<p>GPA: 93.2/100
Class rank: Our school doesn’t do this. Extremely competitive public High School in NYC, 700 kids in my grade
SAT I’s: CR 680, Math 760, Writing 660.</p>
<p>SAT II’s: Math 2 - 800, Physics - Probably 760-800, just took it</p>
<p>EC’s:
Four Year Football player (This takes up most of my year)
Four Year Bowler
Worked summer at Hedgefund, comp sci related job.
National Honor Society</p>
<p>Academics
Four Aps - Calc AB (5),Comp Sci AB (5), Physics C, Stat
College classes - Multivariable calculus, Systems (year after ap comp sci), Cisco Networking ( not sure if this is counted as a college class)</p>
<p>I’m wondering how much being a football player will factor into the decison . . .</p>
<p>HMC isn’t known for the athletes at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team. SATs are low, esp verbal. Football could help, but the applicant pool is very self selective, you’re ECs are good. Just show some pure creativity in the essays and have a good chance. I’d re-take those SATs. I had essentially the same score as you, and then went up 140 points. CR and W are just luck of the draw test, if you can sucessfully determine the meaning on a given day you get a higher score. Good Luck!</p>
<p>Actually, your ECs really are not up to par. You don’t have anything that stands out. Being an athlete won’t really help you much here. Also, where are the science and math related ECs?? That’s what HMC wants, especially success at math/science competitions. And yes, the CR and writing scores a little low. Also, you haven’t taken AP Bio and AP chem, and a lot of the other APs. It sounds crazy, but 4 APs is well below the average for Harvey Mudd. Does your school not offer many? Because if it does and you chose to not take the AP classes, it will definitely hurt your chances.</p>
<p>AtomicFusion – Are you saying AP Chem is a must-take? DS will have 10 APs, incl. AP Calc BC, AP CompSci AB, AP Stat and AP Physics C, as well as several humanities APs. Due to scheduling conflicts, he would have to drop some math/comp sci courses that have a lot more to do with where he wants to go academically/professionally if he’s gotta take AP Chem!</p>
<p>Are you saying (by extension) that SAT IIs in math (level 2), phys and world hist aren’t enough?</p>
<p>Or is the reality that not taking AP Chem really puts you behind the 8-ball when it comes time to take HMC Chem?</p>
<p>Football is a pretty big extra curricular imo. It’s a full-year sport, pretty much most of my week is spent at football practice. I don’t know how many other applicants have an EC this time consuming. This is also the reason for me not being able to join Math team or w/e. I’m not able to fit it in my time frame. </p>
<p>The reason for the lack of APs is that my schedule didn’t really permit me to take AP Chem or Bio. I had the choice of either taking AP Calc and Comp Sci or taking AP chem - a subject I don’t really like - and I’m happy with my decision.</p>
<p>Well for SAT IIs, HMC requires Math IIc and either bio/chem/physics and a humanities one. I’m pretty sure they don’t care if you only take one of the science ones (I only took chem).</p>
<p>I’ve heard my professors say several times that they assume for frosh classes that we have taken the science APs. They definitely assume that you’ve taken AP/IB Calc (I think it’s even a requirement). For admission, they really want to see the AP science courses, but if you have a completely booked schedule and cannot take them, they won’t hold that against the applicant. </p>
<p>I know football is an EC that requires a lot of time, but think of what kind of school this is. We don’t really need athletes. The ECs are still below average for students here because they show no achievement or effort in science/math. Harvey Mudd isn’t the ordinary school, and our view of ECs definitely reflects that. And time spent in an EC does not necessarily equate to a helpful EC for college admissions. </p>
<p>If your schedule is full and you really did challenge yourself in high school, then you shouldn’t be that hurt in admissions. It will set you back a little your freshmen year, but it should be okay.</p>
<p>In response to atomicfusion, HMC does not require a humanities SAT II.</p>
<p>Directly from HMC’s website: </p>
<p>"# College Board Scholastic Assessment Tests</p>
<ol>
<li>SAT Exam (including writing component)</li>
<li>An official score report from the College Board is required to complete your application. SAT Exam scores appearing on the high school transcript will NOT be accepted in lieu of an official score report. SAT Subject Exams
Two SAT Subject Exams are required: Math 2, and a second one of your choice. Students who apply Early Decision may submit scores from tests taken as late as November."</li>
</ol>
<p>I assume from your location that you attend and that you probably applied before the new SAT. Possibly Harvey Mudd dropped the humanities requirement with addition of the writing section?</p>
<p>“The ECs are still below average for students here because they show no achievement or effort in science/math.”</p>
<p>Would seven years of math be enough effort shown? I had to double up on math classes freshman year and junior year in order to take Multivariable by senior year. Outside of my job at the hedgefund, I know I haven’t done much in terms of math/science outside of school, but I never really found interesting activities worth pursuing.</p>
<p>Too bad no one ever pointed you towards USACO. If you want to be a comp sci major, it is a most excellent way to get some serious algorithm-based programming. It takes you WAY past AP Comp Sci. It doesn’t require a team at school – it’s all individual, though I understand some schools have clubs that work towards USACO competitions. </p>
<p>USACO also has an entire online curriculum of training problems and lessons – you don’t have to compete in the tournaments to work on their syllabus.</p>
<p>Did you compete in AMC/AIME? If you did, those scores would help your chances.</p>
<p>You should still apply because you have a shot. Try to bring up those test scores to compensate for the ECs and really write a solid essay. From what I understand the essay is pretty important for Mudd and can push you in if you’re on the border.</p>
<p>I actually started some work with USACO towards the end of my junior year, but I didn’t feel I learned enough to do some of the work on there. I think the comp sci classes I’m taking this year go much further than the AP class. We’re learning systems programming in the Unix system and next term I’m learning graphics. </p>
<p>I took the AMC/AIME, but my scores weren’t too good. Everyone in my school is eligible to take them, but it’s usually the math team kids who end up doing well.</p>
<p>USACO is difficult – it probably starts where AP Comp Sci leaves off, for the most part. DS1 started doing it for fun the summer after 8th grade and has been participating in the competitions ever since. He teaches himself languages for grins and likes to play with this kind of stuff.</p>
<p>The few of my son’s friends who do it are the serious, serious programming types who are also very strong in math – there is no forcing code in USACO (unlike ACSL). He is going through the curriculum and has worked his way up, but he gets stuck sometimes on a particular problem (and the way it’s set up, you have to solve it to continue to the next item). It is much more computer <em>science</em> than programming per se.</p>
<p>Hmm. I think atomicfusion was being a little harsh. Sorry theodorant… I’ll apologize on his behalf.</p>
<p>You have a shot… and Mudd is honestly an amazing place. Rather than tell you it is a reach or not… it doesn’t change the fact that you should definitely apply if you really like HMC. Yeah, yeah, HMC students (not to mention alums) have some pretty impressive records, but in all, us debating about whether it is a match or reach will not change the admissions team’s decision. All we can/should do is tell you what we think of the school and maybe, just maybe, you’ll fall in love with the school too.</p>
<p>The thing is that whenever I talk to a college advisor, he/she always tells me I have strong ECs. I guess I don’t have any academic ECs except for my summer job, but I always thought the two four-year sports were good seeing as how they are how I spend all of my time during the year. Not many aspiring computer scientists who spent their high school days playing football.</p>
<p>How do you get to do football year-round? Our school system has pretty strict rules on when weight training and practices can begin, etc. My DS2 (a freshman) played JV this year and it was 18-20 hours a week between practice and games. He finished last week and is SO glad to have his life back (so his first debate tournament was today after school!). It was tough on school work, too. By the time he got home from practice at 6:30, he was fried, and he’s in pre-IB, so slacking was not an option. The coaches would love to see him wrestle (they want to “bulk him up”), but I think he’s going to stick to karate two nights/wk. and weight training for a couple of hours after school a week instead.</p>
<p>Three practices a week during the summer (July-August), six days a week including games from Sept-Nov. We start weightlifting around January and do that three days a week until school ends. Once we hit the off season its only about six hours a week. </p>
<p>I wish I could I get home at 6:30. I go to school in Manhattan, but live in Queens, so I usually get home around 8. I’d recommend that your son go to weightlifting and bulk up, I gained about 30 pounds of muscle since freshman year; It’s pretty cool comparing my pictures from freshman year to this year.</p>
<p>Oh sorry. I think the requirements did change then from last year. Sorry for the false information.</p>
<p>Well yeah, varsity football is an EC that takes a ton of time. But, at Harvey Mudd they will care less than other colleges because we value academic ECs over athletic ECs. Varsity football is definitely a plus in ECs, but you lack the kind of ECs Harvey Mudd is looking for. And your ECs are fine, but at extremely competitive colleges like Harvey Mudd, they won’t be of much use. </p>
<p>Also, counselors don’t really know what they’re talking about. That’s why we have this web site…</p>
<p>My football player is 14 years old, 6 ft. 2 1/2 in., and 215 lbs!! (He actually lost 20 lbs during the season.) Do you know what it would cost to feed that child if he “bulks up”??? We’ve been saying “food or college” to him for years… :*)</p>
<p>On the other hand, my other son (who is interested in HMC) is 5’10" and 111 lbs soaking wet. He plays Ultimate.</p>