My 11th grade son has SAT 2340 and probably a weighted GPA of 3.8. He’s taking AP Calculus; AP Spanish IV with other courses this year — Biology, Latin American Literature, and Hip Hop History 
We’re in CA not sure about attending school back east… Not sure if Pamona or Harvey Mudd would be a good match for his interests and personality style etc. We’re just beginning to think about colleges (?)
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Not enough information in your post. Since you mention Harvey Mudd, I assume you’re also asking about Pomona College and not Cal Poly Pomona? A 2340 SAT is very good. What is his unweighted GPA and approx. class rank? These schools don’t really look at the weighted GPA since different school weight differently, In your prior post you said your son is at a private prep school in CA. A private prep school ought to have a good guidance counselor. What does the GC say? Are the private schools affordable? As CA residents you have great in state options. Visit Oxy, Pomona, HMC. A threshhold question is whether your son wants a smaller LAC or big university experience. When my D was a junior we toured UCLA, USC, Oxy, Pomona, CMC. She quickly figured out that she wanted a smaller LAC experience. Spring Break is coming up, so book some campus tours (go to the school’s websites).
Thanks!
Great SAT score, but rather low GPA for those two schools.
What is his proposed major? They are both going to be reaches with his GPA – does he have any hooks? (Athlete, URM, etc). The academic culture is somewhat different – Mudd is nerdy, intense, and collaborative. Pomona is less nerdy, challenging but not as intense as Mudd, obviously a different mix of majors.
so hard to understand GPA scales of different HS . My S HS has a scale up to 5.3 where some schools have 4.5 scales so have no idea what a 3.8 is in your school. That said your SAT score is amazing and would not rule you out of any school in the country. I always advice to Take SAT subject tests even if a school doesnt require it as just one more piece of information to show your strengths. If you have Naviance its a good way of gaging how your sons stats compare with students who got in from his HS in past years. Def. use naviance if you have it. That said we used naviance and my son was not predicted to get into many of the schools he got into including Pomona, bowdoin, swarthmore and middlbury and he had no hooks other than being a boy applying to LAC, so you never know. Just be sure to cast a wide net and apply to safeties if he is applying to highly selective schools as you “never know” the outcome.
Mudd is harder to get into for males than females (more male applicants, lower acceptance rate), Pomona is easier. But both are reaches.