Aiming way too high?

Colleges & Universities Harvey Mudd College
1

<p>Knowing that a friend made it last year with similar test stats (not sure about GPA), I’ve also decided to give HMC a go after visiting the place once and reading about it (and I happen to love it despite all the other things i hear about the workload =P)</p>

<p>GPA : 3.725 / 4 (Bs in Honors math classes except for one semester of honors geo with an A-, Bs in Bio, and Honors Chem, As in AP Env Sci.)
SAT/ACT : 1950 (670-700-580) (still waiting for new results) / 30
SAT II : 700USH 650M2 530German (not native speaker) (retaking last Math and German)</p>

<p>Past Honors/AP Classes: Honors Geo,Alg2,Pre-Calc , Honors Chem, AP Env. Sci (AP Score of 5) , AP US History ( AP Score of 4)</p>

<p>Senior Course-load:
AP German
AP Calc AB
AP Physics B
Honors Gov/Econ
Adv. Orch.
Creative Styles in Writing</p>

<p>recommendations : awesome
essays : (hopefully awesome by the time I finish)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars/Activities :
My own self-employed Computer Technology/IT Company + Homebrewing computing solutions from old, used computer parts (makes 2-3k a year) - 5 years
Web Designing in PHP,mySQL,CSS 4 years
Linux Club 1 year
Environmental Club 2 years
Key Club 3 years
Another School-based Service Club - 3 years
Local Arboretum/Botanical Garden Volunteer - 3 years
Local City Holiday Events/Festivals Volunteer -3 years
Volunteer at Local Elementary Schools - 3 years<br>
Orchestra - 3 years
Cross Country/Track - 2 years</p>

<p>Community Service Hours : 500+</p>

<p>Postions Held : Webmaster/Media Coordinator for 3 Clubs Total , Arboretum Camp Counselor , Linux Club Co-President , President of TBC Global</p>

<p>It seems weak in terms of academics but most of my buddies have said that my passion towards hands-on work with computers makes it a valid reason to give it a go. My counselor has said the same thing. </p>

<p>In reality, am I aiming too high? (call me crazy =P) Oh and I’m being more crazy by doing ED. XP</p>

2

<p>Well your SAT and GPA are WAYY below average… but the company thing you have going is definitely different and impressive, along with some of your other extracurriculars. </p>

<p>Give it a shot, it is a private school, so they will look at you as a person as a whole. I don’t know if your scores are too low though so they might just cut you? I really don’t know.</p>

3

<p>While I have my hopes for 2050-2100 on the Oct SAT, I’m hoping to raise my M2 score hopefully by 70-100 points… Would this significantly boost my chances?</p>

4

<p>yes that would help. Wait, is 3.7 your weighted or unweighted GPA? Because if it’s unweighted, it’s not THAT bad.</p>

5

<p>it’s unweighted out of 4.0</p>

6

<p>dude, you’re okay. I’d apply.</p>

<p>You’re GPA isn’t that far below average. You have a shot.
Same with your SAT. If you got it up this last time, even better.</p>

<p>Really cool extracurriculars. You have a pretty decent shot. :)</p>

7

<p>Thanks =) …just that I’m actually struggling with Physics and Calc at the moment and it’s killing me ! (as well as the fact that I have to get lots of things done quickly…senior year sure is a drag)</p>

8

<p>Hmm other stuff I left out</p>

<p>NHS (National Honors Society) 2 years
CSF (CA Scholarship Federation ) 2 years
National German Exam Ranked 88th percentile first year Level 2 , 80th percentile second year Level 3 (not sure if this really counts)</p>

9

<p>If you’re struggling with high school Physics and Calculus, bear in mind that HMC’s Core Physics and Math requirements are more difficult by orders of magnitude. Help is available everywhere at HMC, but (if you really are having difficulty grasping your current classes) you may have to commit yourself to drastically curtailing your ECs and social activities and working harder than you ever imagined in order to pass those classes – especially in freshman year. It’s not a deal-killer, but something to keep in mind as you weigh your options.</p>

10

<p>To be blunt, even if you did get in I have high doubts that you would be able to succeed here. To most students here getting over 750 on M2 would be trivial, as well as getting As in high school math classes. </p>

<p>Good luck to you, but bear in mind that getting into Mudd might actually be the easy part.</p>

11

<p>Even if you curtail every single activity other than homework and work study, you will not be able to pass if physics and math does not come automatically to you. Most of the kids are genius that find higher math as easy as 1+1 = 2. If you get in, it will a nightmare and you will flunk out. You can have a good life and fine career at a normal state university. If you are not a genius, don’t let Harvey Mudd ruin your life. My son did not get close to a 750 on the SAT II and they let him. I asked before he accepted whether he was really Mudd material and the nightmare admissions people said no problem. Now Mudd is destroying his mind, spirit and confidence. I just hope they don’t kill him.</p>

12

<p>My stats circa 2005</p>

<p>SAT (one sitting):
710 Math
580 CR</p>

<p>SAT II (one sitting):
800 Math II
790 Physics
560 Writing
800 Chem (they lost my test… but i KNOW that i got an 800)</p>

<p>AP:
Physics B - 5
Chem - 5
Calc AB - 5
Calc BC - 5</p>

<p>U/W GPA: 3.9
W GPA: 4.25</p>

<p>I struggled a bit in Mudd especially in the math classes. I probably had a C/C+ average in math. I also had a hard time with my first few humanities/social science classes at Mudd. However, once I got to upper-division classes I did quite well…mostly A’s.</p>

<p>The core is tough. I probably was ~30%ile in core overall.</p>

<p>So, perhaps my stats are an indicator when things may be a little difficult first year at HMC. I also learn differently than most people so I don’t know how stats play into that…</p>

13

<p>On a different note to BicoastalMamma, would you share which dorm your son is in? Perhaps his proctor could look in on him and make sure he’s ok over the weekend.</p>

14

<p>BicoastalMamma, I’m no math genius. It’s a struggle for me, and I quite dislike it. However, with the prof’s help, academic excellence, countless willing peers and tutors ready to explain concepts I haven’t quite gotten, and the wonderfulness that is pass-fail right now, I’m doing fine. Higher math does not be any means come as 1+1=2 would to me, but I’m balancing extracurricular activities and my social life fine. There’s just way too much support here to go that wrong.</p>

15

<p>See rocketda stats, that is the kind of math genius that can survive and thrive at Harvey Mudd. If you don’t score at least 750 on the math, don’t go. Support is not that helpful if you are embarassed to be the stupidest person, who never gets it without help. being sick since the beginning of the semester does not help either.</p>

16

<p>

Giving and receiving help is integral to the culture at Mudd. I suppose there are a few who could manage without it (Muddslinger comes to mind), but most would not. If your son is bent on “suffering in silence” and refuses to take advantage of the many resources available to him at Mudd (including faculty office hours, AE tutoring sessions, and his classmates and upperclassmen in his dorm), then that is not a fault of the college. It is something he will have to change in his own behavior. And if he won’t because of this “cultural difference” you say is such a problem for him, then if you care about what happens to him, I’d suggest that you contact Mary Cardenas and ask her to intervene.</p>

<p>BcM, is it your understanding that your son asked for an extension on the Physics midterm because of the flu? Because if he had asked, he would have received it. All flu-related requests have been granted throughout the semester. There were no flu-related requests for the frosh Physics midterm. If that surprises you, perhaps you should have another conversation with your son. That might be more productive than continuing your sniping at HMC in this forum, where they’re not around to respond with constructive action or to defend themselves from groundless accusations.</p>

17

<p>BcM-
You know, SOMEONE has to be the bottom of the class…which is unfortunate but true. If that is the way it is, your son has nothing to lose by asking for help. It isn’t like he would have to worry about his reputation… the only place to go is up!</p>

18

<p>This is it.</p>

<p>BicoastalMamma, if you are a truly caring parent, you will email Mary Cardenas NOW. If you don’t, then so help me, I will email her myself directing her to this forum, where she can read your accusations and seek out your son (if he exists).</p>

<p>You have 24 hours to email Mary Cardenas (and I will check with her myself to make sure a parent has sent an email) or come clean, or else I will send her an email. If your son does exist, he is a member of the Mudd community, and by the Honor Code and culture/spirit of the college, I have a responsibility to watch out for all members of the HMC community.</p>

<p>Ready, set, go.</p>

19

<p>One of the caring parents on this forum has already inquired to Mary Cardenas regarding this matter. Dean Cardenas is unaware of this student needing additional considerations as the student has not approached the dean. The dean was concerned and has started asking around to find out who this mystery student is. The message was sent at 7PM on a Friday night and responded to by 8:30PM the same night.</p>

<p>If they didn’t care, why would they respond to some random parent within 1.5 hours on a Friday night???</p>

20

<p>Alright, way to go Dean Cardenas. And thank you RocketDA for telling me this.</p>