<p>Does it require an exceptionally high number of credits?
Are the grading standard extremely strict?
I'm hearing everywhere about HMC's crazy workload, and I want to know why
please help</p>
<p>My freshman has a standard course load of core courses plus one humanities course, and she is carrying 17.5 credits. I think the pace is fast and all the students are very smart (SAT score ranges will give you a clue on that). I noticed a few things on her schedule that struck me - Calculus (the intro class) is a one quarter class (not a full semester). I think they are jamming a LOT of material into a short period. My kid’s first semester of physics is a one quarter class on Special Relativity – not sure all colleges are starting their students with that subject in physics, although I honestly am not sure about that.</p>
<p>I do think the grading standards are strict. The average graduating GPA is somewhere around a high 3.3 range, I think. First semester is pass/fail (without shadow grades), and after the end of the core period of 3 semesters, I have heard average GPAs are under 3.0. They generally climb junior and senior year, though, to get up to the graduation average.</p>
<p>She is a student who probably has less prep than a lot of her classmates (no AP sciences offered at her school, although she took the honors classes in all cases). It sounds to me like she is studying a LOT – she says a lot of her time “hanging out” with friends is studying together. She loves it, though, she wanted an academically intense environment with smart people and that is what she got.</p>
<p>In addition to ^ , the core curriculum is broad. Core courses include biology, chemistry, physics, math, engineering and computer science, plus a humanities/ss and a writing course, so students have lots to learn in the first 1.5 years.</p>
<p>I agree with everything said so far. The core curriculum and humanities requirements require that the students go well out of their comfort zones, and there is no fooling around on the grades. They are low. Although it seems to get easier by junior year, I don’t think this is because there is any less work, the students just seem more used to it. The clinic projects senior year are great, but take a great deal of time. One of the professors at Pomona told my son that she knew not to expect much out of the Mudders as they got close to various clinic deadlines. Overall, the first year in particular is a little like bootcamp in the military, the students get pushed until they learn what they don’t know, and then they push themselves hard to learn what they want to know. At the end of the four years, they have received one incredible education. But for as hard as it is, it is a very supportive enviroment. Everyone is in the same boat, and they study and work hard together. I am convinced that one reason that the Mudders are so employable is because the employers know the grads have gotten a great education, know how to work hard, and know how to work in supportive teams.</p>
<p>Yes, my D (who generally did not like group projects in high school!) loves the collaborative and supportive attitude of her fellow Mudders. She says she is amazed at how willing fellow students are to tutor her day after day on the subject she is having the most trouble with. And she says they seem genuinely happy to do it. She is really thriving, sounding confident and happy in spite of the academic challenges.</p>