<p>I'm a junior, just looking at the supplement and I have some questions..</p>
<p>Section II, courses-
- what does it mean by "college prep" courses. I go to a 'preparatory' school, so would all of my classes be college prep classes? lol
- "Which courses do you find most stimulating/challenging?" If I'm going into a science major and that class turns out to be a science class, will they look down on that? Or opposite, if I'm going into the sciences and I honestly hate doing english, should I put that down?</p>
<p>Section III
- reading list (four books youve read this year)- should I put books that I've read in senior year right up to the point that I'm about to hand in the application? Does it matter what books I use? would Gatby or Catcher be bad to put? And I'm reading Silent Spring over the summer for AP bio, is that good to write down? [I'm NOT reader =P]</p>
<p>OH I just saw a thing to check off if you were interviewd-- I am SO scared to be interviewed, I think I will crack under the nervousness. Is it necessary/required to be interviewed? >_<</p>
<p>Section VI- Essay
- Ok this might sound so dumb, but I watched the movie Smart People and was wondering if I can mention about how that got me interested in Carnegie Mellon. Would that be a bad idea? I would write how I am in the same situation the doctor was in- she was interested in english but then changed to science. (I do hope the people on this board know this movie!)</p>
<p>Thanks, I'm just a little nervous for this =]</p>
<p>College prep courses are academic courses - leave off any PE, fine arts or vocational courses.</p>
<p>Are you interpreting “stimulating/challenging” as meaning the courses you struggle with or find most difficult? It can also mean the courses you find most interesting and take beyond the requirements. The second interpretation will make your answer easier, I believe.</p>
<p>Of course, Gatsby and Catcher are great books, but if you only read them because they were assigned for class, you are missing the point. Something you chose to read out of interest is much more illustrative of who you are as a person, and that is the reason behind random-sounding questions on college applications!</p>
<p>Just one more tip - you sound less than confident about this application; I’m assuming CMU is one of your top choices. You’ll benefit from doing a couple of other applications first and getting the butterflies out of your system. It will also help you refine your essays. The first application you write is nowhere near as good the fourth or fifth.</p>
<p>Regarding the interview - I completely understand that interviews can be very nerve-wracking, but the great thing about an interview is that it can really help demonstrate how interested you are in CMU! I don’t believe that an interview is required, but if you can do one, it can really only help your application, not hurt in (unless you’re a crazy psychopath or something 
). Also, I did an on-campus interview at CMU, and another great thing was that the interview really helped sell me on CMU! I had a good tour, but it was in the summer, so the campus was really empty, and I just wasn’t feeling totally sure about CMU. But I had a great interviewer who was really able to highlight all the positives of CMU, which really convinced me to apply and, ultimately, decide to enroll.</p>
<p>The interview is very standard and the people are very nice! I was nervous too, especially since I wasn’t expecting it and was just in a shirt and jeans but the women (MJ) was very cool and interested and what I was talking about. Just figure out your leaderships, what they mean to you, what’s important to you, why that school. They’re not gonna throw anything crazy at you (Tufts once asked a friend what their favorite animal was or something odd like that, it won’t happen here).</p>
<p>Yeah, college prep are just those APs or IBs or core classes I think. I’m not sure what I put on those.</p>
<p>I just put books I legitimately liked and read over the year. Angelas Ashes, Thud!, then a comic book (but it was an awesome comic book, Ex Machina I think or something by Vaughan) and War of the Worlds. I also recall putting Paradise Lost but that’s past 4 so now I’m confused. I just put some of my favorite books that I’d read over the year. I read a lot though, Koontz and most of the discworld and then things like A Passage to India. I kinda just go to the library and pick things up. I just finished The Dolphin People which I’d probably put on that list if I had to fill it out again because it’s such an awesome book. Just put things you really did read and enjoy over the past year. I don’t like Catcher or Gatsby so I wouldn’t put them myself.</p>
<p>For my essay I wrote about the Scotch N Soda club being literally right next door to the Robotics club. I could not get over how awesome that was to see when I visited because I’m a huge theater dork but also love working on robots so I felt the school was just perfect. I mean, other things also, but yeah. That was in my opening sentence. Just why you like the school, why you feel you’d belong, that kind of thing, so write whatever you feel will portray that.</p>
<p>Also I agree with trying another schools’ application first. I did my Carnegie one last actually. Try to visit and have an interview before you start the essay because it’ll help out a lot.</p>