Harvey Mudd is a small liberal arts college offering only science, math, and engineering majors, or STEM, but with a liberal arts foundation that means students graduate well-rounded and ready to take on the world. Students are attracted to Harvey Mudd because the school empowers them to pursue their humanities interests as an integral part of a STEM-centric education. This is in high demand as so many other top STEM programs require a nearly singular focus, which can result in a lopsided education. Admissions is, unsurprisingly, highly competitive and the overall acceptance rate is under .

In this post, we’re going to break down how to write a strong Early Decision II application to Harvey Mudd, but first let’s talk about why one should apply ED II at all. When it comes to applying to college, there is a choice you can make that greatly increases your chances of admission to a dream school: applying early decision. Applying in the ED rounds tells a school that you are fully committed to attending. At some schools, this can double your chances of acceptance. At most, though, it offers a more modest, but still important, leg up over Regular Decision competition. You also get your decision earlier, which is a nice perk.

The hitch is that you have to already be a strong applicant to the college or university. If you aren’t a strong academic fit for a school, no matter how much you like it or how well you would thrive there, applying ED I or ED II doesn’t help. You still won’t get in. If you are a strong fit, though, but not a shoo-in (which doesn’t really exist anymore, anyway), applying early can be a significant difference-maker. This is especially true when you pair an early application with strong writing that makes a true argument for you as an applicant. 

Early Decision II isn’t ‘worse’ than ED I, but it is the best option you have after the ED I deadline has passed. ED II can also be a strong move if you were denied from a more competitive school in the first Early Decision round. Now, let’s get into it.

We help strong students get into outstanding schools through Early Decision II. Contact us to learn more. 

As we’ve said, ED II is a strategy play. Picking Harvey Mudd as your ED II is the first step, but executing an acceptance-worthy application is the next one. So, let’s do it. 

PICKING A MAJOR

We don’t usually spend much time explaining how to pick a major to list on your application, because it’s typically usually self-explanatory. You want to pick what you feel, at this moment, you are most likely to study and most qualified to pursue when held up next to your transcript and test scores. The one ‘no go’ is, always, undecided. You must apply with a major in mind, even if it could change before you even arrive on campus. At Harvey Mudd, though, there are three options you absolutely should not pick.

Because Harvey Mudd is so focused on STEM, they have a very short list of majors for applicants to choose from. Despite this, there are three you do not want to put on your ED II application. First, “Undecided.” Just don’t do it. Harvey Mudd is looking for students who have confidence in their vision of the future. Listing yourself as undecided kicks the legs out from under you application, so don’t do it. The next one you don’t want to list is “off-campus major.” This isn’t because the Off-Campus Major isn’t a cool option. Rather, Harvey Mudd is looking for students who want them, not ones looking to get off campus before they have even arrived.  

The final option you should not pick for a major is on campus, but is still a bad idea: “individualized program of study.” In the vast majority of situations, selecting “individualized program of study” does not communicate what students who select it thinks it does. Someone may feel like selecting this option makes them look creative, in control of their educational journey, or unique. The real impact is a student looks both overly confident and unclear of their path.

When the application readers are assessing your application, you want them to envision how you will fit into the Harvey Mudd academic ecosystem and contribute to their strong, tight-knit community. The best way to start off on solid ground is by selecting a major that aligns with your strengths and interests, and that is specific.

Next, Context and Background.

CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND

In the Context and Background section, Harvey Mudd invites you to select responsibilities that take up significant amounts of time in your life from a list that includes things like family responsibilities, housing insecurity, and employment. We’ve seen some students hesitate to fill this out truthfully — not that they want to lie, but that they want to omit. They are nervous that being honest about the responsibilities they carry may hurt their chances of admission.

Not only is this not the case, but it is also actually quite the opposite. Providing accurate information through this section is critically important, and will help admissions officials put your academic accomplishments into context with the opportunities you have access to.

If you have nothing to include here, it won’t hurt your application. But they will be looking for grades and scores that reflect an ability to focus on school without significant additional familial or financial responsibilities.

Once that’s out of the way, it’s time to address the supplement.

THE SUPPLEMENT

Harvey Mudd has three supplement prompts: a long one, a short one, and a portfolio-type one. For each, you want to be very certain to follow the instructions, avoid redundancy, and be your most polished authentic self.

Harvey Mudd College seeks to educate engineers, scientists, and mathematicians well versed in all of these areas and in the humanities, social sciences and the arts so that they may assume leadership in their fields with a clear understanding of the impact of their work on society. - HMC Mission Statement

“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

HMC’s collaborative community is guided by our mission statement. Through an intentional interdisciplinary curriculum our students seek to build a skillset adaptable to society’s needs. How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve, the people you want to work with, and the impact you hope your work can have? (up to 500 words)

This is the long supplement — and not just the length of the prompt. You have up to 500 words to talk about your background, and the influence of your upbringing on what you want to create in the world. There are a few key words in this prompt, and they all come in the last sentence: “solve,” “work with,” and “impact.”

Harvey Mudd works hard to build a community of students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse interests, that augment their STEM focus, who want to positively impact the world. This supplement is your opportunity to show them that you are someone they want in that mix. Before you start drafting, though, there are a few things you much leave off your brainstorm list.

First, you cannot be redundant here. Do not focus on anything that you have emphasized in you main Common App essay.

Next, this is not a hardship contest. It is really easy to read the prompt and come to the conclusion that you have to write about the hardest thing you've faced in your life and state that it is your goal to solve that problem in the future.

If you narrow your options for this prompt to hardship, that sets many applicants up for a supplement that either feels repetitive or that falls flat. So, we recommend that students approach the supplement prompt backwards. You should brainstorm with a focus on what you want to solve, and then link it back to something in your background. This will automatically nearly force you to emphasize your passions and strengths over the parts of yourself you most likely had no control over. You want to be in the driver’s seat for this supplement, and starting with a passion for creating change does just that.

Many students choose Harvey Mudd because they don’t want to give up their interests in the Humanities, Social Sciences and the Arts – or HSA as we call it at HMC. Briefly (in 100 words or less) describe what you'd like to learn about in your dream HSA class. Your class can either be one chosen from existing classes at HMC, or you are welcome to create your own. (100 words)

This supplement is short at only 100 words, but it matters. Harvey Mudd is a STEM-focused school with a liberal arts mindset. They know that applicants to Harvey Mudd are probably also applying to other science, engineering, and math-centric universities and colleges that don’t share their same commitment to the humanities and arts. Here, you need to make it clear why you are picking them over those other potential options. By writing your dream HAS class, you’re able to bring your vision for your education to life. We recommend writing this response as a course description, with a course name and a concise description that includes learning objectives. This should not be an interpretation of an existing course, but can be inspired be courses currently on offer.

Optional: You may include examples of work that you would like to share, including additional math and science endeavors, research abstracts, or creative projects. Please limit your submission to two pages.

We love this opportunity to submit additional work, but be sure to follow the rules. They ask you to limit your submission to two pages. Every year, students ignore this request because they think that what they have to share is worth taking up more space. That is the wrong impulse, so banish it from your mind if it is how you’ve been thinking. You have two pages — how are you going to use them?

Applying ED II to Harvey Mudd is a strong statement of your commitment to a STEM education with a humanities and arts edge. Simply submitting ED II doesn’t say it loud enough, though. Use this supplement to say more.

Applying to college ED II requires strategy. Email us to get yours.