Jonathan Holcombe just finished his second year at Harvey Mudd College, a STEM focused school which is part of the Claremont consortium of schools in Southern California. Jonathan attended high school on the west side, but his mom now lives on the Palouse and volunteers for Palouse Pathways. Here’s why Jonathan thinks you should consider HMC.
Harvey Mudd had always been up at the top of my college list, so getting in was an absolute dream come true. Being a STEM-focused liberal arts school, it looked like a unique place to receive a very well-rounded, interdisciplinary education, with requirements and opportunities in many areas of both STEM and in the humanities, social sciences, and arts. The curriculum looked quite challenging, but with how interdisciplinary and in-depth the courses were, I saw it not as a stressful hurdle to overcome, but as an opportunity to rise to my full academic potential.
The fact that Harvey Mudd is part of the Claremont Colleges consortium—five small liberal arts colleges that are spread across just one square mile like little neighborhoods—also seemed to come with so many perks, such as being able to cross-enroll in classes at any of the other colleges and eat at all of the campuses' dining halls! And given that Mudd only has around 900 students, all super STEM-focused, the other four colleges create a lot of opportunities to meet different kinds of people.
When I learned that Harvey Mudd is also part of a successful Division III Track & Field program (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps), that was another huge plus to me. I knew that a D-IIl athletic program would enable me to pursue and prioritize my education at the highest level without having to give up the sport I love.
I'm happy to say that Mudd has lived up to everything so far! The courses have been amazing, and with such small classes, I have formed some deep and meaningful connections with the professors and faculty here. The food and campus life is great, with a very work-hard/play-hard culture. People take our Honor Code very seriously, so we are granted many privileges (such as take-home exams and 24/7 access to classrooms and their technology to be used however we want!) and everyone acts with respect and integrity. The entire student body of the Claremont Colleges are genuinely some of the nicest people I've met, and I'm amazed that the colleges were somehow able to get so many nice people together in one place.
Being on the Track & Field team has also been everything I hoped it would be, and I've continued to set new personal records in my events while getting all of the social, physical, and mental health benefits from the athletics and the tight-knit team we have.
I'm so glad that I decided to pick the college that seemed like the best fit for me as an individual (rather than only chasing prestige), and I hope that you all are able to find your own perfect fit, too!