How to Apply to Computer Science at Harvey Mudd College: No Admission by Major, Three Semesters of Common Core Before Declaring, and the CS and Joint Majors, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

Harvey Mudd College (HMC) is an undergraduate college of science, engineering and mathematics in Claremont, California, and a member of The Claremont Colleges. Computer science is taught by the Department of Computer Science. Here is what you need to know, based on Harvey Mudd’s website, for students at high schools in China (including A-level, IB and AP students), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

1. How to get into the major

• No admission by major: the application asks which majors you are leaning toward, and admissions says this matters “to some extent” because the college wants a class eager to study across the curriculum; students can change their minds and will not be held to it.
• When to declare: no one may declare before the end of the first year, and all students must declare by the end of sophomore year.
• Thresholds: Harvey Mudd does not publish a cap or grade threshold for declaring Computer Science. The department says demand for its classes is heavy and uses registration priority for CS 60, CS 70 and higher courses, with declared CS and related joint majors (sophomores and above) and HMC sophomores first.
• Five majors supported by the department: Computer Science; the joint major in Computer Science and Climate; the joint major in Computer Science and Mathematics (with Mathematics); the joint major in Computer Science and Physics (with Physics); and Mathematical and Computational Biology (with Biology and Mathematics). Students in other majors may minor in computer science. Where a joint major exists, the department strongly encourages it over a double major.

2. Common Core and the CS curriculum

• Common Core (first three semesters): one course each in computer science and engineering, biology with a lab, two semesters of mathematics, one and a half semesters of physics with a lab, one semester of chemistry with a lab, a half-semester of college writing, a critical inquiry course in the humanities, social sciences and arts, and a course on the impact of our work on society. About 11 further courses in the humanities, social sciences and the arts are also required.
• Introductory CS: the core CS course is CS 5 (Gold, Black or Green) or CS 42, chosen by background and interest. Students who want CS 5 Black or CS 42 must take a placement exam before arriving; details are usually sent in July before the first semester.
• Major content: foundational courses listed by the department include data structures, discrete mathematics (taught by Mathematics), theory and logic, algorithms, programming language theory, and software development and systems; electives include advanced algorithms, advanced architecture, advanced operating systems, artificial intelligence, compilers, complexity theory, graphics, networks, computer vision, databases, neural networks, parallel computation and robotics.
• Clinic capstone: typically four seniors work on a project from an external sponsor such as a software company or government laboratory, with a faculty advisor and a sponsor liaison. CS majors cannot replace Clinic with a thesis.
• Sample schedule: the department’s four-year sample schedule is for students who entered in fall 2021. It lists CS 60, CS 70, CS 81, CS 105, CS 121, CS 131, CS 140, CS 183/184 (Clinic) and CS 195 (colloquium) plus CS electives, and notes requirements may differ for other entry years.
• Full major requirements are in the college catalog (catalog.hmc.edu), which this guide did not read; check the catalog.

3. AP, IB and placement

• Harvey Mudd does not grant credit for AP or IB exams or college courses to first-year students, including in the humanities and social sciences.
• Departments run their own placement exams before and during Orientation.
• You may self-report AP and IB scores; admissions uses them as context for the rigor of your program.

4. Dates and materials

• Deadlines: Early Decision I 15 November, Early Decision II 5 January, Regular Decision 5 January, with decisions by 15 December, 15 February and 1 April. The table on the application page does not show a year; check before you apply.
• Early Decision: both rounds are binding and differ only in deadline; if you are denied in ED you cannot apply RD the same year. Harvey Mudd says about 40% of the first-year class enters through Early Decision.
• Materials: the Common Application, school report, one STEM teacher recommendation, one humanities, social sciences or arts teacher recommendation, high school transcript, personal essay, two additional writing responses (500 and 250 words or less) and a USD 70 fee. Interviews are optional, with deadlines of 15 November (ED I) and 15 December (ED II and RD).
• Testing: optional for fall 2027 applicants; Harvey Mudd says it will return to requiring testing for all students for the fall 2028 cycle.
• High school courses required for enrollment: one year each of calculus, chemistry and physics. If you cannot finish them before graduating, you may be admitted conditionally and must complete a one-semester college course with a B or better before enrolling. Four years of English, two years of social sciences including history and two years of a foreign language are recommended.
• New students start in the fall only.

5. English requirements

• Minimums on the international applicants page: TOEFL iBT 100, IELTS Academic 7.5, Duolingo 130 (160-point scale), Cambridge C1 Advanced 190 or C2 Proficiency 200.
• Duolingo figures differ: the international page says 130 and the application FAQ says 120. Both are listed here; confirm with admissions. The FAQ also says a slightly lower score does not automatically disqualify you.
• If your school teaches mainly in English you can ask for a waiver, but only after submitting your application.

6. Students at high schools in China

• Harvey Mudd does not publish a Gaokao policy or separate requirements for Chinese curricula. International applicants follow the same procedures as domestic applicants.
• Credentials not in English need translations, and a school profile (course structure, grading scale and so on) is recommended. If your school has no college counselor, an advisor, housemaster, head or assistant head may write in place of the school report.
• A-level, IB and AP students must also meet the calculus, chemistry and physics requirement.
• Financial aid: Harvey Mudd is need-aware for international students, so applying for aid can affect admission; it says it can meet full need for only a handful of international students each year. If you do not apply for or receive aid as a first-year, you cannot be considered later. International students can also be considered for some merit awards, including the So Scholarship.

7. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• Harvey Mudd does not publish separate requirements or cut-offs for Canadian or BC curricula; apply through the standard first-year process.
• Canadian students who are not US citizens or permanent residents apply for aid as international students. If your school teaches in English, you can request an English waiver after applying.

8. Transfer students

• Eligibility: at least one year of full-time work in good standing at a two- or four-year college by entry, and at least two years full time at Harvey Mudd. No second bachelor’s degrees; fall entry only.
• Very few places: Harvey Mudd says it has enrolled only 3 to 6 transfers a year from 80 to 110 applicants.
• Deadline: 15 March, with decisions by 5 May. There are no transfer interviews.
• Materials: the Common Application, mid-term report, college/transfer report, two college instructor recommendations (one math or science, one humanities or social sciences), all college and high school transcripts, and the same additional writing.
• Preparation: compatibility with the Common Core matters most, and there are no articulation agreements. Credit is estimated by the registrar after admission and decided by faculty at fall Orientation; placement exams may be required. The CS department requires a B or better for courses taken outside Claremont to count as CS courses.
• International transfers: there is no aid for international transfer students, who may apply only if not seeking aid; there is no merit aid for transfers. English tests are required, with waivers possible after two years of English-medium study.

9. Costs

• 2026-27: tuition USD 76,879; on-campus cost of attendance (including student body fee, housing, food, personal expenses, books and orientation fee) USD 104,512, plus transportation. 2027-28 costs have not been published.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Complete a year each of calculus, chemistry and physics; prepare IELTS 7.5 or TOEFL 100
• ED I closes 15 November, ED II and RD 5 January; arrange one STEM and one humanities teacher recommendation and two additional essays
• If you need aid, understand the need-aware policy for international students; take introductory CS in the Core and declare by the end of sophomore year

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Apply through the standard first-year process and meet the calculus, chemistry and physics requirement; English-medium students can request a waiver

Transfer students:

• Complete a full-time year that mirrors the Common Core; apply by 15 March; international transfers may apply only without aid

Sources: Harvey Mudd College, CS academic programs; CS sample schedule; CS curriculum policies; CS registration priority; Common Core Curriculum; Application dates and testing; First-year applicants; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Application FAQs; Cost of attendance; International student financial aid. Dates follow the current application page, the testing policy is for fall 2027 entry, and costs are 2026-27 figures. Check Harvey Mudd for the latest.