Anonymous wrote:It’s the pretentious preamble that’s ridiculous.
The question itself is fine. And it would have sufficed to simply ask it without the other context.

Yep. That would be off my list. Says a lot about the school.

I’m with you OP and the other one my kid hit about “pick a world problem and how would solve it”…umm that’s what I’m going to college to figure out. World leaders haven’t figured it out yet.

It’s the pretentious preamble that’s ridiculous.
The question itself is fine. And it would have sufficed to simply ask it without the other context.

^ their

So I read all the supplementals for my kids’ apps and that alone gave me a feel for the school. My husband’s top 10 alma mater is known for zero personality and serious people and they’re single supplemental was as boring as could be —basically grabbing for you to say your race.

A few others I got a kick out of it and at least allowed a kid to show a personality. My views of the schools on his list changed a lot out of it. One I wouldn’t even bother applying to if I were him.

Anonymous wrote:The whole process is so skewed. Everyone is supposed to be a rock star !!! In most cases it is the parents or hired counselors writing the essays, whether they admit it or not. LIke the above poster said these are 17-18 year olds !!!! Give them a break...

At 17, my kids could answer this question, and do it themselves.

There are lots of schools for kids who aren't rock stars.

This question is about marketing. A smart kid might be impressed by the question and want to attend. Plus it lets them get around the diversity line.

The whole process is so skewed. Everyone is supposed to be a rock star !!! In most cases it is the parents or hired counselors writing the essays, whether they admit it or not. LIke the above poster said these are 17-18 year olds !!!! Give them a break...

Harvey Mudd is a highly selective private STEM school. This is a reasonable question for the type of student they accept. You might see an easier question for a typical safety school.

All you have to do is answer the last sentence. They are probably just trying to make sure it doesn’t sound like they’re asking about race.

Academic wording for asking about a person's background and what they want to do.

Honestly, the last sentence alone would have been sufficient!

I don’t know. That doesn’t seem too terrible for a selective college. DS had more difficult ones for less selective schools.

I agree that some are over the top, but this one seems reasonable. My 8th grader would have a rough idea of what to say (obviously not particularly sophisticated), so I would expect someone applying to Harvey Mudd would have something to say too. Obviously not a full fledged dissertation proposal, but I don't think that's expected. Essentially, what problems interest you and why.

I think college essay prompts are OTT. These are 17-18 year olds! Not PhD students.
Look at the Harvey Mudd prompt:
"Scientific research is a human endeavor. The choices of topics that we research are based on our biases, our beliefs, and what we bring: our cultures and our families. The kinds of problems that people put their talents to solving depends on their values." - Dr. Clifton Poodry
HMC's collaborative community is guided by our mission statement. Through an intentional interdisciplinary curriculum our students seek to build a skillset adaptable to society's needs. How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve, the people you want to work with, and the impact you hope your work can have? (500)