Harvey Mudd College

1 The Honor Code. It's great to have so many students committed to a policy of honesty. Harvey Mudd has a more than well-developed sense of community, even when compared to other small schools. The amount of trust that students at HMC place on one another is unbelievable.

2 Mudders. The students make the college, and the students at Mudd are great.

3 The professors. They're always here and always helpful. They go out of their way to be available and make a genuine effort to know their students.

4 Mudd has a lot of history. It may be young, but tradition abounds.

5 The quirks and character of the different dorms add to the sense of community. It's great to see so many differing styles of living on one campus.

6 The Common Core—it's hard, but it's worth it. All students at Mudd have to take the same core of classes to ensure they all develop as well-rounded students. Mudders are not afraid of being challenged academically, and it's expected that everyone will live up to the school's standard.

7 Humanities requirements. Living in math-speak can be pretty draining. HMC creates well-rounded students, not computers.

8 The 5C. Mudd is “a college of 800 on a campus of 8,000.” Students get the benefits of a large college with none of the drawbacks.

9 No grade inflation. A Harvey Mudd diploma is worth its weight.

10 The ratio (for girls).