Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. The most memorable lesson of my life began with the words "Lean forward." I’m in a guzheng (Chinese zither) lesson, learning a piece called "Gao Shan Liu Shui" [High Mountains, Flowing Water]. At the start of the lesson, I sit down and begin to pluck out the...

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. Harvey Mudd College’s mission statement speaks to me, because my studies in high school have shown me how different fields of study complement each other. When I took chemistry and physics in the same year, I noticed I’d often learn about something like kinetic energy in one class, then, the next day, cover...

"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? The first time a family friend asked me, "What do you want to major in?" I didn't...

I wrote a lot of essays and half-finished essays when I was doing my HMC application. The formula that somehow ended up working for me was that I would stay up until 1 AM doing homework, get a great idea, write until 3, then edit the essay for coherence during the day. I found that my early morning writing was the best overall in structure and direction, even if it was somewhat lacking in things like grammar and contained lots of typos ...

I interviewed with Harvey Mudd and Pomona College, both of which conduct their interviews with senior admissions interns instead of with alumni, like a lot of other schools do. The interviews were...