<p>I am international, but I never get to choose the shipment methods…</p>
<p>How does the number of applicants double in just one year? I’m looking at their admissions data, and it has been around 16000-18000 for the past three or four years. It suddenly jumps up to 35000 in one year? The number of applicants to some of my other schools have been ridiculous as well.</p>
<p>Common Application, top 5 ranking in certain schools and international exposure= your answer</p>
<p>CMU has been using Common App, has been top 5 ranking in certain schools, and has had international exposure in the past few years. It’s just weird that it suddenly doubled from 18000 to 36000 in just one year. </p>
<p>This page says they had 33,000 applicants last year:</p>
<p><a href=“http://admission.enrollment.cmu.edu/pages/undergraduate-admission-statistics”>http://admission.enrollment.cmu.edu/pages/undergraduate-admission-statistics</a></p>
<p>But the Common Data Set for last year says they had 19,000:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cmu.edu/ira/CDS/cds_1314.html”>http://www.cmu.edu/ira/CDS/cds_1314.html</a></p>
<p>Unclear how they count the numbers at CMU. Given that Rice had a little over 15,000 applicants last year, I would be skeptical about the 33,000 number at CMU. Maybe CMU counts anyone who started a Common App, and only about half actually completed the application. If so, the acceptance rates publicized by CMU are much too low. For example, Carnegie Institute of Technology would be around 30% rather than 17%.</p>
<p>A lot of schools have been getting record high applicants this year. I don’t exactly why it is this year, but the theory is that students are applying to more schools. This in turn makes it harder to get in, which is the major incentive for people to apply to more schools (turns out it doesn’t actually help), so its just a huge cycle. Even in my own school, we had students apply to way more colleges than last year by at least an extra hundred applications.</p>
<p>I see. I was looking at the Common Data Set. I’m assuming if one applicant applies to two different schools, they count it as two applications, which would explain why the numbers are different. </p>
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<p>Hmm, that could be the explanation. But I don’t think any other colleges do it that way, so this would be a bit dishonest on CMU’s part.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s dishonest. They just classify number of applicants and applications differently. </p>
<p>Again, I ask: why did some people get to choose their own method of shipping? I never got that option; was it an option for everyone, or only some people?</p>
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<p>without pointing out that this gives acceptance rates that make CMU appear to be much more selective than it is.</p>
<p>I live in Pittsburgh and I got accepted SCS! The acceptance letter is labeled “fat packet” 
Good luck to everyone!</p>
<p>The mails arrived for me, but I haven’t received any from CMU… Anyone knows how long it usually takes? East coast here. </p>
<p>Received some mail today for my parents from CMU (who teach there) but so far none for me. Will keep you posted</p>
<p>@Akashaka what high school do you go to? I’m in Fox Chapel. </p>
<p>@NigerianPrince Allderdice :)</p>
<p>@NigerianPrince I would really appreciate it if you stop sending me emails ;)</p>
<p>@Akashaka Did you only apply to SCS? Do you know what happens when you apply to more than one school in decision mails?</p>
<p>@viphan Lol at your previous post to nigerianprince 
No I applied to CIT as my second choice and MCS as my third choice. My acceptance letter says quote “It is an honor to invite you to join Carnegie Mellon University’s Carnegie Institute of Technology and School of Computer Science for Fall 2014”. Doesn’t say anything about MCS… but there is a weird note later that says “Because of the large number of qualified students interested in Electrical and Computer Engineering, we are unable to include this department in our offer of admission.” Whatever. SCS tho!!!</p>
<p>@Akashaka Congrats on your acceptance! Wow I’d call and find out of contradicting info in the packet. I applied to SCS and CIT (ECE)… </p>
<p>@viphan Oh btw, I applied undecided at CIT. THAT’S probably what it meant. Thanks so much, this is incredible I thought SCS was impossible to get into!</p>