Price of diversity at Harvey Mudd

[ucbalumnus]

@roycroftmom

The difference in math ability between the 99th and 90th percentile can be enormous. Some of those testing at the 99th percentile are really at the 99.999 percentile but the tests are too easy to judge that. I have kids at both levels, and it is a world apart between them. Very different approach to teaching between those 2 levels, educators told me. They were never in the same types of math classes.

HMC does offer various levels of entry math courses:

https://www.hmc.edu/mathematics/program/mathematics-course-descriptions/
https://www.hmc.edu/mathematics/program/placement-core-classes/

• 30G = standard HMC calculus, which is proof based and expects the student to have had calculus before (70% of students)
• 30B = HMC calculus course for students who do well enough on a placement exam; includes "deeper study of selected topics" (25% of students)
• exempt from 30G/30B by placement test (5% of students)

This is not too different conceptually compared to other colleges in terms of offering different levels of entry math courses. The main difference is that the lowest level entry math course at HMC is like a high honors calculus course at many other colleges (if such a course is even offered at many other colleges).