Etherify

I'm fairly sure that I want to major in physics (or if not that, then math or another science) but I just can't decide between the two.

As a MN girl, Carleton is a convenient hour away, but it would be sort of my "safer" or more "comfortable" option. My parents both attended and I'm very familiar with the campus already because I took a summer writing course there.

Mudd has arguably the best physics program in the country, and the sense of community was very attractive to me. I also wouldn't mind the lack of snow.

So I guess I have to choose whether I want to be with a more diverse student body or one that is mainly focused on science...

Any opinions?

dietcokewithlime

I chose Carleton over Mudd back in the day because I thought I would find the overwhelmingly male narrow-mindedly science-oriented student body immensely frustrating after a while. Having met a few more Mudders since on things like study abroad and such, I arrive at the same conclusion, but more emphatically. I am so, so glad that I go to a liberal arts college and that most of my friends are humanities types, not elitist "science and math people are sooooo much better than those novel readers" jerks. Carleton's physics program is fantastic and has great placement in grad programs, and you wouldn't be a spectacle here as a female in the sciences. That was my big gripe with my prospie experience at Mudd: as a non-hideous female, I drew many more "You do science and got in here?" type comments than "So what are you interested in?" from current students. If you go on to a PhD in physics, you'll have to deal with plenty of irritating socially screwed up male scientists later. May as well put it off for four years, I say.

stevedad

the overwhelmingly male narrow-mindedly science-oriented student body

Yikes!

Although that might have once been the case at Mudd, I don't think it is accurate today. Mudd's present freshman class is 40% or more female.

As for "narrow-mindedly science-oriented," I think that if you could somehow discount for the impact of the required course load (tough to do), you would find that the students are not excessively blindered. After all, Mudd's liberal arts requirements/emphasis is one reason that many of them chose to attend Mudd over tech-oriented schools that have more national recognition. As aibarr and others have shown in response to the OP's question on other threads, the arts are alive and well among a good chunk of Mudd students.

BUT, it is true that an outstanding school such as Carleton, which offers a much wider variety of majors, will have a student body that is less science/math/engineering oriented that Mudd and almost certainly will have even more of a female population. At the present time, however, the differences, while real, are likely not as stark as indicated by the quoted fragment from your post.

(Disclosure--S1 is frosh at Mudd; he was an actor and president of the thespian honor society in high school, among other things. And the liberal arts emphasis was a big factor in his choosing Mudd.)

1190

1. They know how to handle a Frisbee AND can keep up their tans 12 months of the year.

How many Carls can say as much?

2. Kids come to Mudd turning down better known brands because they know they'll find great academics, lots of individual attention, and like-minded types who know how to have a good time and refuse to take themselves too seriously.

Sound familiar?

Obviously, there still remain great differences between the experience someone will have at the two schools. Carleton has significantly more physical science majors than any other general LAC. The physics, chem, geology sections are superb. But majors in the humanities/social sciences/arts/music will still outnumber the science kids almost 2:1 here. Mudd is tech/science (albeit excellent tech/science) with a sprinkling of "other." If you look at just a sampling of the past few days of Carleton announcements, they are rife with discussion of arts appearances on campus, awards, etc.:
Carleton College: Carleton News: Carleton in the Media: Gospel Gossip Named Best New Band by City Pages
Carleton College: Carleton News: Carleton in the Media: "Disconnected" Receives Glowing Review from MinnPost.com
Denied:1up! Software
Carleton College: Carleton News: News: Alumni Printmaker Heather O?Hara and Ceramic Artist Juliane Shibata to Appear
Carleton College: Carleton News: News: Carleton?s Student-Run Experimental Theater Board to Present Evening of One-Act Plays

while also making it clear that the sciences don't take a back seat:
Carleton College: Carleton News: News: Carleton Receives $1.5 Million Grant to Boost Interest in Science Programs
Carleton College: Carleton News: Kudos: Jerry Mohrig Receives the 2008 Brasted Award for Excellence in College Teaching

Regarding opportunities to study abroad, only about 20% do so at Mudd, 70+% at Carleton. Carleton sponsors unusually large numbers of its own programs along with affiliated programs (e.g. Associated Colleges of the Midwest) in addition to those privately run. While Mudd's freshman class this year is unusually XX (about 40%), the school remains stubbornly 2:1 male:female. The overall experience at Carleton will be a more rounded one, though not necessarily a better one for any given individual.

As is always the case, you can sit there with your column A and column B comparing the +'s and -'s in each category at each college you're considering. But that final decision, once you've whittled yourself down to only a few standing options all so academically strong, should be made with your gut. Go where you think you'll be happier. See how easy this is!

englishmajor1234

I don't know a lot about Harvey Mudd or about majoring in Physics (I went to Carleton and majored in English), but I will say that I think that Carleton offers unusual opportunities to majors of all varieties to step outside of their area of study and branch out. As a Physics major, it would not be at all difficult or unusual for you to take Shakespeare, opera, fencing, Arabic, the Mali French trip etc. etc. etc. - in fact, it might even be more unusual if you didn't. So if you're looking for an opportunity to pursue Physics and maybe try something else as well, Carleton might be the place for you.