I am currently a Senior at high school who wants to pursue a degree at Carnegie Mellon. I want to apply to the school of Computer Science or Business. Im trying to figure out which one I have a better chance of getting into. I also want to know if I even have a chance for Carngie. Im doing regular decision.
Gender: Male
Race: South Asian
Prestigious/Competitive HS in Michigan
Middle-Upper class family (Less than 150k salary)
Stats:
GPA - 3.93/4.0 (Carnegie Recalculated to 4.0)
1470 (730 math, 740 reading/writing)
IB Diploma Candidate
ECS/Achievements:
Founded school programming club
Published a book
Volunteered at dental clinic (70 hours)
Have a teaching job in a local business
Founded and manage a tutoring business
Founded dropshipping business
Internship for an AI related company, learnt about the application of AI in Finance.
HOSA for 4 years (won a gold medal, qualified for states twice)
Quiz Bowl for 4 years (qualified for nationals, been in Varsity for three years, board member)
National Honor Society
Letter of Rec:
I would say my letter is pretty strong, I’ve chosen a teacher I talk to a lot and have had for 3 years.
I don’t think you could switch to CS at CMU if you choose business first but don’t know. You may want to ask the school directly. You would need to look into seeing if it would be hard to. Some schools won’t allow it since it’s so popular. My DD very close friend is in CS at CMU right now and she says it’s very intense and a very hard program but she enjoys it. You prob need to be sure you want to do CS and then if so, apply for the program. She even started her freshmen year during the summer this year.
Don’t bother applying to CMU unless you visit the campus and spend the day there. It is a very different vibe so make sure it’s somewhere you can see yourself. My son was accepted in 2019 with super top stats. However they give zero merit aid so expect to pay full ticket price if you do not qualify for any financial aid.
But again, my advice being a Pittsburgh local, is visit the school before even applying.
Your profile says “business student” much more than “CS student”. You need to decide which major appeals to you more.
In theory, you can. But in practice, very few seem to have been able to switch into CS at SCS.
CMU is very much a “fit” school. I know several CMU grads and some enjoyed their time there but others (even those who really like CS), not as much. It’s a very intense environment and the curriculum is very rigorous. You have to be ready and willing to put in a tremendous amount of effort. That’s why I say it’s not for everyone.
Yes, definitely. Even amongst the grads I know that enjoyed their time on campus - many didn’t enjoy being in Pittsburgh as much.
and @Have_faith143 My best friend from undergrad went for his masters at CMU and almost didn’t make it through mentally even though he had a full scholarship to undergrad like myself.
You are a strong student, but CMU is a real stretch. CS admits 5%, and their average SAT is 800 Math 770 verbal. You have a chance at Tepper, but not a great one. Have you looked into Case Western, Emory, USC? Your profile better matches them, and they are excellent schools.
Your profile says “business student” much more than “CS student”. You need to decide which major appeals to you more.
I became interested in CS near the end of highschool, so thats why I hardly have anything for CS. I think my best shot is to apply for business school at CMU, since im a better applicant for it. Is it possible to do a business/finance major at CMU and then a comp sci minor?
Test optional - don’t submit - would be my guidance due to the math score.
UMICH and UF are both fine schools but nothing like CMU.
If you want to study CS, I suggest you apply for CS. There’s hundreds of great schools, if not more where you can get a CS degree.
You are looking at reach schools and that’s ok. But you need target and safety too - like in addition to Michigan add a Michigan State or Minnesota etc.
In addition to CMU maybe a Colorado School of Mines or Rose Hulman.
Yes, Toad. Sounds like you’re on the right track. Rule of thumb; if your test scores are below the average, do not submit.
This year I had a student admitted ED CMU. 1550, 3.8 UW, 14 AP’s, 2 journaled publications (as 2nd author), 4 years of research, outstanding athlete, riveting essays.
2 years ago, I had a student deferred in ED II, and then admitted RD. 1580, 3.95 UW, 1 journaled publication, 5 years of research, Math Olympian, STEM club founder. He got his behind kicked upon arrival, but as a sophomore, his grades have risen each term; he has paid a heavy price with the incredibly demanding regime.
Actually prior to 2019 (the year my S19 applied) they DID offer merit scholarships. They discontinued them in 2019. And certain programs still do offer very small merit scholarships (ie. music school) to recruit students to certain programs.
Here’s my take: you have a much better chance to get into Tepper than School of Computer Science so if the goal is CMU and you are agnostic between the fields of study, definitely apply for business. I agree that while technically possible to transfer to SCS, they make it extremely difficult and therefore highly unlikely. There are SCS minors and that could work well for you with along with a business degree depending on your long-term interests.
Your test scores are great in general but not great for CMU. My son was 1500 (760 M 740 V) and though that is still below the average at Mellon College of Science he submitted them and was accepted. That is only a sample size of one and I would talk to your advisor about the benefits of going TO.
In terms of the culture at CMU, I do agree with others that it is a school that is not for everyone, but I think there is more going on socially outside of the classroom than people seem to think. And there is plenty of social life connected to the Pitt campus which is literally right there. My son did well in his studies this first semester and also found plenty of time to have fun, go to bars, sporting events, parties, and all the other things college students do in addition to studying. I think the workload, especially in the business school, is not overly intense. Computer science and engineering are known to be the heaviest loads with business on the lighter side and other majors in between (all according to my son and his friends). Not everyone spends 24hrs/day studying.
As a current New Yorker who grew up in Pittsburgh, I think the city itself is a great college town. It is home to world-class performing arts and museums (some of which are right next to campus) cool neighborhoods (shadyside, east liberty which now reminds me of Brooklyn), and of course, you can’t beat going to Steelers games (even in a rebuild year like this one). It’s affordable and easy to get around and navigate. The city of Pittsburgh is definitely a plus for CMU.