Harvey Mudd College was chartered in 1955 as a liberal arts college of engineering, science, and mathematics and opened its doors to students in 1957.
The school is named after Harvey Seeley Mudd, who was the chairman of the Board of Fellows at what was then known as Claremont College.
The college offers students Bachelor of Science degrees in engineering, physics, chemistry, computer, and other sciences.
The 2021 to 2022 academic year saw 905 students enrolled at the college, 70% of which received some form of financial aid.
The same academic year saw the school offer applicants a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 and 95 tenured or tenure-track faculty members who have won numerous awards and accolades.
Harvey Mudd College currently has nearly 8,000 alumni, and 2021 graduates saw a median starting salary of $117,500 for those who entered the workforce, while 26.6% of the class entered graduate or professional schools.
Though small, this liberal arts college of science and engineering is highly ranked among colleges in the United States.
The school has been ranked as the best liberal arts college for 2022 in the country by Washington Monthly, while the U.S. News and World Report for 2023 ranked Harvey Mudd at number 2 for the best undergraduate engineering program.
With such high national rankings and its enviable academic environment, many students seek admittance into this prestigious liberal arts college of science and engineering.
Many of these students will be considering other options as well, and they will be enticed to apply to the school for Early Decision to maximize their opportunities.
Harvey Mudd Early Decision Acceptance Rate
Harvey Mudd College accepts 21% of the students who apply for Early Decision admission to the college.
For context, the overall acceptance rate at Harvey Mudd is 10%; in a recent year, 473 students were admitted to the school out of the pool of 4,737 applicants.
This demonstrates the highly selective admissions landscape facing students who apply to the college, and students considering applying to the school may be wise to consider applying for Early Decision admission since the acceptance rate for early applicants is twice as high as it is for general admissions.
Considering how few applicants are accepted into Harvey Mudd’s freshman classes, it stands to reason that those who are accepted are able to demonstrate extremely high academic achievement and success from their high school careers.
Although statistics for the grade point averages of incoming freshman students are not reported in its latest Common Data set, the academic rigor and success demonstrated by the students who submitted standardized test scores show that Harvey Mudd looks for the best and brightest when considering candidates for its freshman classes.
From the latest data available on Harvey Mudd’s website, incoming freshmen who submitted test scores contributed to the impressive ACT middle 50% composite score range of 34 to 36.
Along with this, the middle 50% range of scores on the math section of the SAT was 760 to 790, and the middle 50% range of scores on the ERW section of the SAT was 720 to 770.
Harvey Mudd College does not currently require students to submit standardized test scores. The data for the 2021 to 2022 academic year show that 20% of the freshman students chose to submit ACT scores, and 40% of the freshman class chose to submit SAT scores when applying to the college.
Harvey Mudd ED Decision Date
Students who apply to Harvey Mudd College through its Early Decision I program will learn of the school’s decision by the 15th of December.
Early Decision II applicants will learn whether or not they have been accepted into the school by the 15th of February.
Since Early Decision applications are binding agreements between the student and Harvey Mudd College, learning the school’s admission decision as early in the year as possible will give students who are not accepted into the college time to apply for regular admission to other institutions they may have been considering.
Students who are accepted into the school through one of the Early Decision windows can enjoy less stress for the remainder of their senior years as they know that they have been accepted into one of the country’s leading engineering and science colleges.
In order to have the best chance of receiving a favorable admission decision from Harvey Mudd College, prospective students should be aware of the criteria the school’s admissions department looks at when considering a candidate. Academic performance is considered more important than anything else, with the rigor of high school coursework, grade point average, application essays, and letters of recommendation all considered the most important by the school.
Although Harvey Mudd’s admissions department gives less weight, extracurricular activities and personal character are also considered necessary.
Rounding out the factors the college considers when reviewing applications are class rank, standardized test scores, residency, racial makeup, relations to alumni, and interviews, along with a few other factors.
When reviewing applications, Harvey Mudd does not consider an applicant’s religious affiliation, nor an applicant’s demonstrated level of interest at all.
Although waiting for a decision from Harvey Mudd College can be stressful, many students will feel that applying for Early Decision admission is worth the stress when considering the higher acceptance rate for students who apply for early admission.
Harvey Mudd Early Decision Deadline
The deadlines for students interested in attending Harvey Mudd College to submit their applications for Early Decision admission are as follows: November 15 for Early Decision I applications and January 5 for Early Decision II applications.
Particularly for students who wish to apply by the Early Decision I deadline, it is imperative to begin collecting application materials and writing essays as soon as possible to prepare them for any unexpected delays or difficulties in preparing the application.
Students who wish to apply for financial aid from the school should note that FAFSA and CSS Profiles must be submitted by the same deadlines as must be observed for Early Decision I and Early Decision II applications.
Those who seek scholarships based on merit face a deadline of the 20th of January whether applying for Early Decision I or Early Decision II admission.
Suppose a student wishes to interview with the school.
In that case, this must be completed by the 15th of November for Early Decision I applicants and by the middle of December for Early Decision II applicants.
Although keeping up with a calendar full of deadlines may be a headache, hopeful students should keep the benefits of applying for Early Decision admission in mind when they find the scheduling to be a major hassle.
Completing and submitting all of the necessary application materials and documents in the first part of their senior years will be well worth the trouble once students receive their decisions and are able to enjoy the latter half of their high school senior years as they contemplate college life at Harvey Mudd.
How to Apply to Harvey Mudd University for Early Decision
Students who wish to apply to Harvey Mudd for Early Decision admission begin the application process by creating an account on the Common Application website.
The Common Application requires students to complete a personal essay as part of the application process, and the $70 application is also paid through the Common Application unless a student obtains a need-based fee waiver.
Harvey Mudd requires two other written responses from students: a short essay in which a student describes their background and influences that impact the work they wish to perform and a short response that describes what their dream class at Harvey Mudd would look like.
Students applying to the school will also need to work with their counselors and teachers in order to complete their applications.
Counselors will need to complete and submit a letter of recommendation, the student’s high school transcript, and school report, and students must obtain a letter of recommendation from a math or science teacher as well as a letter of recommendation from a teacher in the arts, social sciences, or humanities.
While students may choose to submit standardized test scores and undergo an admissions interview or forgo these, they should be aware that the college will consider these supplemental materials if submitted.
Considering how competitive the admissions process for Harvey Mudd College is, it may be well worth the additional time and effort to complete and submit these materials in order to bolster the likelihood of being admitted to the college.
Although completing and submitting all of the required and supplemental application materials may make for a busy and hectic first semester of a student’s senior year, upon acceptance to this prestigious liberal arts college of engineering and science, students can feel proud of the school’s recognition of their achievements in their high school careers.