<p>the question is:
Please submit a one-page, single-spaced essay that explains why you have chosen Carnegie Mellon and your particular major(s), department(s) or program(s). This essay should include the reasons why you’ve chosen the major(s), any goals or relevant work plans and any other information you would like us to know. If you are applying to more than one college or program, please mention each college or program to which you are applying. Because our admission committees review applicants by college and programs, your essay can impact our final decision. Please do not exceed one page for this essay. </p>
<p>I am having a hard time trying to be creative w/ this? i can easily write this straightforward and to the point. but i dont know if admissions will like that.</p>
<p>and also i was wondering if the college and program you have applied to factors into the admission decision. i.e: for a student applying to HSS (history) and HSS (Psychology-Cognitive Science) be treated differently or is all programs under HSS the same standard?</p>
<p>I’m not totally sure about the different departments in HSS, since I’m CIT (though instinctively I would assume they’d be treated the same, but I could be wrong), but I can tell you that my essay was not all that creative or unique. I tried to make it as interesting as possible, but I really was trying to communicate some straightforward facts, so it wasn’t exactly the world’s most creative essay. </p>
<p>I started off by talking about how I was initially drawn to CMU by the way science and the arts really come together (I was a ballet dancer applying for engineering, so I thought it made sense with the rest of my app ;)). I then spent a while talking about myself and how I got interested in engineering and science. Then I talked a little about specifically why I thought CMU was a good match for my particular engineering/science interests (I applied to both CIT and MCS, so I had to cover both). At the end, I added on a little explanation about why/how I was so interested in math/science, and why I thought CMU would help me cultivate my interests, even if I didn’t necessarily seem that way on paper - that was just a personal thing; I wanted to add that on because due to some scheduling conflicts and a few other things, my transcript didn’t seem (at least to me) all that geared towards engineering, at least my junior year, so I sort of wanted to address that without just whining about scheduling conflicts and stuff. </p>
<p>Hope that helps a little!</p>
<p>wow that was soo helpful.
I plan to major in cognitive science in the psychology department and I have good math/comp sci/science courses, but lack in psychology classes. Like I couldn’t take AP physc because I wanted to take comp sci AB and etc. so I was wondering how exactly I address this issue without sounding like I am making excuses.<br>
PM me, thnx sooo much again.</p>
<p>btw could you just give me a quick chance for HSS Edii:</p>
<p>UW: 3.57
W: 4.0-4.1
- note about GPA: my grades have had a significant upward trend:
W GPA’s- 9th: 3.8 10th: 4.2 (w/ 2 ap’s) 11th: 4.47 (with 4 ap’s)</p>
<h1>of Ap’s: 6 (signed up for 5 more senior year), this is one of the more challenging courses</h1>
<p>Grades is APs: AP World-A, AP Comp Sci- B+, AP US-A, AP Lang-A, AP Chem-B, Stat-A
SAT: 2020 super scored (670 CR, 720 M)
SAT US History: 780
SAT Math Level 2: 770
SAT Biology: 780
Significant EC’s + Awards:
Founder and President of the History Honor Society
Member of NHS, Math Honor Society, and Science Honor Society
3rd Place Regional Science Fair
Internship with NASA (VASTS program)
2 month research in India in biotechnology (i will conduct my studies this summer and will apply for siemens)
Lots of hours community service at hospital</p>
<p>also senior year schedule: ap lit, ap comparative, ap bio, ap physics, human anatomy, ap calc ab, engineering physics 2</p>
<p>I Agree with CalDancer…</p>
<p>The common ap essay is meant to be “creative” as far as it can be for CMU and any school…a chance to shine in some unique way. In contrast, supplements at CMU or any school really are less of an opportunity for creativity- they are more direct and speak to experiences that align interests with chosen schools/majors.</p>
<p>You don’t have to talk about not yet having had a psych class…but focus on the pysch classes ahead and the type of research at CMU that is attractive to you and why. That’s fine too!</p>
<p>Best of luck</p>
<p>The purpose of the essay is to show how badly you want to attend CMU and how much you know about CMU.</p>
<p>^I took it that way.</p>
<p>I think I started off asking why don’t they advertise that the scotch 'n soda theater club is literally right next door because I just loved that. Just writing about how amazing their robots are, the theater, how impossibly small I thought the chance was of finding a school good in both. I forgot what else but I think it is just about how much you like/know the school.</p>
<p>how much of “knowing” the school should I include in the essay? like I guess I am asking how do I incorporate them into the essay? do I use some specific courses, rankings, awards, professors in my essay?</p>
<p>^I mean, I wouldn’t say you should talk about wanting to attend CMU because it’s in the USNWR top 25. However, if there are certain unique courses that you’re really interested in, or professors with certain specialties that really interest you, that would definitely work. </p>
<p>Here’s how I thought about these kinds of essays - I looked at what the schools emphasized about themselves, and then I tried to explain how that fit with my interests. For example, CMU really seemed to emphasize the combination of arts and science (it’s all over their brochures and stuff), so I talked about how I love the arts and science. Another example would be that Johns Hopkins put a huge emphasis on how much research they did - so I talked about how I was really interested in research. Obviously don’t make stuff up, but if you find something that shows how/why you’re a good fit for the school, use it!</p>
<p>CalDancer thanks soo much for your help. If you don’t mind, could you look over my why cmu essay later when I am done with it?</p>
<p>when I connect my interest w/ CMU, can I mention an accomplishment I have been awarded for that interest? or does that not work with the supplement?</p>
<p>edit: do you advice using first person? and do I write about why CMU or why CMU HSS? i think i am going to write a few sentences about why CMU, but focus majorly on HSS, is this a good idea?</p>
<p>I did a very straightforward and clean explanation of my interests and how the programs at each school would serve in developing those interests. Very little emphasis on desire to attend, but rather my “fit” for the school.</p>
<p>Eagles<em>for</em>life: no problem, and I’d be glad to look over it when you’re done! </p>
<p>I think I did something similar by talking a little at the beginning about why CMU, and more at the end about why CMU CIT/MCS. In the middle, I talked about myself, and then connected the qualities I had described with CIT/MCS to show I was a good fit at the end (just like AvgAsian said).</p>
<p>I’m going to be a freshman in SCS next year, and I had a pretty creative approach to that essay. The entire essay was written as if it was 2014 and I was just graduating Carnegie Mellon and reflecting on everything I got out of Carnegie Mellon and everything I gave to it. I thought it was a good way to show them what I thought they could give me and what I thought I could give them.</p>
<p>You of course shouldn’t do the same thing I did, but there are definitely creative ways to approach the essay if you’re someone like me who can’t write something interesting that isn’t quirky.</p>
<p>I’d be happy to share my essay with anyone if they’d like.</p>
<p>Please submit a one-page, single-spaced essay that explains why you have chosen Carnegie Mellon and your particular major(s), department(s) or program(s). This essay should include the reasons why youve chosen the major(s), any goals or relevant work plans and any other information you would like us to know. If you are applying to more than one college or program, please mention each college or program to which you are applying. Because our admission committees review applicants by college and programs, your essay can impact our final decision. Please do not exceed one page for this essay.</p>
<p>I started the essay by explaining why I wanted to go into Business. I said that my last name meant merchant and I was destined to become a businessman. I also explained that the majority of my family members owned a business. Then I talked about why CMU was perfect for me. I explained how my involvement in robotics and FBLA was the reason I wanted to pursue a major in Finance and a minor in robotics. I talked about how CMU was the only college in the nation with a top ranked business and robotics program. I ended the essay by saying how I always wanted to study Hong Kongs economy and how I could visit Hong Kong with CMU’s study abroad program. I said that I appreciated how the class size was small and how the same faculty that teaches grad students teaches undergrads.</p>
<p>Basically I talked about why CMU was perfect for me while also showing I did some research by including Hong Kong, small class size etc.</p>
<p>on a completely different topic, why is that on the CMU admissions website they only list the ACT english and Math scores? does this imply the others are not considered or what…?</p>
<p>@omerzach</p>
<p>I though of doing that exact same thing because another college I’m applying to (VCU) has an essay requiring us to write a “Page 87 of our autobiography”. and that gave me the idea to do it on the CMU essay. but the only problem I face w/ that type of essay is the tone. I am not exactly sure how the tone should be set or how I could incorporate info about CMU in that.</p>
<p>btw could you pm me your essay, I will send you mine once I am done for review (if you don’t mind)…so far steelers has agreed to look over when he/she has time</p>
<p>I think a straight forward essay is probably the best thing. I was really stressed on how to approach this essay at first also. I thought of going creative and making it like a narrative but I just ended up outlining why I like carnegie.</p>
<p>@Eagles They listed all of my ACT scores on my admissions website</p>
<p>what do you think one would need on the ACT to be competitive in HSS edii?? i currently have a 28 (w/ no prep whatsoever)…and think i can break 30 in everything but science.</p>