How a Liberal-Arts College Is Rethinking Its ‘Soul Crushing’ Core Curriculum

When Art Reyes received a generous scholarship to attend Harvey Mudd College, an elite engineering, science, and math-oriented institution in Claremont, Calif., he and his parents, both immigrants from Mexico, were thrilled. An alum warned him that tackling the intense coursework would be "like trying to drink water from a fire hose," but the high-school salutatorian felt up to the challenge.