Failed attempts to catch a lizard in our office: 3
Number of people involved: 5
Number of days Pat speculates the lizard has been in residence: 30
Odds that the lizard is currently hunkered behind the water cooler: excellent
May 29, 2012
Peter Osgood, Poet
Our Director of Admission just got back from his little jaunt to China. After giving about a gazillion successive presentations about Mudd, he found himself getting a tad bored (bored with the content of his presentations, at any rate -- he could have done with a little more boredom on the traffic/car accident front). So naturally he decided to rewrite his talk about Mudd in rhyming couplets. Awesomeness.
So today, we bring you the essentials of Mudd, distilled into poetic format by Mr. Peter Osgood.
Harvey Mudd College - what's that? I don't know!
A response you'll receive wherever you go.
But tell them you want a science PhD
And most will concur -- think of HMC.
Harvey Mudd is a college where science is fun
We work very hard, and then play in the sun.
STEM subjects are king, but not simply bounded
30% in humanities so you'll come out well rounded.
For those who like teamwork, we may be the best
With an Honor Code working, you have take home tests.
We meet and join clubs with our neighborhood schools,
Take classes together, swim in their pools.
Mudd is so small you'll know all your peers.
Your arrival on campus will draw many cheers.
Our teachers use Facebook -- for them it's a game
To memorize faces and call you by name.
Our term for community "n+1" really means
You grow as a person; your work's done in teams.
In labs and the workshops, you'll learn and get dirty
We're a great place for girls and boys who are nerdy.
Our research and projects, others try to mimic
But no one can quite do what we do in Clinic.
Big companies like Google pay money each term
Then four of our students team up for each firm.
The students solve problems, do original work
Then the firms make job offers -- it is quite a perq.
We apply then for patents, 8-10 is the yield.
You leave college having already practiced your field.
Grad schools will pay you to come to their school.
Employers will hunt you -- they'll think you're cool.
It's fun, and hard work -- you can't be a dud.
There's no place on earth quite like Harvey Mudd.
Innovators and leaders in science we raise;
Harvey Mudd College -- the name should be praised.
So today, we bring you the essentials of Mudd, distilled into poetic format by Mr. Peter Osgood.
Harvey Mudd College - what's that? I don't know!
A response you'll receive wherever you go.
But tell them you want a science PhD
And most will concur -- think of HMC.
Harvey Mudd is a college where science is fun
We work very hard, and then play in the sun.
STEM subjects are king, but not simply bounded
30% in humanities so you'll come out well rounded.
For those who like teamwork, we may be the best
With an Honor Code working, you have take home tests.
We meet and join clubs with our neighborhood schools,
Take classes together, swim in their pools.
Mudd is so small you'll know all your peers.
Your arrival on campus will draw many cheers.
Our teachers use Facebook -- for them it's a game
To memorize faces and call you by name.
Our term for community "n+1" really means
You grow as a person; your work's done in teams.
In labs and the workshops, you'll learn and get dirty
We're a great place for girls and boys who are nerdy.
Our research and projects, others try to mimic
But no one can quite do what we do in Clinic.
Big companies like Google pay money each term
Then four of our students team up for each firm.
The students solve problems, do original work
Then the firms make job offers -- it is quite a perq.
We apply then for patents, 8-10 is the yield.
You leave college having already practiced your field.
Grad schools will pay you to come to their school.
Employers will hunt you -- they'll think you're cool.
It's fun, and hard work -- you can't be a dud.
There's no place on earth quite like Harvey Mudd.
Innovators and leaders in science we raise;
Harvey Mudd College -- the name should be praised.
May 22, 2012
Progress!
The Teaching & Learning Building is coming along quite nicely. Today I parked behind two trucks delivering more plastic balls for the BubbleDeck. The other recent development is the height of the building; there is now clearly a first story looming over the top of the construction fence. It's finally starting to hit me just how big the Teaching & Learning Building is going to be. I mean, the first floor seems tall already, and there are still two more to go! It also creeps a lot further south than I was expecting, so campus will be less linear when the new building is complete. There used to be two parallel sidewalks running almost the entire length of campus, which was perhaps not the most interesting of landscaping, but it did make our minuscule campus feel quite spacious.
If you want to see the contrast, flash back to less than a year ago, when Thomas-Garrett was mid-demolition. Wow. This really is progress. (And heavens, doesn't Thomas-Garrett look tiny.)
Here's the Teaching & Learning Building today:
If you want to see the contrast, flash back to less than a year ago, when Thomas-Garrett was mid-demolition. Wow. This really is progress. (And heavens, doesn't Thomas-Garrett look tiny.)
Here's the Teaching & Learning Building today:
As always you can see updated construction photos here.
May 17, 2012
Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer
Summer may not officially start until June 20, but with the academic year complete and the thermometer pushing ninety, I think it's okay to ignore the almanac. The coffee cart and espresso machine are closed for the season (booooo), the workday now ends at 4:30 pm instead of 5 (yayyyy!), and "Summer Math" for rising sophomores is in full swing. Sounds like summer to me!
Other hints that it might be summer? Full-time student workers! Big hooray!
Other hints that it might be summer? Full-time student workers! Big hooray!
Our intrepid Katie and Risa. (Yes, we now have a Risa and a Raissa. It's confusing.) They have been extremely patient with "other duties as assigned" until tours get zanier.
We've also been able to hire a full-time Admission Intern! If you interview on campus this summer, there's a very good chance it will be with Brianna Blanchard '12.
But there's one little thing that this summer really needs to get started.
Please, Michael Edwards, revive the ice cream bike soon! Your eager fans await.
May 11, 2012
May 8, 2012
Trucking along
-For two glorious days, our entire staff has been in the office at the same time! This companionable interlude ends tomorrow when Peter jets off to China. The next occasion won't be until our staff retreat in early June. Sheesh.
-Today was admission committee for transfer students. We still have to get faculty approval for our selected candidates, but we should be on track to mail decisions on time, hurree hurrah.
-We have not taken any action on the alternate list yet. Please stay patient; we hope to give all students on the alternate list an update by the end of the week.
-Graduation is on Sunday. I may make an appearance this year, if there's enough seating. I'm still sad about missing David Rolfe's speech last year, but hopefully Bill Nye will provide some small compensation.
-If graduation is coming up, that means it's finals week! Campus is eerily quiet, but that might be because I'm long gone by Noisy Minutes, featuring these exciting events:
Yes, tonight's program includes puppies and pillow fights. Oh my goodness.
-Today was admission committee for transfer students. We still have to get faculty approval for our selected candidates, but we should be on track to mail decisions on time, hurree hurrah.
-We have not taken any action on the alternate list yet. Please stay patient; we hope to give all students on the alternate list an update by the end of the week.
-Graduation is on Sunday. I may make an appearance this year, if there's enough seating. I'm still sad about missing David Rolfe's speech last year, but hopefully Bill Nye will provide some small compensation.
-If graduation is coming up, that means it's finals week! Campus is eerily quiet, but that might be because I'm long gone by Noisy Minutes, featuring these exciting events:
Yes, tonight's program includes puppies and pillow fights. Oh my goodness.
May 3, 2012
What Juniors Need to Know
Okay, juniors. Senior year is nearly upon you, and it's time to get serious about the college process (if you're not in the midst of a full-fledged panic attack already). After spending ten days with juniors and their parents, here's what I want you to know:
1. Maximize your time at college fairs. They can be a great chance to connect with schools and get a better sense of what you want (and get on college mailing lists without that pesky process of hopping from website to website). Read this post for what to do and what to avoid at a college fair.
2. Take a college tour (even if it's not at your dream school). Until floo powder is more widely available, it's unlikely you'll be able to make an appearance at every college you're considering. But even if the object of your affection is a thousand miles away, it's possible that a similar type of school is nearby, so you can get a sense of how you'll react to a tiny college/huge university/women's college/rural location/etc.
3. Plan your senior schedule with great care. It matters even more than you realize. If you're aiming for a highly selective school, you should generally plan on taking at least five academic solids next year. Academic solids are narrowly defined as English, History/Social Science, Math, Science, and Foreign Language. Many selective colleges don't consider courses like journalism or intro computing to be academic solids. It's great if you're committed to an activity like band or student government, but try to make sure non-academic classes aren't eating all of your available class periods. As far as rigor, if you're aiming for a highly selective school, then you should be planning on advanced classes even in areas that aren't your field of greatest interest. Even if you intend to be a computer science major, take a rigorous course in English or History. Even if you plan to be a biology major, take Physics. And if you're applying to a school like Mudd, take the most advanced class your school offers in math.
Do note I'm writing about the senior schedule from the sole standpoint of "getting in." There's also an argument for making the choices that are right for you, and then finding a college that will support those decisions (for example, it might be fine to fill three class periods with musical ensembles if you're considering a conservatory). Just be aware of the potential trade off and shape your college list accordingly.
4. Communicate with your family. Don't make your parents stalk you on FaceBook to find out where you're applying to college. In most cases parents are making a substantial financial contribution to your college education. Treat them with patience and respect. Don't be embarrassed (like I was) when they ask questions in information sessions or during tours. Don't assume (like I did) that just because they attended college back in some distant age before personal computers, they don't have helpful advice. Remember, this is a big deal for them too.
5. Learn to cook at least one thing -- because dorms have kitchens, and there may come a time when you want to have something other than the dining hall for dinner. And if your friends are serving shrimp etouffee, you may not want to reciprocate with Spaghetti-O's.
1. Maximize your time at college fairs. They can be a great chance to connect with schools and get a better sense of what you want (and get on college mailing lists without that pesky process of hopping from website to website). Read this post for what to do and what to avoid at a college fair.
2. Take a college tour (even if it's not at your dream school). Until floo powder is more widely available, it's unlikely you'll be able to make an appearance at every college you're considering. But even if the object of your affection is a thousand miles away, it's possible that a similar type of school is nearby, so you can get a sense of how you'll react to a tiny college/huge university/women's college/rural location/etc.
3. Plan your senior schedule with great care. It matters even more than you realize. If you're aiming for a highly selective school, you should generally plan on taking at least five academic solids next year. Academic solids are narrowly defined as English, History/Social Science, Math, Science, and Foreign Language. Many selective colleges don't consider courses like journalism or intro computing to be academic solids. It's great if you're committed to an activity like band or student government, but try to make sure non-academic classes aren't eating all of your available class periods. As far as rigor, if you're aiming for a highly selective school, then you should be planning on advanced classes even in areas that aren't your field of greatest interest. Even if you intend to be a computer science major, take a rigorous course in English or History. Even if you plan to be a biology major, take Physics. And if you're applying to a school like Mudd, take the most advanced class your school offers in math.
Do note I'm writing about the senior schedule from the sole standpoint of "getting in." There's also an argument for making the choices that are right for you, and then finding a college that will support those decisions (for example, it might be fine to fill three class periods with musical ensembles if you're considering a conservatory). Just be aware of the potential trade off and shape your college list accordingly.
4. Communicate with your family. Don't make your parents stalk you on FaceBook to find out where you're applying to college. In most cases parents are making a substantial financial contribution to your college education. Treat them with patience and respect. Don't be embarrassed (like I was) when they ask questions in information sessions or during tours. Don't assume (like I did) that just because they attended college back in some distant age before personal computers, they don't have helpful advice. Remember, this is a big deal for them too.
5. Learn to cook at least one thing -- because dorms have kitchens, and there may come a time when you want to have something other than the dining hall for dinner. And if your friends are serving shrimp etouffee, you may not want to reciprocate with Spaghetti-O's.
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