I am a senior thinking of applying to Harvey Mudd but I’m not sure I have any sort of chance of getting in. I think I want to go into civil engineering (although at Harvey Mudd it would be just “engineering”). Here’s my info. Should I apply?
Do you have any suggestions of other schools to look at for civil engineering, especially that might let me look at a bit of architecture or maybe urban planning? (whose application deadlines haven’t passed…)
GPA (unweighted): 4.0, 4.33 weighted according to Cal Poly SLO application
SAT: 1530, 730 reading/writing, 800 math
SAT physics: 800
SAT math lvl 2: 800
I have no APs, but I’m doing jr and sr years Running Start (classes at a local community College) and I emailed someone at admissions and they said they consider Running Start to be similarly challenging to AP/IB.
I don’t have a lot in the way of STEM extracurriculars. I have 4 yrs on a club and high school gymnastics team and I’m team captain this year. I am coaching gymnastics this year and I also did last year (as a job) and I also worked for a year at Baskin-Robbins. This year, I’m a peer tutor for math (prealg-calc) and physics (calc-based) at the community college I attend.
I certainly think you have a shot and should apply. Women are admitted at a slightly higher rate than men. You are right that your ECs are your soft spot. Be sure you understand the Mudd mission and culture. Focus on fit in your essays — two of their biggest questions about applicants are (1) can you do the work? (I think clearly “yes” from your stats), and (2) Do you want to work as hard and be as immersed in STEM as you would be at Mudd?
Mudd accepts female applicants at a ~28% rate (males, ~10%). If the higher rate applies to your gender, then your chances might be pretty good. Academically, you place within HMC’s range in any case.
You are really asking two different questions: 1. If you have a chance of being admitted and 2. Is this the right school for you with your interest in civil engineering? With regard to your first question, yes, I think you have a good chance. It certainly sounds like you have the grades, academic rigor, and test scores needed. Beyond that, it’s sometimes hard to predict who will be accepted. As pointed out, your essays will be very important. The second question is a harder one to answer. I’m guessing that you haven’t visited the school? If not, and you are accepted, I would certainly visit prior to making a decision to attend. It’s a really unique school, so fit (socially and academically) is very important. A visit may give you a better idea of whether it’s the best school for your own academic interests.
My son DS20 has 36ACT, 3.93 UWGPA, 4.36WGPA and a NMS Semifinalist. He has a decent extracurricular with a paid internship during summer. But we are asians, male and interested only in STEM. What are his realistic chances of getting into HMC? It is sort of his dream school (apart from CalTech, where he is not applying as he does not have any international competitions under his belt).