<p>Hi CollegeConfidential. As of late, I’ve been fascinated by Harvey Mudd College. I’m only an eight grader, so I really don’t have a clue as to how I would prepare for applying to Mudd. I would really appreciate some information about academics, extracurriculars, and other aspects concerning the application process. I would also enjoy hearing anything about Mudd in general, as well (i.e. your experience, how the campus looks, the people, etc.). Thank you so much for your help.</p>
<p>BioFreaky,
It’s good that you are thinking three or four years down the road as to what can be done now for your future. Here are some things you should consider for applying to a highly selective college such as Harvey Mudd.
1a. Try to excel in all of your classes. You need a high GPA.
1b. Take as much math as you can, to get into a school like Mudd.
1c. Take advantage of the elective classes available to you. You might be excited by a different subject area, leading you in a different direction.
1d. Read and write a lot. Mudd, along with many other schools, wants students who can communicate well. You need to develop a good vocabulary, be able to recognize good writing and be able to write coherently and cogently.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Do well on the PSAT, SAT and/or ACT exams. You will need a high score on these tests. Plus, if you do very well on the PSAT, you can become a national merit finalist, which can open up some additional financial aid for you.</p></li>
<li><p>Participate in some extracurricular (EC) activities. Choose your activities for quality, not quantity, and not something that will “look good” on an application. Choose something that you really enjoy or want to learn more about. Schools generally favor an EC or ECs that you pursue in some depth and passion, becoming more adept and expert, and in which you take leadership roles. Some of your EC’s will probably be math, science or technology-related, if you are typical of a student interested in Harvey Mudd.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Miles Perrara, I’d like to thank you for you response. </p>
<p>Do you happen to know how intense the classes are? I’ve heard the academics are rigorous, but could you explain why they’re so hard? Is it the content itself or just the workload?</p>
<p>What science or math competitions should one enter? And are there any “out there” type activities one could do in order to make themselves a candidate likely to get accepted (i.e. starting a blog, writing a book, etc.)
Sorry for all my questions. I know I sound obsessive, but I really want to get into the school.</p>
<p>See what competitions or activities your school has to offer. Check with your math or science teacher.</p>
<p>Harvey Mudd is a great school to aspire to, but keep your mind open to other schools. Hopefully Mudd will remain at the top of your list, but you should know what alternatives or other options there are.</p>
<p>You might consider contacting the admission office directly, since they know more about this than people on the forum.</p>
<p>I don’t think he will get more specific answers than he is getting already on the forum. Admissions will not tell him what competitions to enter. There is no one forumula for entry to Mudd or any other top school, but Miles P has given him a good list of things to work on. My kid, for example, was admitted with minimal science/math competition experience. She tried a couple of things (USA Biology Olympiad & FIRST Robotics), but never progressed beyond the regional level at either. There is no one answer to the “best” way to prepare. Work hard, do what interests you the most for ECs. Visit the school to see how it feels in person.</p>
<p>Also, to the OP, if you are “biofreaky” because Bio is your favorite subject, consider that less than 3% of Mudd students are bio majors. If that is your focus, there are LOTS of great schools to consider. Oldsage, you can be pretty sure that admissions won’t mention that to the OP if he/she contacts them.</p>
<p>Note that there is about 3% in biology, but there are also bio-mathematics and biology-chemistry majors, to the total related to biology is around 10%. Also, Mudd ranks around 5th for students earning a PhD in the life sciences, so it’s a small but mighty program.</p>
<p>The most important thing is to make sure that you’re prepared academically to succeed at Mudd. For the first 3 or so semesters, Mudd students must take “core” classes in all kinds of science and math subjects. The first math class is a proof-based calculus class that assumes that you already know calculus. I would say definitely take a good physics class if you can because physics at Mudd is hard, and you will be expected to know it for classes down the road. Also, it helps to take a good chemistry class. It’s not as important to take a good bio class because there is only one required bio class at Mudd ant it’s not that hard, but you should take it if it interests you.</p>
<p>OP: Enjoy your childhood. Don’t get caught up in the admissions rat race,. at least not for a few more years. In H.S. take the advanced curriculum and don’t forget the EC’s. GL</p>