Residence Hall Information

Below is the approximate square footage of residence hall rooms by type and location.

Residence HallDouble Room ft2Triple Room ft2Single Room ft2
J.L. Atwood Residence Hall207292157
Case Residence Hall251251181
East Hall/Mildred E. Mudd Hall200130
Wayne ’73 and Julie Drinkward Residence Hall236120
Ronald and Maxine Linde Residence Hall196120
North Hall200130
Frederick and Susan Sontag Residence Hall19690
South Hall/Marks Hall212100
West Hall200130
Halls and Room Square Footage

Furniture

At Mudd, every student is provided with a bed, mattress, dresser, closet, desk and desk chair. Some rooms have bookshelves, and others may have a cushy chair, as well. It is up to the occupant to provide additional furniture.

Extra stuff: Furniture from Overstock.com. (Use coupon code 121728 for 10 percent off.)

Lighting

All rooms have a strong overhead light. We do allow halogen lamps—as long as they’re used carefully to prevent fire. A desk lamp and bedside reading lamp may also be useful.

Air Conditioning

Every residence hall on campus has built-in air conditioning.

Refrigerators

You can bring a refrigerator, but it should be small and energy efficient. If you’d like to purchase one after you arrive, or order it for pickup, the following stores are within three miles of campus:

  • Best Buy (Central Ave. and Eighth St. in Montclair)
  • Walmart (Foothill Blvd. and Benson Ave. in Upland)
  • Staples (Foothill Blvd. and Towne Ave. in Pomona)
  • Home Depot (Mountain Ave. and Eighth St. in Upland)

Finally, you might consider splitting the cost of a refrigerator with your roommate. We suggest checking with them before arrival. Fridges can often be bought during residence hall auctions, held within the first couple weeks of school.

Microwaves and Other Cooking Appliances

Students may use microwaves in their rooms. Hot pots with automatic turn-offs, popcorn poppers and even toaster ovens, used safely, are also permitted. Hot plates with open coils, though, are not allowed in the residence halls (along with anything else with an open flame or coil). There are communal kitchens available for student use in South, Case, Drinkward, and Linde. These have refrigerators, freezers, stove tops and ovens, along with cupboard and counter space.

Sheets

All residence hall mattresses at Harvey Mudd College require twin-sized, “extra long” sheets. Regular twin sheets will not fit on the mattresses. Blankets and/or comforters that are machine washable are recommended.

Bed, Bath & Beyond has an entire line of sheets for residence hall beds available in extra long, along with lots of other useful items for residence hall rooms. Their closest location is at Ontario Mills Mall, about 10 miles east on the I-10. Target (located less than 3 miles away) also has a lot of bedding available.

You can find these sheets many places in addition to our suggested retailers. Keep in mind there may be limited supplies of extra long sheets in the Claremont area around Orientation.

Electricity

Power outages can occur. Bringing a battery-powered alarm clock as a backup to your electric clock-radio may be a good idea. Flashlights are recommended for residence hall rooms, too. Candles are not allowed in the residence halls.

Thrift Stores

Don’t want to invest in furniture? Go on thrift store runs with upperclass students after you arrive. There is plenty of good, cheap furniture to be found at a multitude of nearby thrift stores.

Cars and Parking

Freshman or first-year students are not allowed to bring automobiles, as Harvey Mudd College is unable to accommodate additional parking.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Dean Chris Sundberg at 909.621.8757 or chris_sundberg@hmc.edu.

Bikes and Bike Locks

Harvey Mudd is a bicycle-friendly campus, as are the rest of The Claremont Colleges. Bikes are particularly convenient for getting to classes on other campuses. There are bike racks at each residence hall, as well as near the academic buildings’ entrances. However, bikes are often targeted for theft. Investing in a solid-steel, keyed U-Lock is essential, as thieves often employ bolt cutters.

Whenever possible, storing your bike in your room is the safest place.

Storage

During the academic year, personal storage is not available for students on campus.

For the summer, we encourage students to take everything home with them. If you need assistance with storage, ASCHMC (student government) provides subsidized off-campus storage options. Storage pods are taken off-site and locked over the summer, with no entry allowed.

Maintenance

There is one building attendant assigned to each residence hall. Suite and communal bathrooms are cleaned weekly. Lounges and courtyards are cleaned daily.

The Office of Facilities and Maintenance (F&M) is here to assist students in a variety of ways.In addition to cleaning services, the department also handles maintenance and repair of residence hall facilities, key and card swipe access, room reservations, summer housing and grounds services. The F&M offices are located in the basement of the Platt Center.

The “What to Bring” List

The following is a suggested list of items to bring. A (*) denotes optional items, while a (#) denotes things you should contact your roommate about before arrival.

  • Bed sheets, extra long twin (regular twin sheets will not fit on the mattresses)
  • Blankets and/or comforter (machine washable is recommended)
  • Pillow
  • Towels
  • Toiletries
  • Trash can (metal ones won’t burn if something catches fire in it)
  • Alarm clock (battery powered and electric)
  • Flashlight
  • Calculator
  • Backpack/book bag
  • Laundry basket
  • Laundry detergent
  • Quarters (for laundry: 1 dollar per wash, 50 cents for 45 minutes of drying)
  • Duct tape (it fixes everything, but don’t use it on walls, ceilings or carpet or it will damage them)
  • Phone (not a cordless one, since it will not be functional in a power outage) #
  • Speakers *#
  • Microwave/Toaster/Coffee Machine/Water Heater *#
  • Small refrigerator *#
  • Small fan (besides increasing air flow, fans provide “white noise” for sleep) *#
  • Iron/ironing board (our advice: befriend someone in ROTC instead) *#
  • Silverware and a couple unbreakable dishes
  • Computer (see Computing and Information System for help)
  • Camera
  • Power strip
  • Dictionary/thesaurus
  • Decor for the room
  • Shelves, milk crates and so forth
  • Desk light (fluorescent and compact fluorescent lights are more energy efficient)
  • Sports/hobby equipment
  • Bike/skateboard/longboard/unicycle/freelines/scooter*

If you decide to work you will need official identification. Most students use a state photo ID and their Social Security card or a valid passport. Some other forms of ID may be accepted, as well.

We think that’s about it!