<p>Mudd has piqued my interest recently. I've seen a lot of discussion here about how Mudd is "different" from other colleges and right only for a specific kind of student. While I've gathered something of a general sense of what this means from various posts, I'm wondering if anyone can succinctly lay out what exactly makes HMC different and what kind of student does well there. Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>Very simple – HMC is a small school with a very specific kind of curriculum. You’ll have less of a say in how much you want to stomach, and what exactly it is you have to stomach than at other places. While this can be a wonderful bonding experience (though somewhat rough), it’s certainly not for everyone.</p>
<p>Take a look at their “Core” for one thing, and see how you feel about it. You’ll have to brave pretty tough stuff in several different disciplines. This can be appetizing or not. The type of student who would do well, in my opinion, sees Mudd’s program as specifically the kind that’ll sharpen himself/herself, and wants to go through that. And, plus, the student must be open to being trained in several different technical disciplines. If you can’t handle that, Mudd seems to be very much not for you. </p>
<p>Aside from that, Mudd’s faculty is very much more likely to be committed towards mentoring undergraduates than at many other schools for the most obvious reasons. </p>
<p>All these points have come up elsewhere, but hopefully this helps you by placing them together in one pile.</p>
<p>Another thing that makes it unique is the emphasis on the humanities. HMC is committed to turning out well-rounded scholars, not just technical geeks. This requires a special commitment by the student to work outside their own comfort zones. You might want to look at the other thread reporting on the changes to the core. Some of the required math and science classes are being dropped to give more flexibility, particularly in the first year for electives. For example, under the new regime, it will be possible to take a foreign language in the first year. This is pretty close to impossible now.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. In terms of ideology, does it tend to lean toward the conservative or liberal end of the spectrum?</p>
<p>The ability to take a language Freshmen year is my favorite change, personally.</p>
<p>We are quite a liberal campus. I think only like 16% of students here consider themselves conservative. Most are moderate or left.</p>