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Graduate School

Harvey Mudd College is ranked No. 1 for percentage of undergraduates who go on to earn Ph.D.s in science and engineering.  Below are some helpful links.

Selection Process
Application Process
Timetable
Graduate Admission Tests
Application Essays
Transcripts
Letters of Recommendation
Financial Aid
Search for Graduate Programs and Rankings

Selection Process
There are a number of factors to think about when deciding where to apply for graduate school. Talk with your advisor and professors about your areas of interest.

  • What kind of students enroll in the program (academic abilities, achievements, skills, geographic representation and level of professional success upon completion of the program)?
  • What are the program's resources like (financial support, the library, laboratory equipment and computer facilities)?
  • What does the program have to offer in terms of both curriculum and service?
  • What are the student-faculty ratios, and what kind of interaction is there between students and professors?
  •  What is the reputation of its faculty? 
Application Process

Application deadlines vary, but most deadlines are between January and March. Many schools have rolling admissions and act upon early applications.
Obtain application forms and information early.
Read application requirements carefully, which vary from one field to another and from one institution to another.
Submit completed applications either in one package (including letters of recommendation) or a two-step process – a preliminary application and a second set of documents.
Pay an application fee; however, sometimes this fee may be waived if you meet certain financial criteria.
Admission decisions in most cases are handled like this - once the graduate school office receives all of your application materials, your file is sent to the academic department and a faculty committee or the department chairperson then makes a recommendation to the chief graduate school. Usually a student's grade point average, letters of recommendation and graduate admission test scores are the primary factors considered by admissions committees. The weight assigned to specific factors fluctuates from program to program.
To give yourself the best chances of being admitted where you apply, try to make a realistic assessment of an institution's admission standards and your own qualifications.

Timetable
The following is intended as a guide:
September

  • Attend programs offered by the career center
  • Research areas of interest, institutions and programs
  • Talk to advisers about application requirements
  • Register and prepare for appropriate graduate admission tests
  • Investigate national scholarships
  • Request application materials

October/November

  • Take the required graduate admission tests
  • Check on application deadlines and rolling admissions policies
  • Obtain letters of recommendation from professors
  • Write your application essay
  • Send in completed applications

December/January

March/April

  • Visit institutions that accept you
  • Send a deposit to your institution of choice
  • Notify other colleges and universities that accepted you of your decision so that they can admit students on their waiting list
  • Send thank-you notes to people who wrote your recommendation letters, informing them of your success

Graduate Admission Tests
Colleges and universities usually require a specific graduate admission test, and departments sometimes have their own requirements. Scores are used in evaluating the likelihood of your success in a particular program (based upon the success rate of past students with similar scores). Most programs will not accept scores more than three to five years old.

Application Essays
Your application essay or personal statement should be essentially a clear, succinct statement showing that you have a definite sense of what you want to do and enthusiasm for the field of study you have chosen. It should be framed in a positive tone and reflect your writing abilities. Make sure you have your essay critiqued. Your adviser and those who write your letters of recommendation may be very helpful to you in this regard.  The Writing Center and the Office of Career Services can also critique your work.

If there is information in your application that might reflect badly on you, it is better not to deal with it in your essay unless you are asked to. You can address the issue(s) on a separate sheet entitled "Addendum," which you attach to the application, or in a cover letter that you enclose. In either form, your explanation should be short and to the point. In addition, you may find it appropriate to ask one or more of your references to address the issue in their recommendation letter.  Review the OCS Guidebook for tips.
Transcripts
Admissions committees require official transcripts of your grades to evaluate your academic preparation for graduate study. Grade point averages are important, but are not examined alone; the rigor of the courses you have taken, your course load and the reputation of Harvey Mudd College are also considered.

Letters of Recommendations
Most graduate schools require three letters of recommendation. Approach your potential references early and ask if they think they know you well enough to write a meaningful letter. Make an appointment to talk and give them necessary documents as well as other supporting materials—transcripts, resume, your application essay and/or a copy of a research paper since these will assist them in writing a good, detailed letter on your behalf.

Financial Aid
There are three types of aid: money given to you (grants, scholarships, and fellowships), money you earn through work and loans.

Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships
Most grants, scholarships, and fellowships are outright awards that require no service in return. Often they provide the cost of tuition and fees plus a stipend to cover living expenses. Some are based exclusively on financial need, some exclusively on academic merit, and some on a combination of need and merit.

Scholarships and fellowships often connote selectivity based on ability—financial need is usually not a factor.

Several federal agencies fund fellowship and trainee programs for graduate and professional students. The amounts and types of assistance offered vary considerably by field of study. The following programs are available to those studying engineering or applied sciences:

Financial Aid
All applicants for federal aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This application must be submitted after January 1 preceding enrollment in the fall. Two to four weeks later you'll receive an acknowledgment, the Student Aid Report (SAR), on which you can make any corrections. The schools you've designated will also receive the information and may begin asking you to send them documents, usually your U.S. income tax return, verifying what you reported.

Search for Graduate Programs

GradSchools.com lists more than 58,000 unique graduate programs from around the world.
PhDs.org 
Find the graduate school that's right for you.  The data comes for the National Sicence Foundation, the National Research Council and the National Center for Education Statistics.

U.S. News & World Reports - Best Graduate Schools 

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