<p>Congrats to all those accepted!</p>
<p>
Increasing black enrollment, specifically, is a major goal for HMC under Maria Klawe. So is increasing female enrollment, but black enrollment seems to be even more so. In Dr Klawe’s “state of the campus” address at Family Weekend, she stressed HMC’s recruiting efforts in this area - including:</p>
<p>1) reserving 10% of admission slots for a “special category” of students who lack the traditional qualifications, who in her words “are just as smart, but may not be as well prepared and will need some extra help”. She didn’t elaborate as to how “just as smart” would be measured or what “extra help” Mudd would provide or how it would be funded, but she went directly from this point to her points about recruiting black students (please note that she made an explicitly racial connection here, not me). Schools with large black populations are where Mudd’s looking for these “special” students. She commented that alumni have expressed a great deal of concern over this – not the racial aspect, but the potential “dumbing down” of HMC’s curriculum and consequent devaluation of their own hard-won degrees. I gathered that it’s an experimental measure, but Mudd’s very committed to making it work. I also gathered from a recent email message sent to the HMC community that they implemented the 10% admission reservation thing this year, though I’m not certain of this.</p>
<p>2) intensifying admissions outreach to schools in predominantly black neighborhoods and marketing to black students. She said that they’re doing ok with outreach to Hispanics and Asians, but they’re having a tough time selling Mudd to black students. They can’t admit kids who don’t apply.</p>
<p>3) expanding educational outreach to elementary and secondary schools, again with emphasis on schools in predominantly black neighborhoods. Mudd does some pretty cool stuff with the K-12s, and it sounds like more cool stuff is in store – a great experience for both Mudders and K-12ers imho, if the Mudders are given appropriate guidance.</p>
<p>From what I read here on CC, I imagine all three efforts will be very popular here.</p>