Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA · Private · 921 undergrads

Admit rate: 12.7% (4,792 applicants)
SAT middle 50%: 1500–1570 (ACT 34–36)
Undergraduates: 921 (11.0% international)
Average net price: $35,924 (per year after aid)
Graduation rate: 92% (within 6 years)

Deadlines

Early Decision: Nov. 15, 2026
Early Decision II: Jan. 5, 2027
Regular Decision: Jan. 5, 2027

Essays

Question 1 (500 words)

The problems that Harvey Mudd College students hope to tackle are shaped by their experiences, values, and communities. Through our intentionally interdisciplinary curriculum and our mission to develop "a clear understanding of the impact of their work," Mudders develop the skills needed to address these complex challenges and contribute meaningfully to society. Share how an experience you've had or community you belong to has shaped the kinds of problems you want to solve and the impact you want to make.

Question 2 (250 words)

No one succeeds alone, and at Harvey Mudd College, no one expects you to. In and out of the classroom, HMC students are encouraged to embrace challenges, collaborate with one another, and ask for support when they need it. Describe a time when asking for help made a difference in your work or wellbeing. What led you to reach out, and what did you take away from the experience?

Editor's notes

Recommendations carry unusual weight here. The CDS rates them very important, ahead of the essay, and Harvey Mudd specifically wants a humanities, arts or social science teacher alongside a STEM teacher. Choose that second teacher as carefully as the first. A lukewarm English letter can tell them you'd be unhappy in the core.
Think hard about ED. About 40% of the class enters through early decision, and the fall 2025 CDS shows 109 ED admits out of 643 total. But if a merit award like the President's Scholars Program decides whether you can come, the school itself tells you to apply RD.
Test-optional is real here. In the Class of 2029, 30% of enrolled students applied without scores, and the CDS rates test scores only considered. Send them if they look like the scores in the profile; otherwise put your effort into the two essays.