My daughter was just recently taken off the waitlist so we missed the admitted students day and the opportunity for her to stay in one of the dorms.
I understand that they will have her fill out a personality form and try to match her, but some of the information online regarding the dorms sounds pretty negative. If what I read was true, it would be surprising for students to get much done. Maybe it is just all outdated.
Does anyone have any updated information about the different dorm cultures? She doesn’t play video games but also doesn’t do drugs or party hard.
Hoping for her to find a fun friendly place where she can play and still get stuff done.
Congrats to your daughter! As for dorm assignments, she should fill out that questionnaire honestly. A lot of thought goes into placements with trying to match things like waking/sleeping hours, noise tolerances, the things that have a daily impact.
Are you on FB? There is an admitted families FB page where you can post your question. My kid also doesn’t play video games/do drugs/party hard and they are having a good time and getting a lot of stuff done.
I concur with AgeofAquarius - have them fill the form out honestly, and possibly without you reading it. They may want to express things their own way. The placements are generally pretty good - only a few swaps take place during freshman year.
My own kid has been in the same dorm for their first two years, and will be in a different one next year thanks to room draw. Best we can tell, everyone finds the places to get work done that match their personality - for them, one of the other dorm’s lounges was a good fit.
TBH, given the workload, most of the kids are not drinking heavily, partying hard, or doing heavy drugs. A few are, and a few are doing more than they will eventually be happy with, but it’s a pretty safe environment and people look out for each other.
Feel free to reach out either here or on the FB group if you have any other questions. I believe enough in the school to both send my kid there, and to donate, but I’ve also got a pretty good idea of what it is and what it is not.
Hi! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. My son is a rising senior and Harvey Mudd is top three on his list. Your comment about having a good idea of what it is and what it is not has me interested. Could you please elaborate?
Also, I am concerned about the academic rigor and demand. My son will have taken 11 APs and Linear Algebra by the time he graduates. He’s used to hard work but high schools are different across the nation and I’m worried his high school was on the easier side and he will struggle at Mudd despite being a hard worker. Would greatly appreciate insight on that. Are kids not getting enough sleep? Are they stressed? Mental problems?