Harvey Mudd College's wording, checked October 26, 2026No one succeeds alone, and at Harvey Mudd College, no one expects you to. In and out of the classroom, HMC students are encouraged to embrace challenges, collaborate with one another, and ask for support when they need it.“Describe a time when asking for help made a difference in your work or wellbeing. What led you to reach out, and what did you take away from the experience?”
How to approach it
- 1Show the moment before you asked.
- 2Be honest about why it was hard.
- 3Say what changed and how you ask for help now.
A structure that works
One way to shape this answer. It describes moves, not sentences: the words have to be yours.
- 1The situation before you asked.
- 2What led you to reach out.
- 3The difference it made.
- 4What you took away.
Where the 250 words go
| Part | Words |
|---|---|
| The situation | about 60 |
| What you did | about 110 |
| What changed | about 80 |
Mistakes to avoid
- A story where you only helped others.
The checklist our grader uses for this question
When you check your Harvey Mudd answers, this answer is read against these 5 areas. Each comes back Met, Partly or Missing with a quote from your draft as evidence, and together with the 250 words limit they set its readiness verdict.
| Area | What a reader looks for |
|---|---|
| Answers the question | The opening sentences answer what was asked, plainly, before background or a hook; every part of a multi-part question is answered. |
| The situation, briefly | The challenge is clear and specific in well under a third of the answer. |
| What you did | The steps the applicant took are concrete and in their control, not only what happened to them. |
| What changed | It says where the applicant stands now and what the experience changed in them, without a forced happy ending. |
| Harvey Mudd's ask | Covers when asking for help made a difference, what led the applicant to reach out, and what they took away. |
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Questions
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