Harvey Mudd College

Date: Sep 30 2004
Major: Math (This Major's Salary over time)
I have never met an undergraduate from another institution who has had as much personal interaction with their professors as I have had at Mudd. The people in my department are very friendly and supportive (as pertains to academics, but also with regards to other interests and life-plans). My experience has been that Mudd asks a lot, but makes a sincere effort to help students who are straggling (through standard programs like free peer tutoring).

This being said, Mudd is very demanding. Sophomore year was the hardest for me, and I seriously considered taking some time off. Like many Mudd students I had some issues related to intellectual self-esteem (it is very hard to go from being the best at everything that you do on the outside to a place where you often feel that you are lost or lagging behind the curve).

It is the prospect of release back into the outside world that really made me glad of my decision to come here. In intereactions I have had with students from other schools it has been obvious that I am much better prepared to function in any kind of high-intensity enviornment, and that the breadth of the material I have covered makes it much easier to connect with established intellectuals/professionals in the fields that I am interested in. Also, I should note that I really appreciate the opportunities I've had to take non-science classes at Mudd and the 5c. Though at the time these seemed like a burden, I feel like I know a lot more about the world and analytical thinking about non-technical subjects than people I know who went to different technically-focused schools.