HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE
301 East 12th Street
Claremont, CA, 91711-5990
www.hmc.edu

Harvey Mudd College is comparable to the best colleges in America such as Harvard , Stanford University , California Institute of Technology , Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This College is meant only for the brightest students.

Harvey Mudd College was founded in 1955 by the family of Harvey S. Mudd, a mining engineer and co-founder of one of the richest copper mines in the world, Cyprus Mines. Although Harvey Mudd died shortly before the college was established in 1955, the Mudd family went forward with plans to make this important institution a reality. Designed to overcome many of the shortcomings of traditional, narrow technical training, HMC has become a leader in science, mathematics and engineering education.

Apart from TOEFL(250), SAT I(2200) and SAT II are required. Only the best students can apply to this highly selective college.

SOME FACTS ABOUT HMC:

Ranked FIRST in the "Individual Academic Attention Given to Students" category - Kaplan's Newsweek College Catalog 2000

LEADS THE NATION in the percentage of graduates who go on to earn the Ph.D - Change Magazine

Ranked NUMBER ONE in engineering schools for six straight years - U.S. News and World Report

The HMC chemistry department ranks among the TOP FIVE in the country - Journal of Chemical Education

Ranked FIRST in production of physical science Ph.D.'s when adjusted for size. Caltech and MIT rank second and third

BEST undergraduate chemistry program in the nation - RUGG's Recommendations on the Colleges 1998

Ranked among TOP FIVE U.S. college and university "Think Tanks" - 1999 Kaplan/Newsweek Guide, "How to Get Into College"

Consistently ranked among the 100 BEST BUYS in higher education - Money Magazine

Ranked FIRST in the "Hidden Treasures" category - Kaplan's Newsweek College Catalog 2000

Ranks among the TOP TEN most selective colleges - Los Angeles Times

Ranked FIFTH among the nations' most selective colleges - Money Magazine

Ranked EIGHTH nationally in academics - The Princeton Review

Ranked in TOP ELEVEN institutions in teaching and research - Change Magazine

Ranked in the TOP 15 most wired schools, and TOP FIVE among Tech Schools - Yahoo! Internet Life

Ranked in the TOP TEN private schools - Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine Sept 1999 issue
   

 

BACHELOR'S PROGRAMS

BIOLOGY/BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Molecular Biology
Biochemistry
Mathematical Biology
Environmental Biology
Pre-medicine
Bioinformatics

CHEMISTRY

Applied Chemistry
Biological Chemistry
Chemical Education
Chemical Physics
Computational Chemistry
Environmental Chemistry
Geochemistry

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Computer Science
Computer Science and Mathematics

ENGINEERING

Biomedical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Electrical/Computer Engineering
Mechanical/Civil Engineering
Systems Engineering
Master of Engineering
The Master of Engineering (M.E.) Program is offered by the Department of Engineering to a small number of its own graduates.

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE

INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM OF STUDY

MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE

MATHEMATICS

PHYSICS

Electronics
Optics
Solid State Physics
Atomic and Nuclear Physics

STUDY ABROAD

In a world in which scientific developments impact life dramatically, a global perspective has become increasingly important. The very experience of studying abroad enables students to expand their education and to acquire an international perspective needed to function in a global society. Students who have studied abroad report a greater sensitivity to global issues, a deeper knowledge of the United States culture, customs and values, and a far-reaching understanding of the world and the challenges facing us in the twenty-first century. Typically, HMC students study abroad for one or two semesters during their junior year. Following are some of the countries to which HMC students go for study abroad:

Africa
Australia
Canada
China
Costa Rica
Equador
France
Germany
Great Britain
Hungary
Ireland
Israel
Japan
New Zealand
Singapore
Spain
Switzerland
Taiwan
Venezuela
Zimbabwe

CLINIC PROGRAM

The Harvey Mudd College Clinic Program engages students in the solving of real-world, technical problems for corporate clients. Engineering, mathematics, physics, and computer science departments each conduct clinic projects that draw upon the unique talents of our students and faculty advisors. Since Clinic was developed at Harvey Mudd College nearly 40 years ago, over 250 organizations have participated. This year the College is celebrating the 1000th completed project. Students work in groups of four or five under the guidance of a student project manager, a faculty advisor, and a liaison from the sponsoring organization. Projects begin in September, involve about 1200 work hours and are completed the following May. The liaison outlines the project requirements, approves the team's proposal for accomplishing the work, and receives weekly progress reports. In most cases the student team visits the sponsoring company for a midyear project review and typically provides a summary presentation to senior officials at the end of the project. Clinic teams present their research during public forums held on-campus and submit final written reports to the corporate customer upon completion of the project. Sponsors retain full rights to all intellectual property developed by the team. Every Clinic Project is formally presented at a special year-end event called Projects Day.

HMC MERIT-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS

All students who apply for freshman admission to HMC have the opportunity to be evaluated for merit awards; eligibility for merit awards are determined without regard to financial need. Transfer students are not eligible for these programs.
 
 
The Harvey S. Mudd Merit Award

All applicants for admission are considered for the Harvey S. Mudd Merit Award, including our foreign/international student applicants. Harvey S. Mudd Merit Award recipients are selected by the Office of Admission on the basis of their academic achievement and their leadership potential. Harvey S. Mudd Merit Award recipients receive a $5,000 per year renewable merit award. Recipients of this academic award have the following credentials:

SAT I
Verbal 700 or above
Math 750 or above
SAT II
Writing 700 or above
Math IIC 750 or above

High school rank within the top 10%

Evidence of character and personal promise as reflected in admission application materials.

Students applying for admission Early Decision may take the SAT I or SAT II exams up to and including the November test date for scholarship consideration. Students applying for admission Regular Decision may take the SAT I and SAT II exams up to and including the January test date for scholarship consideration. Eligibility is determined at the time of the admission decision only.

The Harvey S. Mudd Merit Award is automatically renewed for the recipient's sophomore year. However, in order to renew the award for the junior and senior years, recipients must obtain a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 by the conclusion of each spring term. In addition, you must be enrolled at least full time (12 units) to remain eligible to receive this award

 
NOVA SCHOLAR AWARD

The Nova Scholar Award is a one-half tuition merit award given by the Harvey Mudd College faculty to entering freshmen students who show exceptional academic strength, leadership, personal character and potential contribution to the HMC community.

Students considered for the Nova Scholar Award must have the following credentials:

  • Rank at or near the top 10% of their high school graduating class.
  • Achieve a combined score of at least 1450 on the SAT I.

A portion of this group will be designated as semi-finalists and must attend a weekend program in the beginning of March. The HMC faculty will select Nova Scholar Award winners based upon each student's academic strength, extracurricular activities, recommendations, application essays, leadership and/or potential contribution to the HMC community.

Nova Scholar recipients are eligible to receive this award for up to four years. While the award is automatically renewed for the scholar's sophomore year, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 must be obtained by the conclusion of each spring semester to renew the award for the junior and senior years. Renewal of the Nova Scholar Award is also contingent upon eight consecutive semesters of full-time enrollment, with the exception of an approved study abroad program or an approved leave of absence. Nova Scholar recipients are ineligible for the Harvey S. Mudd Merit Award and international students are ineligible for the Nova Scholar Award.

The So International Scholarship

Established by Peter ('86) and Paul ('88) So and their parents, the Yuen Sang and Yu Yuen Kit So International Scholarship Fund is designed to assist international students and non-citizens living in the Unitied States with significant scholarship support to attend Harvey Mudd College. The recipients of the So Scholarship will be selected based on superior academic performance, irrespective of financial need. The award is automatically renewed for the scholar’s sophomore year and continuation of the award is contingent upon maintaining a 2.75 cumulative grade point average.

The RIF Scholarship

The RIF Scholarship will be awarded each year to an incoming HMC student who demonstrates exceptional mathematical ability, possibly evidenced by strong performance in mathematical competitions. The value and number of scholarships may vary from year to year, depending on the funds in the RIF Hutchings Endowment, but the scholarship will be at least $1000. The scholarship is not need-based, and the recipient does not have to major in mathematics. The duration of the scholarship is one year, and is non-renewable.
For more information, and to apply on-line, please see the Mathematics Department's RIF Scholarship page.
 
While International Students are not eligible for need-based Harvey Mudd Scholarship, they are considered for the Harvey S. Mudd Merit Award and for a limited amount of HMC International Student Scholarship funding. All international students admitted to HMC are evaluated for the Harvey S. Mudd Merit Award; students who have submitted a Foreign Student Financial Aid Application and Certification of Finances are considered for the HMC International Student Scholarship. 
Outside & Private Scholarships

COSTS(per annum)
 
Tuition: $28,011
Fees:  $649
Room:  $4,790
Board (16 meal plan):  $4,630
Personal Expenses:  $900
Books & Supplies:  $800
Average Cost of Attendance:  $39,780

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What kind of student are you looking for?  Who gets in?
In a nutshell, we are looking for students who have excelled in challenging courses, have strong standardized test results, demonstrate a real passion for math and science but also a keen appreciation for subjects outside of math and science, are of good moral character, and want to contribute to our residential community.

Our applicant pool is very self-selected and this is reflected in the academic quality of the pool.  Most of our admits are in the top 10% of their high school classes.  Most admitted students score in the 700s on math portions of the SATs, and only slightly lower on their verbal and writing scores.

GPAs and SAT scores are typically high, making it difficult to distinguish between individuals based solely on these factors.  Since the applicant pool's "numbers" are so tightly clustered, we ask for other information. We must learn about student attitudes toward learning, toward peers, to identify hidden talents, and to get a sense of the individual beyond the statistical profile.  We admit people, not statistics, but the quality of our applicants, by any statistical measure, is extremely high.

Is it easier to get in if from a public or a private school?
Each applicant presents a different set of experiences and has had different opportunities.  Part of our evaluation must incorporate an analysis of the student's activities, choices, and performance within the context of that environment.  We need to understand if the high school is unusually competitive, or has an unusual curriculum, or has an especially stringent grading system. As a result, we never "rate" the high schools or give preference to one school over another.

What courses should I take?
Before enrolling at HMC, students must have completed yearlong high school courses in Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics.   A semester long college course may substitute for the high school course.

If I am unable to take one of these courses before I graduate high school, can I still be admitted?
Yes! Every year we admit some students who have not completed all these courses. We then require these students to complete a college course in the summer before enrolling at HMC. The student must pass the course with an "A" or "B" grade.

Is it better to take an advanced class and risk getting a lower grade, or simply keep a high grade average?
One of the key indicators we look at in evaluating applicants is the strength of the academic program.  Given the challenges that HMC classes present, it is critical that students have the best preparation possible, which includes taking several of the most demanding courses offered at your school.  Some of our applicants go further and take college courses during the summer or during the academic year. We would hope to see strong grades in the toughest classes.

How important is class rank? Should the rank be weighted or not?
It is extremely helpful for us to evaluate a student's performance in the context of the school environment. Class rank is a reasonable indicator, but not the only one that we consider.  Weighted ranks usually reflect the student's performance in light of the quality of the curriculum; the higher ranks reflect top grades in the toughest classes.

Some high schools do not provide a rank, and often for good reasons.  This is not a problem for us; we won't hold this against an applicant.  If a rank is unavailable, a school profile is extremely important in providing context about the school community and the rigor of the courses. We have found grade distribution charts to be especially instructive.
What are the requirements for international applicants?
International applicants follow the same application procedures as domestic students, but are also encouraged to submit the TOEFL exam if English is not their first language.

Is there a minimum score for the TOEFL exam?
We do not require students to take the TOEFL exam. For those who do take the exam, we commonly see scores above 600 on the written TOEFL or 250 on the computerized version.

Is financial aid available to international students?
Since students who are not US citizens or Permanent Residents are ineligible for federal financial support, the college must bear all the costs for financial assistance for international students. HMC does make available some limited funds for international scholarships, but they are few in number and competition for them is extremely keen.

Will my chances of gaining admission be affected if I apply as an international student seeking financial aid?
Yes. Since we will only admit international students who can provide their own financial resources or whom we decide to fund, chances of gaining admission improve if the international applicant does not apply for aid.

Can GSCE “O” level or “A” level exams replace the SAT requirements?
We do require a recommendation from an advisor, housemaster, head or assistant head of school who can place your contribution to your school and your performance in the context of your school. It is helpful for us to know what kind of opportunities you have had in your school and what you have done with those opportunities. It is also important for us to learn about things like grading patterns and scale, quality of students, and what impact you have had on others both in and out of class. Without this information, we will be forced to rely more heavily on objective measures of performance. This is troubling because we think of applicants as people not as statistics.

There is no college counselor at my school and we use a different educational system than US high schools. Will this hurt my chances of admission?
No. All freshman applicants must sit the SAT-I and 3 SAT-II exams.