The Carnegie Mellon University Common Data Set is a great source of information that can offer useful hints for your application process. This data provides valuable insights into what Carnegie Mellon admissions officers are seeking from applicants, which enables you to better showcase your strengths in your application.

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How Carnegie Mellon Evaluates Applicants — based on CDS data

When looking at your application, Carnegie Mellon's admissions officers consider a variety of factors. They value the quality of your high school record, class rank, and academic GPA. Other important factors include your application essay, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, character and personal qualities, and even your work experience. This is a multi-stage review process that involves both an academic and a holistic review and emphasizes the value of a well-rounded application.

Does Carnegie Mellon track demonstrated interest?

No, Carnegie Mellon doesn't track demonstrated interest in their admissions process. They don't keep tabs on whether you opened their emails or attended any events. So, your attention should be mainly on other important elements of your application. Unlike schools that do track demonstrated interest, you don’t need to worry about showing interest in Carnegie Mellon.

Does Carnegie Mellon care about standardized test scores?

Carnegie Mellon does consider standardized test scores, but they're not the most vital part of your application. However, since around 50.5% of applicants submit SAT scores and 19.7% submit ACT scores, it might be a good idea to include yours if they are at the middle to upper end of the middle 50%. (The SAT middle 50% is 1500-1560, and the ACT middle 50% is 34-35.)

Does Carnegie Mellon care about essays?

Absolutely, essays are an important part of Carnegie Mellon's application review process. As you can see in the chart above, CMU marks them as “important.” Your essays give the admissions officers a deeper insight into your strengths, personality traits, and unique qualities, which helps them gauge your potential fit. Your essays are your opportunity to create a unique "thesis" about who you are. Once you have that thesis, align all components of your application around it to a cohesive narrative that will resonate with CMU admissions officers.

What GPA do I need to get into Carnegie Mellon?

The data shows that a high GPA is critical for getting into Carnegie Mellon. Take a look at the GPA data for enrolled students:

Almost every enrolled student was in the top half of their high school graduating class, with 90.1% in the top tenth. As a rule of thumb, a high GPA, close to perfection, is usually expected.