Harvey Mudd vs. Rice vs. Columbia

<p>Somewhat tangential, but one of the reasons I chose Mudd over UCs was because Mudd won’t force me to choose a specific discipline of engineering to major in. I still don’t know if I’m more interested in mechanical engineering or chemical engineering or civil engineering, but here I don’t have to choose one - I just get a general engineering degree. So in that sense, Mudd is less specialized than a lot of other schools.</p>

<p>Reply to Colorado_Mom: The way we knew Mudd was not too narrow a focus for our daughter was because her senior year agonizing went like this:</p>

<p>Daughter: Mom, I don’t know what I want to major in
Mom: Don’t worry, you don’t need to know that now
Daughter: But I love math, physics and computer science. How will I choose just one?</p>

<p>If your kid is only agonizing over which of the STEM subjects to major in, Mudd is fine!</p>

<p>A very few Mudd kids end up with an off-campus major at one of the other Claremont Colleges. They still have to fulfill Mudd’s core requirements, which changed this year, and a minor at Mudd. Mudd also offers an independent major (a self-designed major) for kids who decide that the traditional Mudd majors do not best fit their career or future academic plans. Again, this is something a couple of kids in each class might choose to do. These two options, though not selected by many, do offer alternative paths without the need to transfer. It is a safety net…</p>