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Carnegie Mellon University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide 

Early Decision: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 3

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Carnegie Mellon University 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 3 short essays of 300 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s):   Why ,  Short Answer

Many students pursue college for a specific degree, career opportunity or personal goal. Whichever it may be, learning will be critical to achieve your ultimate goal. As you think ahead to the process of learning during your college years, how will you define a successful college experience?

So many factors go into shaping your educational experience: course selection, professors, classmates, campus culture, even the city where you’ll live. Think through how each of these will affect you and jot down some examples of what you’re looking for in each. Do you value a professor who is accessible via office hours? Do you focus well in a stadium-seating lecture hall? Are you excited to start a small study group for your Shakespeare: Comedies and Romances  literature course? Additionally, do some research on their website and show them that you value what they specifically have to offer. Give them a peek into how you learn and help them visualize you as a thriving student in their community.

Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time – what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study?

This prompt sounds simple enough: describe what you want to study and why you like it so much so that you’re willing to dedicate four years of your life to it (at the very least). While you might be tempted to get technical or poetic in your response, your reader will expect you to connect your intended major with some prior experience and/or passion. In other words, tell a story. Lucky for you, we would have advised you to start with an anecdote anyway. The most personal, memorable essays spring from concrete descriptions of your lived experience. What excites you and why? When was the last time you got drawn down a Reddit rabbit hole – and what was the topic? While you don’t need to drill to the origin of your interest in a given topic, try to zero in on some formative experience: the best TED Talk you ever watched, the first time you spoke to your new friend in ASL, that one time when you shadowed an EMT and saw what it’s like to help people in need! Your story should showcase your unique connection to your chosen course of study. And don’t forget: CMU asks what passion OR inspiration led you to choose this area of study. You can also talk about a particularly powerful book you read or a life-changing experience that set you on this path. Just make sure to use details to bring your story to life.

Consider your application as a whole. What do you personally want to emphasize about your application for the admission committee’s consideration? Highlight something that’s important to you or something you haven’t had a chance to share. Tell us, don’t show us (no websites please).

This prompt is a kind of free for all opportunity. Much like Common App’s prompt #7 , CMU is giving you free reign to write about any topic under the sun. If you’re overwhelmed by all the potential possibilities, don’t fret. Instead take a breath and ask yourself: What doesn’t admissions know about me yet? What do I wish I’d had more space to write about on my resume or activity list? If you’ve written a supplemental essay for another school about a particularly rewarding activity, this is an excellent place to tweak and recycle that essay. Almost any essay that you have already written in response to supplemental essay prompts for other schools will be applicable here, as long as it doesn’t address what you want to study or how you work with others. If you haven’t already drafted any others supplemental essays that would fit here, feel free to seek inspiration in the prompts for other schools (ideally the ones on your list). Worst case scenario, revisit your personal statement brainstorming notes and think about the topics that you almost wrote about. Can you write about any of those memories or stories in 200 words?

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Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essays 2023-24 – Prompts & Advice

September 8, 2023

When applying to a school like Carnegie Mellon that only accepts 11% of applicants, it’s important to keep in mind that the other 89% of applicants will ultimately be denied admission. Many of these rejected individuals will have straight A’s in high school and/or SATs in the 1500s. Those applying to certain programs—computer science, for example—will face even more harrowing odds. We don’t bring up this harsh reality in an attempt to crush your dreams or deter you from applying. Rather, we want to impart to prospective CMU applicants the need to maximize every component of your application. The aim is to ultimately shine just a touch brighter than your well-qualified competition. This includes the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into Carnegie Mellon University? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Carnegie Mellon: Admissions Data and Strategies  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

The three 300-word essays required by Carnegie Mellon give applicants the chance they need to separate themselves from the throngs of other extremely talented and deserving CMU hopefuls. Below are CMU’s supplemental prompts for the 2023-24 admissions cycle along with tips about how to address each one.

Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essays – #1

Required – (300 word limit)

Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time – what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study?

Here, CMU is asking you to share your story of how you became interested in your selected discipline. You can structure the narrative of this essay as a soup to nuts chronicling of your entire journey toward your discipline of interest. Contrarily, you could share one or two vignettes that illustrate your burgeoning passion for engineering, history, French, computer science, business, psychology, etc. As you begin the prewriting phase, you may want to ask yourself the following questions:

• What is your first strong memory relating to your future area of study?
• What fills you with wonder?
• What books have you read on the subject?
• Do you consume podcasts or documentaries related to your passions?
• Have certain online or print publications helped to fuel your interests?
• What subtopics of your prospective discipline most intrigue you?
• Did a teacher excite you about this topic or was it a parent/relative or outside mentor?
• How did you seek our subject-relevant opportunities outside of the high school classroom?

CMU Supplemental Essays – #2

Many students pursue college for a specific degree, career opportunity or personal goal. whichever it may be, learning will be critical to achieve your ultimate goal. as you think ahead to the process of learning during your college years, how will you define a successful college experience.

There’s a lot to unpack in this prompt before you even enter the brainstorming phase of the essay-writing process. First they want to know a bit about your goals in earning a CMU degree. These goals could be:

• Degree-oriented
• Career-focused
• A combination of two or all three of the previous options.

Given that CMU requires you to apply to a particular college within the larger university, you likely already have a reasonably strong notion of what discipline you hope to study. You’ll definitely want to share everything you already know about the degree you aim to earn. Additionally, you’ll want to discuss how that fits into your larger life plans.

Next, you’ll want to take note of the fact that “learning” is mentioned twice in this prompt, a solid indicator that CMU is sincerely interested in how you will take advantage of the unique learning opportunities available to you at their instruction. While not required, you should consider discussing items such as:

• CMU-specific academic programs , professors, or course offerings.
• Undergraduate research opportunities .
• Study abroad programs .
• The classroom environment at Carnegie Mellon— class size , laboratory settings, etc.
• Campus organizations that will help you continue your learning outside of the classroom.

In short, generic thoughts about how you envision engaging in the learning process throughout your collegiate experience are perfectly fine, but school-specific detail can take an essay from good to great.

CMU supplemental Essays – #3

Consider your application as a whole. what do you personally want to emphasize about your application for the admission committee’s consideration highlight something that’s important to you or something you haven’t had a chance to share. tell us, don’t show us (no websites please)..

After completing your main Common App essay and the first two CMU essays, is there anything that you have yet to share that is absolutely elemental to who you are as a person/student? Without the benefit of an in-person interview, it may feel like you never fully had a chance to connect intimately with a Carnegie Mellon admissions officer. You have a burning sense that you have not communicated the full you, your true essence, your je ne sais quoi, your…you get the idea. If you feel something important about yourself has yet to be communicated elsewhere in the application, then CMU Prompt #3 is the answer to your prayers.

Consider that the admissions reader is already familiar with your academic history, activities, and awards. What don’t they know, or, what could they understand on a deeper level? This could be a particular skill or talent, or something about your character or personality. This one is intentionally open-ended, so use this space to share your most cherished accomplishments or most winning attributes. The university itself is inviting you to “brag” here. We recommend obliging, by presenting the equivalent to a “closing argument” at the end of this admissions trial.

One example of what not to do would be to say, “I work as a camp counselor in the summer” if that was already listed in the Activities section. Another no-no is deciding that the admonition regarding linking to websites doesn’t apply to you, because, well…they simply have to see your art exhibit or performance on stage in Oklahoma! last year. We promise that it is better to take CMU at their word that they prefer that you describe it. This remains true no matter what “it” is.

How important are the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays?

CMU rates the essays as being an “important” factor in their evaluation process. The essays are listed alongside recommendations, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, first-generation status, and race/ethnicity. The only factors ranked above the essays as being “very important” are: GPA, the rigor of high school coursework, class rank, extracurricular activities, work experience, and volunteer work.

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Lastly, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays, we encourage you to get a quote  today.

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5 Carnegie Mellon Essay Examples

What’s covered:, essay example #1 – computer science, essay example #2 – healthy self-definition, essay example #3 – future business major, essay example #4 – future international relations major.

• Essay Example # 5 – Politics
• Where to Get Your Carnegie Mellon Essay Edited

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a school with both impressive technical programs and outstanding creative programs. Because of the university’s multifaceted academic success and the tremendous opportunities students have after graduation, CMU is highly renowned and boasts a low acceptance rate.

In this post, we will go over essays real students have submitted to Carnegie Mellon. We will also share what each essay did well and where they could be improved to inspire your writing.   Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our Carnegie Mellon essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts. 

Prompt: Many students pursue college for a specific degree, career opportunity, or personal goal. Whichever it may be, learning will be critical to achieving your ultimate goal. As you think ahead to the process of learning during your college years, how will you define a successful college experience? (300 words)

7:30 am… As I open my eyes, I look at the pinboard in front of my bed. Written in red block letters are two of the many goals of my life: “Make life better and more independent for the Visually impaired; Inspire kids to explore the field of STEM, making them the future problem solvers.”

9:00 am… Keeping these goals afresh in mind, I freshen up and get ready for the first class of the day, 16-385 Computer Vision, with Professor Ioannis Gkioulekas. As he explains the Applications of Neural Networks in Object identification, a light bulb sparks in my mind: I can modify the head contraption of SPECULUR to identify objects in peripheral vision and alert the wearer via an earpiece using Text to Speech (TTS). 

1:00 pm… After class, I find myself at the CI2CV Lab for Computer Vision, where I brainstorm ways to implement my idea successfully. Frustrated after repeatedly getting bugs in my algorithm, I am surrounded by problem-hungry tartans ready to collaborate with me in no time.

3:00 pm… After lunch, I head off to the Gates and Hillman complex to meet up with Gavin Deiss, an executive board member at Teknowledge, as we discuss ways to open teacher positions for high school students. I propose, “We can include students from AiGoLearning India and teach them a global coding curriculum.”

For me, a successful college learning experience at CMU comprises many things like exploring the unparalleled curriculum, innovative labs, and facilities. However, above all is the resource of people, including my fellow tartans and scholarly professors. The diverse experiences and unique backgrounds they bring cannot be found anywhere else; hence I want to assimilate all the insights I can gather from them, during my time at CMU.

What the Essay Did Well

If you are looking for a way to play with the structure of your essay, this is a great way to go! By describing their ideal day at CMU, we get to see this student’s interests, motivations, aspirations, and drive. Not only that, the essay flows nicely and effortlessly transitions to new ideas by jumping ahead in the schedule.

When students try to employ this schedule-style of an essay they often just discuss their class schedule and maybe an extracurricular activity. This is good, but this student goes above by starting the essay in their dorm and clearly showing us what motivates them with their sticky notes: “ Make life better and more independent for the Visually impaired; Inspire kids to explore the field of STEM, making them the future problem solvers.”  They also include them working at a lab outside of class, which is a nice bridge between their academic and extracurricular interests.

Although they only highlight three opportunities at CMU, the level of detail and elaboration for each one is infinitely more important than a long list of classes and clubs. When they discuss the class, the student incorporates key topics from the class and explains an original idea they develop as a result of being in class. Notice how that’s a bit different than simply name-dropping the course and professor? We also get told about them finding bugs in the algorithm (a common experience that humanizes the student) and we get snippets of a conversation they have at their meeting.

The structure this student chose serves this essay very well until the final paragraph. Breaking from the established pattern of following a daily schedule abruptly disturbs the flow of the essay and makes the ending more mundane than the preceding paragraphs. To fix this, the student should have kept the same style throughout their response.

They don’t need to tell us “ a successful college learning experience at CMU comprises many things like exploring the unparalleled curriculum, innovative labs, and facilities, ” because we saw that in each paragraph. The important aspect of their conclusion is the “ resource of people ,” as they say. This could have been highlighted in a paragraph like this:

“ 8:00pm… Squished between friends from my Biomedical Engineering class and my badminton club on the couch in the common room, I take in the diverse perspectives all coming together to settle the argument of East Coast versus West Coast once and for all. Where else but here would I be a part of such a colorful community?

11:30pm… I drift off to sleep, excited to do it all again tomorrow. “

Prompt: Consider your application as a whole. What do you personally want to emphasize about your application for the admission committee’s consideration? Highlight something that’s important to you or something you haven’t had a chance to share. Tell us, don’t show us (no websites please). (300 words)

I will never forget the feeling I had in Kindergarten when I received a failing grade because I couldn’t answer the question “where do you live?” It was a simple question, one that my classmates answered with ease. I was, however, struck by the recounting of my private home life. The 2009 recession left my family homeless and broke, living in the basement of a close friend. While we were fortunate to have somewhere to sleep, my family, especially me, internalized the negative sentiments from everyone we knew at the time. While my Kindergarten teacher didn’t mean any harm, the question reinforced my feeling of inferiority. No matter what I said, there were serious diminutions to my character: being honest about my homelessness or being dishonest about my own circumstances. I ultimately responded with the latter, saying “I don’t know.”

That day, I accepted the failing grade, and this moment became a stepping stone to a now valuable trait: healthy self-definition. Healthy self-definition relies on improving the objective truths of myself and fixing lacking characteristics into better ones. Lying to my Kindergarten teacher wasn’t healthy nor ethical to do, but the action of choosing who I wanted to be sparked the desire for healthy self-definition throughout high school. For example, I redefined myself from a dispassionate pianist to an authentic music producer. I used track and field to redefine my lack of athleticism growing up and eventually became a top-three sophomore 400-meter hurdler at my school. I had extreme social anxiety, so I used the Tech in Music Club to redefine my social ability and practice leadership and public speaking skills. In all weak aspects of my character and identity, I improved and continue to improve through these healthy redefinitions. Like Kindergarten me, I refuse to be defined by my circumstances.

This essay’s main strength is its content. At its core, this essay tells a beautiful story where a student transformed tragic circumstances into tremendous self-growth. That is exactly the kind of student that a university wants to admit!

The prompt here is very open-ended. From the point of view of admissions, it asks “what else do you want to tell us?” To a student, this can be read as “what additional information will help us get to know you and want you ?” This student identified their ability to see weaknesses as opportunities for improvement—which they label “healthy self-definition”—as something CMU would want, then used a specific anecdote to show that ability.

In addition to the content, this student followed a tried-and-true essay structure that allowed for an engaging, yet reflective essay. Opening with an anecdote, looking back on the experience, explaining the broader implications, and then tying the conclusion back to the anecdote is a simple, but effective, structure to use for your essay.

What Could Be Improved 

While the anecdote/reflection structure can facilitate an engaging essay, this student falls flat with their static writing. Essentially, the story is engaging, but the way the student writes it doesn’t do it justice. It’s repetitive, confusing, and a bit boring at times.

For example, in the first paragraph, the following phrases and sentences are all getting at the same idea and could be condensed into one concise sentence:

• “I was, however, struck by the recounting of my private home life.”
• “…my family, especially me, internalized the negative sentiments from everyone we knew at the time…”
• “…the question reinforced my feeling of inferiority…”

With regards to the second paragraph, the student introduces a value that they call “ healthy self-definition. ” When describing “ healthy self-definition, ” the student is simultaneously repetitive and unclear. The current writing requires too much energy on the part of the reader to parse through what is being said. If the student provided a concise definition of “healthy self-definition” before giving the examples from their life, this paragraph would work better. 

With some simple reorganization and more dynamic writing, the paragraph could be as follows:

“That’s when I established a personal value that I now call “healthy self-definition”—of course, it took about a decade for five-year-old me to figure out the name for my value. Healthy self-definition, at its core, means that I take time to identify my weaknesses, then redefine them as strengths. I acknowledge who I am, then find opportunities for improvement. 

I’m a dispassionate pianist, turned authentic music producer. I’m a struggling athlete, turned “top-three Cedar High hurdler.” I used to nervously linger at the back of club meetings, but now I run the very same meetings. No one could dare call me weak when I’m constantly redefining my weaknesses as strengths. Just like Kindergarten me, I will not be defined by my circumstances.”

Prompt: Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time – what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study? (300 words)

In fifth grade, my mother arranged a business for me and some friends. We must support a local business and donate our profits towards a good cause. Three ten-year-old kids, with money borrowed from our parents, purchased handmade crafts and ornaments made by disabled workers to resell. I led the operation. Scheduled for several weekends at a public market square, the commerce commenced. Despite my excitement running my first ever business, as the night arrived and the market awoke from its peaceful slumber, surging stranger anxiety stumped me. With adults swamping the space, my body unconsciously cowered. Embarrassment overwhelmed me, and I stood only able to stare at passing customers with my lips sewn shut. After the first night, three kids on the verge of tears sold two knitted dolls. My mother, sensing a crumbling business as its workers became paralyzed by fear, advised me, “As a leader, your job is to accomplish your goals not by yourself, but with your team.” Though not the typical cheers, my mother’s words roused the leader from within me. Wiping away my tears, I reconvened the team and restrategized. We assigned responsibilities: attracting customers, advertising, and collecting payments. Writing out our sales pitches and practicing with each other, we reunited with the sight of profits. The second weekend started: to every corner of the streets, we asked every possible customer. Our efforts paid off. At the end of that night, we sold out. Next weekend, us businessmen along with our parents went shopping using our profits. Looking at the Barbie dolls, stuffed animals, and model cars neatly wrapped, I proudly dropped the Christmas gifts at the local children’s cancer hospital. My first business endeavor taught me a crucial purpose of entrepreneurship: the ability to strengthen networks of people and make positive social changes.

This essay prompt is the classic “Why This Major?” essay,   which asks you to detail your interest in the field and your professional goals. The writer elaborates on their motivation to pursue entrepreneurship through a fitting anecdote about their first time leading a business.

The author shares genuine reasons that make entrepreneurship exciting to them, such as developing leadership skills and making positive social change. These are authentic reasons for pursuing their major that stay away from the superficial motives for pursuing a major such as money or prestige.

Additionally, throughout this entire essay the writer keeps their audience captivated by employing strong use of imagery. It almost feels as if one is right in the middle of the market with the writer as they struggle to navigate the chaos of the market. The line “Embarrassment overwhelmed me, and I stood only able to stare at passing customers with my lips sewn shut” makes the reader feel just as anxious as the author is in the moment. And it feels even better to the reader when the author sells out the entire stock of crafts and ornaments the following night and donates the money to charity. 

As the essay progresses, it’s hard not to wonder what is going to happen next, and the story strings together very nicely, despite having a limited word count. By the end of the essay, the reader has a better understanding of why this student has chosen to pursue entrepreneurship, because they have shared an exciting lived experience that captures the ups and downs of a fast-paced, turbulent major.

All in all, this essay was well written and the author’s point came across well. However, a few items could be slightly improved, including a few syntax errors, poor transition statements and slight thematic inconsistency. 

The second sentence of this essay “We must support a local business and donate our profits towards a good cause” appears a bit out of place and may be better suited in quotes as the mother appears to be speaking these lines. Alternatively, the writer could have rephrased to something like “We were tasked with supporting a local business…”

Similarly, in the last sentence, the author says their motivation for pursuing entrepreneurship is the “ability to strengthen networks of people,” when it may have been more succinct and less clunky to say something along the lines of “the ability to bring people together.”

Another area of improvement for the essay comes in the middle, when the author’s mother “roused the leader” within them. The author could have expanded on why their mother’s words roused them to overcome the daunting obstacle, but instead missed the opportunity to explain why they felt inspired to continue selling ornaments at the marketplace. The author may have even suggested that by overcoming their challenges at the market, they would accomplish their ultimate goal of donating their profits to charity, highlighting their sense of altruism.

The final sentence even states that the author intends to pursue entrepreneurship to make a positive social impact. However, in a thematic sense, this idea is not consistently present throughout the essay. If the author were to include more details about their desire and motivation to donate their profits to charity throughout the essay, this point would have been much more understandable.

Finally, the essay is hard to follow because it’s only one paragraph. The flow would’ve been improved if the author broke the essay up into a few shorter paragraphs.

At 8 years old, I learned that Democrats were donkeys and Republicans were elephants. By 11, I had decided which one I wanted to be. By 14, I discovered I didn’t have to be an elephant or a donkey—the political world was not black and white, but instead multifaceted with many moving parts. As I explored programming through high school, I learned how politics and computer science could be intertwined to enact change exponentially. For the Congressional App Challenge, I developed the winning app, which allows parents to sustainably trade outgrown children’s clothing. Everything in this process, from surveying real families with this need to perfecting the front end design, showed me how coding could easily be geared toward social progress. 

Beyond programming, interning for a state non-profit encouraging Muslims to participate in politics showed me the real potential of computational politics. Big data analysis was a common skill I utilized when encouraging people to vote in the 2022 general election. What furthered my interest was attending a Kode With Klossy event in New York City: I not only spent the day workshopping with Swift and iOS app development, but also heard the stories of activist Sofia Ongele, a pioneer for young women in STEM. 

Discussing sanctions and China’s Uyghur Muslim crisis with U.S. Representative Jim McGovern was my first look into the workings of international conflict resolution. The power systems behind diplomacy became a point of fascination for me. Whether it was marching miles chanting “No Justice, No Peace” in June 2020 or debating as Elizabeth Warren in my ninth grade mock democratic primary, I have taken every stride to involve myself politically. Majoring in international relations and politics and minoring in science, technology and society at Carnegie Mellon is the next step in furthering my involvement.

This essay is another great example of the “Why This Major?” archetype. The author shares why the intersection of technology and politics is the perfect fit for her, through her unique experiences and background.

The introduction is a captivating one, which follows her evolving understanding of politics. Starting with a simplistic view of “Democrats as donkeys and Republicans as elephants” at a young age, the writer matures and recognizes the complexity of the political landscape as she enters high school. This progression implicitly showcases her thoughtfulness and willingness to challenge existing beliefs which are critical to any career in politics and international relations.

Additionally, the essay adeptly integrates the realms of computer science and politics. The author provides a unique combination of academic interests that most applicants would otherwise shy away from. The writer’s successful development of an app for the Congressional App Challenge exemplifies her ability to utilize coding for social progress. By mentioning the process of surveying real families and refining the front-end design, the writer illustrates her comprehensive approach and shows how coding can be harnessed as a tool for enacting positive social change.

Finally, the author provides more unique experiences that reveal her true passions for politics and technology. She references her experiences during the 2022 election and Kode With Klossy events which each relied on bringing together both her academic interests. In the final paragraph, the author provides even more evidence to her experience in the political realm which drive home the point about her interest in her major as well as show accomplishments in a specific area which are hard to come by for most students.

From initial impressions, this essay is great at providing sufficient evidence as to why this author is pursuing international relations and politics with a minor in technology. However, one suggestion for this author, and general advice for any applicant, is not to fall into the trap of simply recapitulating all of one’s resume in an essay. This author has unfortunately used most of the 300 word count to list out her experiences and qualifications, but misses out on key opportunities to expand upon how these experiences have shaped her perspective and developed her interests over time.

In general, there is a lack of reflection on the lessons learned from the various experiences mentioned. While the writer describes her involvement in protests, debates, and internships, there is limited discussion of the personal growth and insights gained from these activities. The author has experiences including “ winning the Congressional App Challenge, to marching miles chanting ‘No Justice, No Peace’ in June 2020 or debating as Elizabeth Warren in [her] ninth grade mock democratic primary,” which could all be powerful standalone experiences for a 300-word essay. Adding a reflective element to the essay would provide a deeper understanding of the writer’s development and demonstrate their ability to learn from their experiences.

For example, the author could remove a few activities from her essay and  expand upon the experience of winning the Congressional App Challenge, discussing her thought process and emotions during the development of the app, or the impact it had based on feedback from families.  Here’s an example of an excerpt that would’ve made this section stronger:

“I decided to use the app for myself to clear out the bags of my younger brother’s baby clothes in the basement. A young immigrant mother responded to my post, saying that she hadn’t been able to afford properly-fitting baby clothes for her toddler son. A week after she picked up the bags, the mother returned with her giggly son in his ‘new’ clothing. The mother was full of gratitude, and I was just as grateful for this experience as it showed me the direct impact coding could have on improving real lives and making social progress.”

By incorporating specific examples and adding reflective elements, the essay would become more compelling, allowing the reader to better understand the writer’s experiences and their personal growth. These adjustments would enhance the overall quality of the essay and provide a vivid and engaging narrative.

Essay Example #5 – Politics

At Carnegie Mellon, I see myself defining a college experience in which I can widen my career goals in politics and learn from real-world experiences. D.C. is where I hope to work following college, as there is no place better than our capitol to explore the inner workings of decision-making in government. Through CMU’s Washington Semester Program (WSP), I aim to intern with a member of Congress to expand my understanding of the legislative process and gain experience in the nation’s center of politics. This orientation into Washington and chance to meet leaders and alumni at top think tanks would allow me to connect with all the working parts of public policy, encapsulating everything I wish to take from college. 

Immersing myself in the relevant and multifaceted courses at the Institute of Politics and Strategy is how I plan to take my learning to the next step at CMU. Electives like “Implementing Public Policy: From Good Idea to Reality” and “In the News” intrigue me; they tie in law and journalism with politics, contextualizing it in a realistic and applicable sphere. 

I hope to conduct research to delve deeper into what I’m passionate about and ripen my goal of effecting change. Under esteemed criminologist and public policy expert Professor Daniel Nagin, I see an opportunity to conduct actionable research on race and incarceration. I want to discuss the disparities in Pennsylvania’s fast growing prison populations itself and develop my paper “Slavery is Flourishing Under the U.S. Prison System.”

Expanding my learning doesn’t end with academics, however. I am eager to explore the diverse community at CMU, and start a cultural literary magazine for all students to share their lived experiences about their heritage through art, writing, and overall self-expression.

This prompt is basically the “ Why This College? ” essay presented in a different way. The goals of the prompt are the same, however: it’s asking you what makes CMU the perfect school for you, and how you will make the most of its resources to have a successful education.

This student clearly has an interest in politics, detailing specifics such as their hopes to pursue an internship, undertake course work, and do research to further their education. They show that they’ve done their research on why CMU is a fit for them, by mentioning unique resources at the college.

Furthermore, the author does a great job of providing additional information as to why they would like to pursue the activities they’ve researched. They explain how CMU’s WSP will teach them about the legislative process, how their classes will tie in law and journalism, and how their research will deepen their understanding of race and incarceration. Providing this level of detail helps admissions officers understand what this student values and is hoping to learn through their education at CMU.

Writing-wise, the student also makes sure to use varied sentence structure and smooth transitions, making the essay easy to read.

The objective of this essay is two-fold: 1) what do you hope to accomplish in your undergraduate degree program, and 2) how CMU is uniquely equipped to help you realize your goals.

The essay does a great job in answering question #1, but could do more to address the latter. We know why the student is interested in the resources they mention, but we don’t know how those things will help them reach their overarching academic and career goals. 

In fact, we don’t even know what those overarching goals are: does this student want to become a political journalist, politician, or something else? It’s okay if you’re undecided, but you should at least share some potential options, rather than simply saying that you’re interested in a broad field (like “politics”), which feels unfocused.

The student should also move the section about CMU’s program in D.C. to later in the essay, as having it right at the beginning makes it seem like they’re more interested in spending time in D.C. than on CMU’s campus in Pittsburgh.

Additionally, the final paragraph, about the student’s hope to start a cultural literary magazine,  feels unrelated to the rest of the essay, which is focused on their political interests. If they wanted to include this detail, they should’ve introduced it earlier, to give themselves time to connect it to their other ideas.

Where to Get Your Carnegie Mellon Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your Carnegie Mellon essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Undergraduate Admission

Admission Consideration

Building a class with tartans of all kinds.

At Carnegie Mellon, we select our first-year class from a large group of very qualified candidates. We don’t use a calculation to choose who to admit because calculations can’t take into account all the factors we consider when making admission decisions. No single grade, factor, score or activity will automatically gain or deny you admission to Carnegie Mellon. We treat every applicant as an individual, taking great care to make our admission decisions fair, thorough and sensitive. We’re interested in students who can be successful at Carnegie Mellon while taking full advantage of all the university has to offer.

What We Consider

Our admission process reflects  Carnegie Mellon's values and core competencies , including diversity, equity, inclusion, collaboration, communication, community engagement, concern for others, self-directed learning and critical thinking. We recommend that you think creatively about how your experiences in and out of the classroom showcase these characteristics. We also encourage you to consider how to share your experiences and aspirations so the admission committee can learn more about you as an applicant, student and person beyond a list of accomplishments.

Academic and Creative Potential

Our admission process is designed to select a highly talented, diverse undergraduate population with high aspirations who will succeed at Carnegie Mellon. If you’re applying to academic programs, your high school talent and/or potential will be a significant factor in our admission decision because it’s the most meaningful indication of your motivation and abilities. We pay close attention to your curriculum rigor, the grades you’ve earned and the work you’ve accomplished. We’re interested in seeing that you’ve challenged yourself within your secondary school environment. If you’re applying to programs in the College of Fine Arts, your artistic performance will be either the main factor or a significant factor (depending on the program) in our admission decision.

Recommendations

We closely review your secondary school counselor’s evaluation and your teacher’s recommendation. If you're applying as a first-year student, we require two letters of recommendation: one from a high school counselor and one from a teacher. While we’ll accept a third recommendation from a teacher or other recommender, we require our committees to consider only two recommendations in the decision-making process.

When choosing a teacher to write your recommendation, be sure to choose someone who can speak to your academic abilities, achievements and broader personal characteristics. It doesn't have to be a teacher in the academic area you're applying to; rather, it should be the teacher who knows you the best.

If you're applying as a transfer student, we require one letter of recommendation from either a faculty member/professor or an academic advisor. While we’ll accept two additional recommendations, we require our committees to consider only one recommendation in the decision-making process.

Standardized Testing

Standardized test scores add to our knowledge of your ability, but we don’t make decisions simply on the basis of test scores alone.

Carnegie Mellon University is test optional for Fall 2025 undergraduate admission applications. However, students applying to the School of Computer Science are strongly encouraged to submit either an SAT or ACT score, including the math subscore, to bolster their application's strength and to aid in determining their ability to succeed academically at Carnegie Mellon.

Pursuant to this policy, applicants aren't required to submit SAT or ACT results; however, results will be considered for those who submit them.  Students who are unable to take either the SAT or ACT or choose not to submit their standardized test scores will be considered equally for admission along with those who submit scores. Learn more .

Please also note that submission of any prior SAT Subject Test results won’t be considered in our admission review process.

Activities, Experiences & Passions

Your non-academic interests, including extracurricular accomplishments, part-time jobs, hobbies and community service also play a very important role in the admission process. We also consider leadership, motivation, passion and perseverance, concern and advocacy for others, and other experiences when making admission decisions.

Our students make Carnegie Mellon an exciting campus. The positive qualities and diverse experiences you bring with you will enrich our community. By looking at this non-academic information, we develop a sense of your personality, motivation and social responsibility.

We also consider your Common Application essay and your responses to the Carnegie Mellon Common Application Writing Supplement. The Writing Supplement includes three short-answer questions:

• Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time — what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study?
• Many students pursue college for a specific degree, career opportunity or personal goal. Whichever it may be, learning will be critical to achieve your ultimate goal. As you think ahead to the process of learning during your college years, how will you define a successful college experience?
• Consider your application as a whole. What do you personally want to emphasize about your application for the admission committee’s consideration? Highlight something that’s important to you or something you haven’t had a chance to share. Tell us, don’t show us (no websites please).

Your short answer responses shouldn't exceed 300 words each.

While there's no such thing as the perfect essay, the best essay you can write helps us learn about you! We want to know more about your passions, goals, aspirations and experiences to gain a deeper understanding of who you are beyond your transcript. While role models, mentors and family members may have played a critical role in your life, don’t forget to write about you. 

Finally, it’s important to recognize that you apply directly to a college or school within Carnegie Mellon, so we encourage you to use part of your essays to describe your academic interests and goals.  If you want to learn more about our wide range of programs, you can check out our visit opportunities to attend an information session or schedule a one-on-one meeting with an admission counselor.

Carnegie Mellon does not collect or review criminal history information as part of the admission process. However, individuals who are admitted to Carnegie Mellon will be required to disclose any past criminal conviction as part of the enrollment process. Learn how Carnegie Mellon considers criminal history information .

Striving for Access and Equity in Admission

The mission of Carnegie Mellon University includes the cultivation of a diverse and inclusive community. Our undergraduate admission process is committed to reducing or eliminating advantages that have been inherent in the admission process. The goal is to provide a more equitable, level playing field where all segments of our applicant population have the same opportunity in the admission process.

Our Admission Paradigm

Demonstrated interest not considered.

We do not consider demonstrated interest in our admission paradigm. Demonstrated interest is a term used in undergraduate admission that describes the ways in which a prospective student shows a college that they’re interested by visiting campus and submitting additional materials that aren’t required in the application. As a result, we do not consider a campus visit or communication with the Office of Admission or other members of the Carnegie Mellon community when making admission decisions. Also, we do not accept supplementary submission of materials, including:

• Research abstracts
• Writing samples
• Multimedia demonstrations of talents
• Maker portfolios

These extra materials haven't been useful in making our admission decisions and allowing optional materials has deterred some people from applying. Applicants have space on the Common Application to list accomplishments and involvement for the admission committee’s consideration. We encourage students to use this space to share the extracurricular facets of their high school experience.

Our Application Process

Shorter essays, non-evaluative on-campus sessions and refocused alumni efforts.

We’re working hard to move our admission application process in a more inclusive direction.

• We changed our long application essay to a series of short essays to better understand student context, unique talents and interests, as well as special considerations candidates would like to bring to our attention.
• On-campus sessions are not evaluative, but rather are counseling sessions to help students align their interests with our programs. 
• We do not offer alumni interviews in advance of admission decisions and have refocused alumni efforts to connect with admitted candidates instead.

Yet even with these changes, there's more work needed on our part to achieve a more inclusive process.

Issues surrounding standardized testing, for example, are complex in a research university like ours, and while we’re no longer requiring or recommending SAT Subject Tests, we’re hoping there is more we can do.

Our Waiting List

Designed to give everyone the opportunity to respond.

Efforts to support access and inclusion extend to our waiting list process as well. Like many other institutions, we are inundated with demonstrations of continued interest and additional recommendations, mostly from well-resourced or well-advised applicants. 

Our waiting list process is designed to give everyone who is interested in remaining on our waiting list the opportunity to respond about their uniqueness by sending us a paragraph at the appropriate time, only when we know there are additional places to fill. 

We request only the paragraph and do  not  consider:

• Letters of continued interest
• Extra recommendations
• Expectation of campus visits
• Lobbying efforts including phone calls and emails  

Details about the paragraph are included in the information made available to all students offered a place on our waiting list when admission decisions are rendered in March. We don't provide the exact topic in advance since we want to avoid having students work on it needlessly in the event we don't end up admitting candidates from our waiting list.

Even with these changes, there's more work needed on our part to achieve a more inclusive process. Issues surrounding standardized testing, for example, are complex in a research university like ours, and while we’re no longer requiring or recommending SAT Subject Tests, we’re hoping there is more we can do. All told, we're working hard to move our process in a more inclusive direction.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION AT CMU

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, cmu essay prompts.

Hey, I'm preparing to apply to Carnegie Mellon University in the upcoming admissions cycle. Does anybody have information on the essay prompts for the CMU application?

You're in luck - CollegeVine has a blog post which not only lists Carnegie Mellon's essay prompts, but also breaks down each one and explains how to write an effective response: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-carnegie-mellon-essays/.

Also keep in mind that CollegeVine offers both a free peer essay review service and paid reviews by expert college admissions advisors - sometimes, a second set of eyes is just the thing your essay needs to go from good to great.

Good luck with your application! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Carnegie Mellon Ranking

Carnegie mellon ranking – introduction.

Carnegie Mellon University is an elite private research institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with an undergraduate population of about 14,000 students from all over the world. The Carnegie Mellon ranking in U.S. News is #22 nationally. Additionally, the Carnegie Mellon ranking is #3 Most Innovative Schools. So, it’s no wonder that many high school seniors have their eye on this top-ranked university. 

However, when building your college list, it’s important to determine what factors matter most to you. High college rankings are beneficial to universities since it often means they receive more funding. Still, a ranking may not be a significant factor when determining your college fit. 

We’ll take a look at the Carnegie Mellon ranking in Forbes, the Carnegie Mellon ranking in U.S. News, and the Carnegie Mellon ranking in Wall Street Journal. That way, we’ll learn what different rankings from different sources mean. Now, let’s dive deeper into understanding the Carnegie Mellon University ranking and how it pertains to your college search . 

What is Carnegie Mellon ranked nationally?

The Carnegie Mellon ratings are high on a variety of different lists.

Most notably, according to U.S. News, the national Carnegie Mellon Ranking is #22 

But, when talking about the Carnegie Mellon University ranking, it’s important to understand the significance of a college ranking in general. After all, different sources use different metrics to calculate the Carnegie Mellon ratings. For example, U.S. News will use different criteria to determine national college rankings than Niche. And, logically, the Carnegie Mellon ranking in world lists will differ from national lists.

When talking about the Carnegie Mellon University ranking, it’s important to acknowledge that there are seemingly infinite college ranking lists out there. So, when using the Carnegie Mellon rankings as a determining factor in the college application and decision process, it’s good to know how they vary.

The Carnegie Mellon ranking in U.S. News is #22 nationally. Similarly, the Carnegie Mellon ranking in Wall Street Journal is #21. However, the Carnegie Mellon ranking in Forbes is slightly lower– #59 . 

We’ll get into the differences in these lists shortly. But, while Forbes and WSJ are reputable sources, U.S. News is known as the best source for national college rankings. All organizations use different factors to determine their “best colleges” lists, which we’ll touch on later in this article. 

Is Carnegie Mellon an Ivy League?

According to U.S. News, Carnegie Mellon is ranked #22 on its national college rankings list. That’s a pretty high ranking, and combined with the low Carnegie Mellon acceptance rate, you may wonder if this elite university is an Ivy League school. 

Carnegie Mellon is not considered one of the eight Ivy League schools . However, that doesn’t make Carnegie Mellon any less prestigious. While the Ivy League colleges are famous for their excellent academic programs and rich histories, their position in the Ivy League doesn’t make them inherently better than CMU—or any school. 

In fact, many of CMU’s programs outrank those of Ivy League institutions. Carnegie Mellon recently ranked #1 in eight specialty areas: artificial intelligence, computer engineering, cybersecurity, management information systems, mobile/web applications, programming languages, software engineering, and quantitative analysis. The Carnegie Mellon ranking as Most Innovative School is #3. Additionally, the Carnegie Mellon ranking in world lists is quite high—globally, Carnegie Mellon ranks #28 . 

So, while not an Ivy League school, the Carnegie Mellon ranking in world and national best colleges lists make it a top school. With that in mind, you’re probably curious about the Carnegie Mellon acceptance rate. The acceptance rate is quite competitive at 14% . 

What exactly does that mean for you and your how to get into Carnegie Mellon plan ? Understanding things like ratings and acceptance rates can be confusing. Read more about how they play into the admissions process. 

Is Carnegie Mellon prestigious?

One reason why you might confuse Carnegie Mellon or an Ivy League is because it is essentially as prestigious as one—without, of course, the fancy title. The Carnegie Mellon University ranking is high, and the acceptance rate is low. While the Carnegie Mellon rankings shouldn’t be the only factor when considering its prestige, the national Carnegie Mellon ranking does show that it’s one of the best schools in the nation. 

Students intrigued by the high Carnegie Mellon ranking will be pleased to find that it has a low student-to-faculty ratio in each of its seven schools. CMU encourages students to be curious and passionate in order to find innovative solutions to real-world problems. Students have academic freedom when it comes to their studies and can take courses from varying disciplines. CMU also acknowledges that “education can’t be summed up by numbers alone.” So, when considering adding CMU to your college list, remember that there’s much more to the university than just the Carnegie Mellon ranking. 

To impress the CMU admissions team, you’ll need stellar essays , a high GPA , and a strong application narrative. Learn more about the admissions process in order to make sure your college application stands out at this elite university.

Demystifying college rankings

We know that the Carnegie Mellon University ranking is high. But what exactly does that mean? How is the Carnegie Mellon ranking determined? 

Just like with other college resources, when considering the Carnegie Mellon ranking, you need to think about the source this ranking comes from and how it relates to you. 

You shouldn’t make your college decisions based on rankings alone. While Princeton , an Ivy League University , is ranked #1 in the nation, it doesn’t necessarily make it your top school. Similarly, a lower-ranked university could be the best college fit for you depending on your interests and needs. 

When considering the Carnegie Mellon ranking, don’t forget to look at the big picture. How do the school’s size and location feel to you? What’s the program like for your intended major ? How do you feel on campus? These are things that the Carnegie Mellon ranking just won’t be able to tell you. 

Top sources for college rankings

Now, when it comes to college rating lists, they certainly aren’t all created equal. U.S. News and World Report is the leader in the college ranking business and is a safe go-to when looking for a reputable ranking source. 

The criteria for the Carnegie Mellon University ranking will vary depending on the source. In general, when ranking colleges, these sources consider graduation and retention rate, graduate performance, academic reputation, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and graduate indebtedness. Organizations also used to highly consider factors such as standardized testing. However, with more schools moving toward a test-optional admissions framework, the ranking systems have adapted accordingly. 

As mentioned, the qualifiers used to determine the Carnegie Mellon ranking could leave out important factors for you . As you begin your college search , you shouldn’t only rely on things like college rankings and acceptance rates. Rankings can help give you a starting point as long as you understand each list’s criteria. Then, do your own research in order to determine your own Carnegie Mellon ranking in terms of your college list. 

Still curious about how college rankings work? Check out this article to learn more. 

Where can I find Carnegie Mellon rankings I can trust?

As you’ve probably noticed, there are many college rankings lists out there. So, which Carnegie Mellon rankings should you trust? 

As we discussed, U.S. News has been ranking colleges for the longest amount of time. As such, many individuals and institutions hold the U.S. News college rankings in high regard. U.S. News considers a number of factors when creating its national college rankings list. They use ten criteria, ranging from undergraduate academic reputation to average alumni giving rate. Each factor carries a different amount of weight. Read more about how U.S. News calculates its rankings.

Forbes college rankings is another reputable source when considering the Carnegie Mellon ranking. However, you may notice quite a difference between the Forbes college rankings and U.S. News college rankings. While the Carnegie Mellon University ranking in U.S. News is #22, the Forbes college rankings place it at #59. 

These Carnegie Mellon rankings differ because U.S. News and Forbes use considerably different criteria to build their lists. For example, Forbes considers alumni salary, whereas U.S. News doesn’t have a designated section for that. 

The Wall Street Journal college rankings are also one of our trusted sources. The WSJ college rankings are determined by different factors from four areas: outcomes, resources, engagement, and environment. However, the Carnegie Mellon ranking from WSJ is quite close to the Carnegie Mellon ranking in U.S. News. The Wall Street Journal college rankings place the Carnegie Mellon University ranking at #21 .

Carnegie Mellon Ranking vs. Johns Hopkins Ranking

When considering the Carnegie Mellon ranking, it makes sense to look at other comparable university’s rankings. Johns Hopkins University , like CMU, is a leading and prestigious research institution. While Carnegie Mellon is known for its science and technology programs, JHU is known for its science and engineering programs. Logically, when considering one, it makes sense to look at the other. 

The U.S. News College rankings place Johns Hopkins much higher on their list at #7 . However, if we look at the Most Innovative Schools , the U.S. News college rankings tell us that Carnegie Mellon stacks up better than Johns Hopkins. The Carnegie Mellon ranking on that list is #3 while JHU is #10. 

When comparing the JHU ranking and the Carnegie Mellon ranking, make sure to consider your specific needs and interests. Both universities will provide students with a high-quality education. That’s why you should keep in mind other important factors when comparing colleges . 

Carnegie Mellon Computer Science Ranking

Known for its science and technology programs, it makes sense to look at the Carnegie Mellon ranking specific to these areas. According to U.S. News, the Carnegie Mellon University ranking for Best Computer Science schools is #4 . MIT, Stanford, and UC Berkeley rank higher at a three-way tie for the coveted #1 position. 

Within more specific areas of computer science, the Carnegie Mellon ranking is impressive. The Carnegie Mellon University ranking in artificial intelligence and programming language is #1 . It’s evident that CMU is considered a top university nationally and globally within the spheres of science and technology. 

Carnegie Mellon Rankings and You

When looking at the many college ranking lists, it’s important to understand that the Carnegie Mellon ranking isn’t the most important factor when determining the best colleges for you. 

As you research colleges, consider factors such as location, size, student life, and academic programs. If you plan to major in the fine arts, then a top school in computer sciences isn’t exactly relevant. To find your dream school , look at the big picture, not just the stats. 

It’s easy to get caught up in prestige and rankings when looking for potential colleges. However, try to block out all that ranking noise when making a final college decision . After all, you’re the one who will study and live there for the next four years. 

The best way to get an accurate feel for a school is through a campus tour. Consider visiting your top schools before making any final decisions. If that’s not feasible, then take a virtual tour. Still, pay close attention to how you feel on campus. That feeling holds much more weight than the Forbes college rankings, U.S. News college rankings, or Wall Street Journal college rankings ever could. 

Carnegie Mellon Ranking – Final Thoughts

The national and global rankings for Carnegie Mellon are impressive. They make this university one of the most sought-after in the nation, especially for those interested in technology and science. If you’re convinced that CMU is the school for you, then you’ll want to carefully craft your personal narrative . Plus, give yourself plenty of time to write impressive essays . 

When it comes to choosing colleges, don’t rely on rankings alone. While they do hold some weight, your impressions and feelings on campus will mean far more. So, take these stats with a grain of salt and focus on the big picture as you find the right colleges for you. 

This article was written by Sarah Kaminski. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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By using the College Advisor site and/or working with College Advisor, you agree to our updated Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy , including an arbitration clause that covers any disputes relating to our policies and your use of our products and services.

• Graduate programs

Apply to the MSE graduate program

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• Graduate Application Support Program (GrASP)
• Ph.D.: October 1 - January 8
• M.S.: October 1 - January 15
• Ph.D.: June 15 - August 31

Prospective students must be a graduate of materials science and engineering or a related discipline at a recognized university with better than a B average. Admission is based on overall academic performance and potential.

A completed application will include the following:

• Non-refundable application fee of $75 USD (this fee cannot be waived or deferred)
• The  online application form
• Ph.D. - 3 required
• Master's - 1 required, 1 optional 
• Uploaded unofficial transcripts (Official transcripts will be requested upon admission)
• Essay questions
• English proficiency exam (for non-native English speakers; see requirements below)

The Graduate Admissions Committee thoroughly reviews each complete application and considers each applicant exclusively for the degree program to which they have applied.

The Graduate Admissions Office does not prescreen any application materials prior to the submission of your application. Also, the office will not advise applicants as to whether they should or should not submit an application.

This distinctive and transformative program is dedicated to developing a diverse community of exceptionally talented national STEM leaders from underrepresented or underresourced backgrounds by eliminating cost as a barrier to graduate education.

Submitting your application materials

All required materials should be uploaded into the application form . You should request English proficiency exam score reports be sent electronically to the department. It is acceptable for letters of recommendation to arrive after the application submission deadline. 

Unofficial transcripts

Transcripts will be marked “unofficial” even if you have uploaded an official copy of your transcripts directly into the application. The Admissions Committee will review the unofficial transcripts that have been uploaded directly. It is not necessary to submit an official transcript until you have been requested to do so.

Recommendation letters

The most informative recommendations are written by those for whom you have done technical work or research similar to the type you will do as a graduate student in our program. Most often, this will be a professor in engineering or science with whom you have taken a course with a significant project component, or an undergraduate (or master’s) thesis advisor. Depending on how long it has been since you have been out of school, some combination of one or two professors and one or two work supervisors is the most common choice.

English proficiency exam

As an applicant, an English proficiency exam is required for non-native English speakers. The department accepts TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo scores (must be sent electronically to the university from the company).  Applicants who are non-native English speakers can receive a requirement waiver if they have or will complete a four-year undergraduate program at a university within the United States before the start of the first term they are enrolled.

Score requirements

Submitting your scores.

• TOEFL Institution code is  2074

IELTS + DUOLINGO send your scores to:  Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering, 431 Hamerschlag Drive, Ansys Hall Suite 250, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

The essay section is important and application reviewers read every word of it during the review process. It should be thoughtful, informative, and written in crisp, clear English. It should show that you have thought about your research interests and motivations, future professional goals, and interest in outreach, as well as diversity equity, and inclusion. The essay field on the application will allow for 500 words. Do not copy whole sections of our catalogue or faculty bios, web pages, etc. into your statement of purpose. Suggest a few possible projects that might interest you, but do not limit yourself to a single, narrowly-defined project.

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Financial support

Doctoral students generally receive financial support for their tuition and stipend from fellowships, traineeships, government grants, graduate assistantships, or scholarships. The vast majority of graduate assistantships that cover a stipend and tuition are paid for by competitive external research grants. Hence, continued financial assistance for doctoral students is contingent upon both satisfactory research progress and academic performance.

Checking the status of your application

Please sign into your  graduate application  to check the status. This site is updated when material is received and decisions are made, so please feel free to check your status frequently during peak admission season.

Reapplying if not admitted

Your  completed  application may be reconsidered for the next concurrent semester after your original application semester. If you would like your application to be reconsidered, send an email to  [email protected]  stating your intentions. 

Statement of Assurance

Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate in admission, employment or administration of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap or disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, ancestry, belief, veteran status, or genetic information. Furthermore, Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate and is required not to discriminate in violation of federal, state or local laws or executive orders.

Inquiries concerning the application of and compliance with this statement should be directed to the university ombudsman, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, telephone 412.268.1018.

Obtain general information about Carnegie Mellon University by calling 412.268.2000.

Carnegie Mellon University publishes an annual campus security and fire safety report describing the university’s security, alcohol and drug, sexual assault and fire safety policies, and containing statistics about the number and type of crimes committed on the campus, and the number and cause of fires in campus residence facilities during the preceding three years. You can obtain a copy by contacting the Carnegie Mellon Police Department at 412-268-2323. The annual security and fire safety report also is available online at www.cmu.edu/police/annualreports .

Information regarding the application of Title IX, including to admission and employment decisions, the sexual misconduct grievance procedures and process, including how to file a report or a complaint of sex discrimination, how to file a report of sexual harassment, and how the university responds to such reports is available at www.cmu.edu/title-ix . The Title IX coordinator may be reached at 5000 Forbes Ave., 140 Cyert Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15213; 412-268-7125; or [email protected] .

For more information regarding the statement of assurance please visit www.cmu.edu/policies/administrative-and-governance/statement-of-assurance.html .

Heinz College Professor Named Andrew Carnegie Fellow

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Ananya Sen (opens in new window) , assistant professor of information technology and management at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy (opens in new window) , has been named to the 2024 class of  Andrew Carnegie Fellows (opens in new window) by  Carnegie Corporation of New York (opens in new window) . 

Sen, one of 28 distinguished scholars selected from more than 360 nominations for this honor, will receive up to $200,000 for research that seeks to understand how and why society has become so polarized as well as ways to strengthen the forces of cohesion to fortify democracy.

“Carnegie Corporation of New York has a rich history of promoting knowledge and understanding,” said Sen. “I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue research that explores political polarization in the U.S. and its impact on society.”

Carnegie Corporation of New York established the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program in 2015 to support research in the humanities and social sciences. Following a one-year pause, the program relaunched with the Class of 2024 under the exclusive theme of political polarization in the United States. 

“The foundation’s support of these fascinating projects is a considered effort to mine scholarship for insights into the underlying causes of the political polarization that is damaging our democracy,” said Louise Richardson DBE, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York. “We also hope to gain insights into the means by which collectively we can mitigate the negative effects of this polarization on our society.”

In this work, Sen will analyze the role of automation technologies within the online news ecosystem in fueling political polarization, focusing on misinformation and echo chambers. He proposes field experiments focusing on combating the monetization of misinformation by analyzing and informing companies about their advertising practices and exploring the effects of algorithmic recommendations on echo chambers among news readers. He aims to suggest steps to limit online misinformation financing and algorithmic solutions to ensure individuals are exposed to diverse political opinions.

An assistant professor at Heinz College since 2019, Sen’s research centers around platforms and digitization with a focus on the media. Sen uses a variety of empirical techniques to analyze data from field experiments as well as observational data to gain insight into research questions focused on topics associated with technology and society. Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon, Sen was a post-doctoral associate at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. He received a Ph.D. in economics from Toulouse School of Economics.

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