Blackroses216

WOW.

BicoastalMamma-

No one "turned you in". You constantly complain about how terrible mudd is to your son, so CARING people inquire about it to have something done about the unjustness you complain about. You should be grateful other people are trying to help.

You blame your son's problems on the school and his previous high school. I'm not even a student there and i think your interjections are insane. And then all this crap about religion and diversity- you are so ignorant. I was surprised by how friendly and accepting the people were when I toured yesterday. It isn't cut throat at all- i saw students helping others with work. They are so friendly there. So stop with the drama and all this trash talk- it's just so ridiculous and stupid.

rocketDA

<my post didn't go through...which sucks cuz i think it was one of my best posts... i'll try to cover most of it again>

"All of the minding each other's business, like turning me in, is suffocating. How about a parent comes to warn other parents and seek suggestions and instead is attacked?"

The funny thing is that you are not minding your own business. You have come on here to assert yourself into other's business but when we try to help you, you cry "foul!".

How could you enroll in a 4 year college that you know little about? The indicators are everywhere about how Mudd is very challenging. Did you think people were lying to you? I (and others) have been giving this warning for several years on this forum: "Don't go to Mudd unless you are very serious about math/science/engineering"

Now that your son is in and is struggling, it is time to make the best of it. I personally believe that this is a great opportunity for your son to mold his mind and character - to challenge himself like he never thought possible. I believe in the underdog; you should give him the support needed to defy all odds.

I had a pretty rough education myself... although my challenges were earlier on. When I was young I repeated 1st grade and almost failed 6th grade. Shortly thereafter, something happened to me when I realized that I didn't want to waste my limited time here... I wanted to make something of myself. I worked very hard over the next several years and skipped a few math/science classes so that I could get into a good college. I got into Mudd and struggled some more and have had my share of sleepless nights and tears in the professors office when he tells you that you are failing. I picked myself up and found the energy inside me to not let anyone stop me on my quest... and this quest has recently turned quite favorable for me.

Setbacks are necessary to keep a fire under us. They keep us moving forward and keep us from stagnating. Your son is in a position to change the way he thinks... and this sort of mind-molding comes at a price of very hard work for several years.

I am not sorry for the amazing opportunity placed before your son. Millions of people would die to be challenged the way he is being challenged. Don't waste it.

austriangirl

hey, i just read this thread and i want to post here because i am in kind of a similar situation.
i am an austrian hope-to-be student applying to princeton.
we didnt rank in my school (i finished this yr in june) but ill probably be in top 20% (my grades are really not what i hope to be accepted for...)
i have a lot of extracurricular stuff, work experience in an international dance festival (modern free dance workshop for people with diabilities), sports (national and local championships won in badminton, women´s soccer, snowboarding), but what i am really proud of is my political activity in two clubs, i am member of the boad in both, was responsible for the participation in the organization of a charity music festival for a refugee initiative, many other projects including workshops at schools etc
i am painting, singing and writing. i have spent half a yr in a school in manchester, uk
in school: editor of school´s magazine, advisor for exchange students (after my term in england), student-teacher relationship mediator, organizing different fundraising events in school, etc
also, my dad is currently a professor there (my sister is also applying, next year)
i have not yet taken the tests, but on the practice test i scored CR 670, W 730 and M around 600 (i dont remember the exact number)
also, ive been told that my essays are really good (talking about my experience in manchester as international who shortly after arrival started an international relations group) and my different expectations and experiences in, after manchester, and now visting princeton.
i have also been auditing lectures here in princeton and did a paper in christian ethics, which the professor really liked.
what else... well i think that is all, oh yh my grades are really not that good, i had a d in maths in my senior yr (do u think that a gud maths score on the sat would make up for that- plus the system in austria is different as hell, u simply cant compare it!)
im sorry, that turned out to be really long, hopefully some1 is nice enough to read it... so in terms of the name of the forum: am i aiming way out of my league?? thanks for every reaction to the post =) clara

Blackroses216

^ you have a shot, but your standing/ scores is way below average. Your extracurriculars are impressive.

Just think of it this way though- if you're scores are low now in high school, both standardized and grades, imagine how much harder it will be if you do end up at Princeton. Getting in will have been the easy part. If it's gonna be super hard for you, you probably also won't be all that happy.

geek_mom

Hello Clara,
As you probably already know, most top American colleges take a more "holistic" approach to admissions: Numbers matter, but are not the whole picture. What is very important at Harvey Mudd College may be less important at Princeton, and vice versa. I would suggest you spend some time reading in the forum dedicated to Princeton, and perhaps post your question there. Here's a link to that forum for you: Princeton University - College Confidential

What Blackroses said above ("getting in will have been the easy part") is definitely true of Harvey Mudd. I have heard from many CC members that the same is not so true of Ivy League schools including Princeton -- that once you're in, the work and grading are a bit easier than one would expect. I have no firsthand experience, but that might be an interesting topic to watch for on the Princeton forum.

Good luck with your college search and application process!

mom22girls

HMC is one of my daughter's possibles. I've been following the exchanges on HMC site between bicoastal and others, sitting incredulously at what was claimed/said. Finally I have got to put my 2 cents in.

I am thrilled to hear about all the concern for this student by those on this site. I am now certain that if my d ends up there, she won't fall through any cracks. Whether or not bicoastal is a troll or a caring mom, I thank you all for acting on this students' behalf.

austriangirl

thanks, ill have a look in this other forum ^^ ive been auditing lectures here in princeton for the last month and i didnt find it so difficult, everyone seems really eager to help you out... plus, i didnt use my potential in high school, i think i can study pretty hard but since in austria the school and university system is so different (theres just no competition) i didnt need to and i have improved my sat scores to M 650; CR 730 and W 780 since i posted here, this might show that i can study fast =)

geek_mom

Congrats on the improved scores. Not using your potential in high school is generally not considered a plus in college applications, so I would probably emphasize something else as a strength.

The forum where you found this thread is all about Harvey Mudd College, so you'll probably get more replies and better information over in the Princeton forum. Again, good luck!

BicoastalMamma

You people are unbelieveable. 30 years ago, I watched a couple of suicides and several student breakdowns due to unbelieveable pressure, teachers who could neither explain or communicate and serious grade deflation. I thought that model of education was a thing of the past but I guess not. At least one sick student not being allowed to reschedule a test while others could reschedule is a serious wrong. What is the key? Do you have to email the profs 24 hours in advance or something? He is feeling a little better now, so maybe he can make up being sick since the beginning of the semester if he does not have a relapse.

Seiken

I once showed up to an exam, said I felt really sick and asked if I could take it the next day. He said yes, and I did - no further questions needed. I didnt even need a doctor's note. This was a physics exam mind you.

Have you ever considered the possibility that your offspring is lying to you in order to make excuses? I am not saying this is the case, but it seems obvious to me here that the administration and professors do care and are willing to help out.

And in either case, first semester is pass/fail for a reason. If this exam is the reason your son were to fail the class, he could very easily go up to the professor at almost any point and ask the professor to keep that in mind when deciding his fate. At that point he just has to do well on the final. For later semesters this might not work, but first semester Im sure most professors are willing to be extra lenient if there is a reason to do so. Also note that I have received a higher grade that point-wise deserved for showing an upward trend.

BicoastalMamma

This is what I mean by cultural issues. I am sure he asked quietly and not forcefully. He did not go into a litany of symptoms but asked what the professor though he should do. Why is it my son that lied? Maybe, the professor did the wrong thing, was spaced out for minute, did not think my son looked sick. Maybe, the other students whined more than my son. It could happen. Someone in administration said that the professors have meetings and my son does not come up as one of the people in trouble. Maybe, failing a couple of tests is normal at HMC. Is it?

BicoastalMamma

I keep seeing the face of classmate that booked a hotel room during spring break and jumped out the window. She was passing; she just was not doing well. She consider herself a failed ballerina, and I guess she gave up. She was a roommate of a friend of my roommate. I did not know her directly. I will never forget how the roommate walked around in a daze for weeks. I think pressure for the sake of pressure is unwarranted. Yes, I heard HMC was hard, but I thought hard meant they have to stay up late more than in high school.

rocketDA

"Maybe, failing a couple of tests is normal at HMC. Is it?"

Yes. It is.

Parentus

BicoastalMamma-

are you an airplane parent? if so, now is the time to give him wings

give your son a chance to grow and let him figure things out - he was the one admitted and hopefully he was the one who chose to go to mudd

if a school admits a person they do not want or expect them to fail as it is bad for the school's statistics

mudd is much more supportive than many other engineering colleges/universities and i know based on being one of only 6 females were admitted to a university with a heavy focus on engineering [many hundreds of males in engineering] where the professors did not help females and the males did not allow females in their study groups or help them - we dealt with the hurdles the best we could - going to the mba program with the smallest percentage of women was another hurdle - there are many hurdles for all of us - no one goes through life without them unless they don't recognize them

your son's life is what your son will make of it - getting over his hurdles teaches him things

you need to back off the bad rap you are giving mudd and let your son have his life and give him wings

maruhan2

wow..... such a pointless argument...
honestly, the best would have been not to start such a controversial issue
BCM posted an honest post, and she did not expect such repercussions.
Just leave her alone a bit.