Son is considering Harvey Mudd but would prefer a school with about 5-8K undergrads. He likes the hands-on project-based work, undergrad focus and liberal arts core but would love all of that in a bigger (and more urban) package. Does the consortium make things feel bigger or do kids really just hang out with other kids in their particular college? We’re visiting in a few weeks, just trying to gather some intel now.
I think consortium do make schools seem bigger because even if MOST students hang out at their schools (I don’t think they do), any one student can branch out to other schools, take a class, eat lunch.
I don’t think it is any different than the engineering school at a bigger university. Are their going to engineers who never do anything outside the engineering school? Yes. Are most going to join in other activities, from sports to intramurals to concerts? Yes.
Can’t help with the non-urban aspect but it isn’t that far from city life.
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If possible, a visit could be very helpful.
Yes, it does make Mudd feel bigger.
I didn’t look at Mudd with my kids, but I did look at some of the other consortium schools. Yes, each felt bigger. The campuses are all contiguous, although each has a different feel. But between shared dining halls, libraries, and athletics, overlapping academics, and other facilities, it really does feel like your’e part of a bigger institution. Think of it like a small university with residential colleges, each of which has its own culture, aesthetics, and traditions – but you still share many aspects of university life with students at the other colleges.
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I think them being contiguous like that really distinguishes them from most other LAC consortiums.
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I also think the Claremont schools are on the same academic calendar (not the case in many consortium schools).
Yes, everything is coordinated - course registration is managed through a single database, even though each college has its own dashboard for its students. Students register for classes throughout the consortium without any complicated cross-registration procedures.
EC’s are much more integrated than most consortia as well, with Mudd having joint athletic teams with CMC, a combined music program with CMC/Pitzer/Scripps, and so on. Social interaction and friendships across campus lines are common.
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Yes, most other consortiums for sure. The exceptions would be Babson and Olin College of Engineering, which are really one campus + Wellesley which is only 2 miles away, a bike ride or a short ride on the van. Some mega campuses are 2 miles long. Amherst and UMass are similarly close to each other and also connected by a van/bus. Barnard is across the street from Columbia and is really just an extension of the Columbia campus Haverford and Bryn Mawr are within walking distance of each other. St. Mary’s is across the street from Notre Dame.
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Older s looked at Harvey Mudd and younger s looked at Pomona and CMC. It does have the feel of one larger, contiguous school even if the schools themselves, individually, are smaller. Claremont village was a charming walkable area. Enjoy your trip.
Great, got my answer, thanks everyone!
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