<p>This information might be a bit dated since I entered in '96 and graduated in '00, but if this helps even one person, then I suppose it's probably worth it!</p>
<p>Let's see, where to start.... I graduated in 1996 from one of the better California public high schools with a 3.86 unweighted GPA and a 1400 SAT (back when it was only out of 1600). These weren't stellar scores by any stretch, but I was involved in a lot of things outside of school, and I was able to get into Mudd. I'd heard about how difficult Harvey Mudd was, but I didn't really take it to heart, because I was able to excel in high school with very little studying or preparing. I figured I'd probably have to study at Mudd, but nothing too demanding.</p>
<p>Freshman year:
The first semester went ok, as I passed all my classes (first semester is on a high pass/pass/fail scale), but didn't high-pass anything. Mudd was definitely a lot tougher than I'd anticipated, but I thought things were still going decently. A handful of my friends had failed classes so I figured I wasn't doing THAT bad. </p>
<p>Second semester was a little worse. My GPA was a 2.27, with a stellar D in chem, which to be honest I was ecstatic about because going into the final I'd had an F. I didn't fail any classes, which I was happy with, but going from almost all A's in high school to being happy not failing just a year later was quite a shock. But it's like they tell you during freshman orientation - 90% of you will no longer be in the top 10% of your class. </p>
<p>Sophomore year:
This is where the bottom started to fall out. After making a good group of friends my freshman year, my priorities shifted from academics to just having a good time, and my grades reflected this. I dropped baby stems (engineering class) because I was doing so poorly, and I still only managed a 1.90 GPA. I failed E&M, and so I basically only got credit for 10 units that semester and was placed on academic probation.</p>
<p>That winter break, I had a lot of thinking to do and had a lot of questions to answer - Do I belong here? Can I cut it at Mudd? Should I try transferring to another school? The very worst part of it all was that my parents were not rich, but were footing most of the bills, and it broke my heart to see them disappointed in me after all they'd sacrificed. I finally decided that since I was able to even get accepted to Mudd, and that I was able to get through freshman year unscathed, that I probably belonged there - I just needed to really focus on what needed to be done and do it and not dick around so much. Plus, what was transferring to another school going to accomplish? It would just have been a copout - that when the going got rough I just gave up. I didn't want that on my conscience.</p>
<p>A 'typical' semester load at Mudd is about 16 units. Thanks to my first-semester debacle, I'd have to take 18 units per semester for the next 3 semesters just to get back on track, so not only would I have to study more just to pass my classes, I'd have more classes to pass as well. </p>
<p>Second semester came and went without incident and I don't remember the exact GPA, but it was 3.3something. I was back on track.</p>
<p>Junior/Senior years:
I'm not going to tell you that I 4.0'd every semester, but I will say that I didn't fail another class, despite being involved in more outside of class. I was junior year class vice president, and I also wrote for the 5-C campus newspaper. Also, the rec center had opened up between sophomore and junior years so I had to make time to exercise and play basketball. </p>
<p>I graduated on time with an umpressive 2.65 GPA, but on a beautiful day in May of 2000, I received my diploma like any other student. Considering how I'd started out my college career, I was as proud and happy as any other person on that lawn. </p>
<p>Looking back 10 years later, I realize how happy I was with my decision to stay at Mudd. Obviously in that time I've had different obstacles and roadblocks both in my personal and academic/professional lives, but I was able to work through them and come out stronger in the end, much like my situation at Mudd.</p>
<p>Going into Mudd I was a shy, meek, and lazy boy, but 4 years later I emerged a confident, personable, hard-working young man. </p>
<p>They say that if you're an athlete and really want to excel in your field, you need to train/spar/scrimmage against players far better than you; not players who are below you. You don't gain anything beating up on inferior players. It was the same at Mudd. I was surrounded by some of the smartest people on the planet, and I benefitted just by being around them, talking to them, asking questions. </p>
<p>In all honesty I don't remember 99% of what I learned inside of those Mudd classrooms - I doubt any graduate of any school does. Because of Mudd I changed the way I look at issues, thanks to the countless conversations I had with my bright and diverse classmates. I changed the way I look at adversity and failure - not as a final destination but merely a stopover. I changed the way I look at myself, not as someone who is unsure and tentative, but someone who is supremely confident in his abilities. </p>
<p>Mudd changed my life. It will change yours as well. Don't give up.</p>
Should I discourage him from applying or encourage him to learn to time manage better in the next 1 1/2 years? He’s very social and very into his ECs. He loves math and physics and it’s always been so easy for him. He thinks he’ll be fine. I worry.</p>