How to Write the Harvey Mudd Supplement 2019-2020 TKG

How to Write the Harvey Mudd Supplement 2019-2020 Harvey Mudd is a science and engineering college in Claremont, California. It is hyper-focused. It is for engineers, scientists, and mathematicians. If you do not want to major in one of those areas, it is literally not designed for you. However, Harvey Mudd doesn’t cut its students off from the world of humanities.   The HSA program mandates that students pursue an area of interest in the humanities before graduation, and they encourage a well-rounded education through the Claremont Colleges consortium, which allows students to take classes at Pitzer, Pomona, Claremont McKenna, and Scripps while keeping Harvey Mudd as their ‘home’ institution.  Harvey Mudd has 844 students and no graduate programs. Over 40% of students are from California, and the acceptance rate is 14.5%. This year’s supplement is very similar to the supplement from last year, but they aren’t identical. The first question is the same, but option numbers one and three for question two are brand new. Becau se of this, we’re breaking down the whole shebang.  What influenced you to apply to Harvey Mudd College? What about the HMC curriculum and community appeals to you? Please limit your response to 500 words. Applying for a school with a STEM focus like Harvey Mudd is a little different than applying to a liberal arts school. At a liberal arts school, you may start as a biology major, become a dance major, and graduate as an art history major. At Harvey Mudd, the furthest you can get from biology is computer science. For all of your supplements, focus is your friend. For Harvey Mudd, it is a necessity.  We like to start by sharing the story behind your area of interest. Why do you want to study what you want to study? What is the story behind your interest? What has influenced you not just to apply, but to be confident enough in what you want to study to choose a school where you won’t have an escape hatch into a history major?Basically, what we’re saying is to be specific. Say w hat programs you are most interested in and what research opportunities you are drawn toward. A must-mention item is the Clinic Program. The Clinic Program is a critical piece of the Harvey Mudd educational experience along with team-based learning. Tie these things into your own experiences as a student in your chosen field. You have a lot of room in 500 words, so you should also have room to mention two professors who you’d like to work with and why you’d like to work with them. Also, mention two classes that you’d like to take.Finally, be sure to zoom out to the resources that the Claremont Colleges offer â€" a holistic education, not a pigeon-holed experience.    Please select one of the four prompts to answer. Please limit your response to 500 words.Below, we’ve broken down each of the prompts to help you pick your best fit. Remember that you have 500 words, not the 550 the Common App will allow you to paste in. Choice 1:   Many students choose HMC because they don’t want to give up their interests in the Humanities, Social Sciences and the Arts â€" or HSA as we call it at HMC.   Tell us about your dream HSA class. Your answer might (but doesn’t have to) include projects you could do, texts you might want to read, or topics you would want to explore.This is a fun question, but we don’t advise it unless you are down to get pretty wonky. In order to make the most of this question, you have to be willing to 1. Get creative, and 2. Do the work to create a proper mock syllabus complete with learning objectives, assigned readings, and project ideas. Your concept should also link into an area of interest for you outside of your proposed areas of academic focus. Which is to say, it shouldn’t be entirely out of left-field. It is absolutely critical that you ensure that what you are proposing is not already offered. Choice 2:   ''Scientific research is a human endeavor.   The choices of topics that we research are based on our biases, our beliefs, and what we bring: our cultures and our families.   The kinds of problems that people put their talents to solving depends on their values.'' - Dr. Clifton Poodry - How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve?We love this question! It allows you to share a piece of yourself while also geeking out â€" which it’s safe to say you enjoy if you are applying to Harvey Mudd. Beyond geeking out about something that interests you, this question demands that you look local and look inward. When you’re brainstorming an answer, focus on the world around you and the challenges you or your community faces on a daily basis. The example you give of what you want to solve doesn’t have to be big in scale. Something as simple as storm drain contamination can be fascinating if you are from an area that heavily relies on waterways. If you link your interests and the problems you want to solve well enough, a story will naturally emerge. Run with it. Stories are th e mortar that hold ideas together, and we know you have a lot of them. Choice 3: Who in your life is depending on you? For what are they depending on you?This is a very critical and meaningful question for a small subject of applicants. We greatly appreciate that it is here, but we also want to make sure that the right people choose it. This question is not for you if your answer would be about how your younger sister is depending on you because you are her role model and she thinks you are awesome. This question is for people who have real, significant responsibilities in their lives that go beyond those of normal teens.  However, this is also not a place for a sob story. If you feel that your life qualifies you to pick this question, be honest, be upfront, and don’t exaggerate. You should also avoid apologetic language. It is your life; own it, embrace it, and share what you are comfortable with.  Choice 4: What is one thing we won't know about you after reading your applicati on?The final question Harvey Mudd offers is a bit of a Hail Mary. If you picked one of the other questions, it shouldn’t even be necessary. You’ve already answered it! If you feel drawn to it anyways, we would still double down on suggesting that you go with options one or two instead. If you persist, allow yourself to have fun. Be playful, tell a story, and definitely write a scene. Be willing to be creative and a little vulnerable, or it’s best to pick another prompt.  Do you know where you want to go, but aren’t sure of how to get there? We’d love to help you out. Contact us for an expert helping hand.