ElphDriver

My son is a junior, engineering major, and is doing well. But it truly is a big adjustment. You can't possibly expect the grades you were used to getting in high school. But that is no reason to bash Mudd - "don't wish it were easier; do what it takes to make yourself better." When I have asked him about the kids that aren't thriving academically, he says "if you don't take advantage of the help sessions, forget it" AND "some kids just don't know how to stop the party." He has found the profs and deans to be more than helpful. One even personally drove him to an opthomalogist when he had eye trouble, and helped him get his meds.

SimpleLife

BicoastalMamma, I also do not get the impression that you're a troll. I think you sound like a very stressed out parent with a very good point to make -- that inner city kids (or ANY kids at ANY not-so-good school) who may have made straight-A's in high school, but whose high school may have "failed" them in other ways -- namely from inadequate preparation followed by misleadingly high grades -- will likely struggle at HMC. At least I think that's what you’ve been trying to say. And I think it's a very legitimate, very important point to make!

Perhaps you should be angrier at your son's school district and take your anger and frustration to those channels rather than at Harvey Mudd, though. I mean, from what I've read on various threads, you believe your son was not properly prepared for a rigorous college. That's very sad and I think it's unfortunately too common in our country. You sound like you may have the righteous anger to make a difference where it needs to be made -- in your local schools.

Your anger with HM might be misplaced, because how can you blame them for reading your son's transcripts, grades, test scores, etc, and concluding that he was a good candidate for success at Mudd? They believed in him and complimented him for what they saw as a successful candidate for a very challenging school! If they were wrong, it's not your fault, your son's fault, or their fault. It's the fault of your school system.

I really, really feel for you, because it's so expensive to start over at a new school by transferring; your son lost out on plenty of other scholarships by believing he was adequately prepared for Mudd; and your "baby" is suffering, unhappy, and not feeling like he fits in at Mudd -- either socially or academically apparently. That's very sad. I'm wishing you and your son the best of luck!

I hope you all get through this, one way or the other, very soon. And I'm sorry you're taking such a bashing here ... I think there are lots of people who love HMC, and they too have a legitimate point that one student's apparently poor fit does not make Mudd a lousy school that's full of lousy, uncaring professors and staff.

Good luck, BicoastalMamma! I hope you can find the energy to make some changes in your school system so that other good kids like your son won't run into similar problems at great colleges across the country!

colorado_mom

Although I was very sad to read about the woes of Biocoastalmamma's son, I am glad that there was a lot of dialog on Mudd (also applicable to other tough engineering schools). It will help our family and others better understand the challenges ahead before making decisions.

SimpleLife

I definitely agree, colorado_mom.