, but that isn’t the main type of person that Mudd attracts.
Thank you @Mom2kids !
Will echo Scrippsie’s post: D at Pomona says the best parties are at Mudd - and between the 5 campuses, there’s usually something going on when she’s not studying. She’s from SoCal, so going to LA isn’t a big deal, but she has friends who take the train into Union Station (less than an hour), which has connecting transit lines to Hollywood, Exposition Park, China Town, etc.
I am going to be honest that my Mudder is so busy that she doesn’t get off the Claremont campuses or outside the village a lot during the school year. She is hopping with classes, research, trying to find time for any EC activity, and spending time with her friends. What she has done is stay on campus during some breaks (eg, there is a fall long weekend), and do some activities then. She also has researched on campus for the past 2 summers, and this summer she has friends with cars and has been getting out quite a bit. I do think there are parties at Mudd and the other colleges if you are looking for them, for sure. And not all of the kids are tech to the core – my kid was more of a humanities kid before deciding to attend Mudd. Now she can’t get enough of the cool tech stuff to study and do at Mudd, though. She is just scrambling to fit in as much as possible in her four short years there.
Thank you both!
@intparent Did your child apply under any of the ED plans?
No. Mudd was the only tech type college she applied to. She was choosing between U Chicago, Swarthmore, and Mudd at the end. Mudd’s accepted student visit sealed the deal, and she is very, very happy there. 
@codemachine - my son did ED2 — did you have a question about it?
@ClaremontMom Did he apply anywhere else before for ED / EA and did he submit all of his applications together or just an ED for Mudd?
He did not do ED or EA anywhere else. Mudd was his first choice all the way. Only reason he didn’t do ED1 was he still wasn’t 100% ready to close all other options. Since ED2 has the same deadline (or close to it) as other RD deadlines and results wouldn’t be until February, he submitted all his RD applications and withdrew them once he was accepted to Mudd in Feb.
It’s all up to how much effort you put into it. There are more than a few of the stereotypical computer nerds, but also more than a few of the stereotypical high school class presidents. There’s no greek life, but each dorm has its own identity. There are also 4 other colleges directly adjacent with their own entirely different things going on.
Getting off campus is mostly dependent on who you know has a car. I recall there being an ‘Architecture of LA’ type class though, where they’d go into LA on a Saturday.
-Class of 2010