How to Write Harvey Mudd's "Problems You Want to Solve" Essay (2026-27)

Harvey Mudd College's wording, checked October 26, 2026
The problems that Harvey Mudd College students hope to tackle are shaped by their experiences, values, and communities. Through our intentionally interdisciplinary curriculum and our mission to develop “a clear understanding of the impact of their work,” Mudders develop the skills needed to address these complex challenges and contribute meaningfully to society.
“Share how an experience you’ve had or community you belong to has shaped the kinds of problems you want to solve and the impact you want to make.”

How to approach it

1Start with the experience or community, shown.
2Name the problem it pointed you toward, precisely.
3Describe the impact you want, including on people, not only technology.

A structure that works

One way to shape this answer. It describes moves, not sentences: the words have to be yours.

1The experience or community.
2The problem it showed you.
3What you have done about it so far.
4The impact you want to make, and why Mudd's interdisciplinary approach fits it.

Where the 500 words go

Part	Words
The moment or example	about 200
What it shows or changed	about 180
Why it matters, or what you bring	about 130

Mistakes to avoid

A problem with no origin in your life.
Impact as a slogan.

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 500 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 community, concretely	The community is defined by a detail only a member would know (a place, a ritual, a person), not a label.
Your part in it	What the applicant personally did or does in it is on the page, with "I" statements.
What it gave you and what you will bring	It says how the community shaped the applicant and connects that to how they will take part in the college's community.
Harvey Mudd's ask	Connects an experience or community to the problems the applicant wants to solve and the impact they want to make.

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Questions

How long is Harvey Mudd's "The problems you want to solve" essay?

Up to 500 words.

Is it required?

Required. Harvey Mudd's full set of questions is on the Harvey Mudd supplemental essays page.

Can I reuse an essay from another college for this prompt?

You can start from material you have, but rewrite it for Harvey Mudd's exact wording: answer every part of this question, and cut what it does not ask for.

Can Statementory write or improve my answer?

We never write or rewrite it: colleges ask you to affirm your essays are your own work. Our checker reviews it against the checklist on this page, quotes your own words, and asks the questions only you can answer.