<p>I also looked very hard at Olin and Harvey Mudd when I was applying to colleges a year and a half ago. But first, a word of caution. After a year of going to Harvey Mudd and talking with several of my friends that go the Ivies, the general consensus is that the only major factor that influences how well you do in life is yourself. You can get research at any school. You can get a world-class education at any school you choose.</p>
<p>That said, HMC, Olin and other “top schools” essentially <em>force</em> you into excellence. At Olin, <em>everyone</em> MUST participate in a hardcore project-based environment. At HMC, you are <em>required</em> to delve into mathematical theory and proofs even if you have not the slightest intention of majoring in math. By the time you’re done, all of the these top schools will guarantee that you have the skills to succeed.</p>
<p>However, the other way to guarantee this is to have the self-motivation and will to succeed. At University of Colorado at Boulder, for example, you could cruise through the easy courses and graduate as a run-of-the-mill student. Or, you could push yourself to go the extra mile and receive an excellent education. In the eyes of grad school, it doesn’t make any difference at all. You have been warned.</p>
<p>As for Mudd “vs” Olin, it’s really does come down to personal preference. That probably doesn’t make sense right now, but a year from now you’ll all understand why it really doesn’t matter that much. For now, though, nrg91720 has posted a very, very long list (albeit not objective) of reasons to go to Olin. Just keep in mind that a very similar admissions-propaganda-sounding list could be fabricated for Mudd as well. Just be cautious when separating what’s admissions’ opinion and what’s fact.</p>
<p>Be very wary if you’re not set on engineering. If you decide that engineering isn’t that cool after all, frankly you’re screwed if you’re at Olin. At Mudd, though, you still have other technical majors to fall back to. The ultimate insurance policy, however, is to go to an aforementioned state school and have every major at your disposal :)</p>