<p>Cider,
Your comment about Reed offering a doctoral program leads me to believe that you probably haven’t done enough research about Reed yet. Here are some questions I’d suggest you ask yourself, and research more thoroughly:</p>
<ul>
<li>What do you think you’d enjoy about attending a liberal arts college? (Harvey Mudd is more like MIT than it is like Reed, in my opinion)</li>
<li>Do you think you’d enjoy Hum 110?</li>
<li>Is Reed’s discussion based teaching approach a fit for the way you learn?</li>
<li>Would you be OK with Reed’s rather extensive distribution requirements? </li>
<li>How do you feel about Reed’s qualifying exam and thesis requirement? </li>
<li>What do you think of Reed’s “grades recorded but not given to the student” approach?</li>
<li>Are you a pretty adaptable person? Would smoking (legal or otherwise) be a deal breaker for you, whether at Reed or elsewhere? What other sorts of student activities or attitudes might be a deal breaker for you? Do you think you’d find Renn Fayre fun? (try doing a search on YouTube for “Reed College Renn Fayre”)</li>
<li>What is it that is keeping Reed on your mind, besides the fact that they said you could still apply if you want? Try to be as specific as possible - make a list of at least ten reasons you think Reed <em>might</em> be a fit for you.</li>
</ul>
<p>The above questions are ones that anyone considering Reed needs to think about before they sit down to write a convincing “Why Reed” essay – and if you haven’t thought about them yet, it’s likely that you still have some research and thinking to do before deciding whether to apply or not. Good luck!</p>