<p>My current stats are:</p>
<p>GPA:3.64 Unweighted
Rank: 24/585
ACT: 30 (Hoping to raise this)</p>
<p>I'm also applying to UIUC, Georgia Tech, and MIT for the hell of it. How likely is it that I'm accepted</p>
<p>Also, is Carnegie one of those schools which receives extremely high endowments and gives considerable financial aid/discounts for low income families?</p>
<p>its a low-reach</p>
<p>For FinAid, its usually HYPS then top 15 privates, then drops off a bit.</p>
<p>And would CMU be one of those top 15 private schools?</p>
<p>I would think so as CMU is top 5 or top 10 in engineering, business, musical theatre, fine arts/design, architecture, creative writing, computer science, etc. </p>
<p>CMU is a bit like a trade school, it focuses on what it does well and these majors are the marketable kind with a focus on getting a great job (further supported by high recruiter satisfaction, high salaries, and top company networking). Comp Sci and Business salaries, for example, are the top of the line with SCS being unmatched and Tepper salaries being 2nd, tied with the likes of Wharton, Stern, Ross, etc. </p>
<p>Consequently, acceptance to the university largely depends upon which college you apply to. SCS and Tepper (the two most selective), have very high standards (SCS having many 800 Math SAT scorers and Tepper having a 12% acceptance rate, small freshman size of 77 this year, and an average 4% rank, stats that are comparable to the Ivies) whereas HSS has relatively low standards. Similarily, CFA and other schools and majors such as Design that may take a 3.0 avg SAT if he/she has an amazing portfolio. Musical Theatre is also extremely competitive with sometimes single digit acceptance rates but a great audition is weighed more heavily than GPA or SAT.</p>
<p>Finally, CMU usually meets need, but it depends on how much CMU wants you (from past data and threads on the CMU board).</p>
<p>Well I’m planning to major in Computer Engineering and that’s under CIT. Is selectivity in CIT comparable to SCS?</p>
<p>CIT’s generally a little easier than SCS, though not a whole lot. ECE is a major with a restricted number of students in it, so there’s also a possibility you’d be accepted to CIT but not into the ECE program.</p>
<p>CMU isn’t also known for having very generous financial aid; I think it has the second lowest endowment in the top 30 or something like that. I was able to get an extra $10k a year or so by having RPI and CMU bid on me with their financial aid offers.</p>
<p>You might want to also look at RPI and Case Western if you’re interested in CMU. They’re similar schools, but the others are slightly easier to get into.</p>
<p>Admission statistics for CMU’s 2007-2008 pool of applicants may be found [here](<a href=“Home - Computing Services - Office of the CIO - Carnegie Mellon University”>Home - Computing Services - Office of the CIO - Carnegie Mellon University).</p>
<p>As mentioned by other posters, the School of Computer Science (SCS) and the Tepper School of Business are fairly selective. On the other hand, the College of Engineering (CIT) is much easier to get into, but it is still more selective than Georgia Tech or UIUC for example. </p>
<p>Besides, as RacinReaver said, keep in mind there is a chance you might be accepted to CIT, but denied admission to the ECE program. That is not a major problem though as it is relatively easy to transfer to ECE at the end of your freshman year provided that you get good grades.</p>
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<p>It depends on the major you are interested in. US News & WR ranks CMU as a whole as top 25 (#22 actually), but the university is ranked top 5 for computer science and computer engineering, top 10 for general engineering, and top 15 for most other engineering majors it offers (except biomedical engineering, which is only offered as a double major actually). </p>
<p>The London Times/QS world ranking is somewhat more favorable to CMU than US News. I believe it ranks the university as a whole as top 20 in North America (including Canada) and as top 5 in the engineering/technology specialty ranking (again considering North American institutions only). </p>
<p>Talking from my own experience as an international student and a CMU graduate, I would say that, especially in ECE, robotics and CS, CMU has far greater prestige overseas than the likes of Georgia Tech or UIUC for example, but is not as well known as MIT, Stanford or Cal Berkeley for instance. CMU is also strong in other areas such as business, economics, arts/drama, architecture, cognitive psychology, philosophy/logic, statistics, and applied math. </p>
<p>The university’s main weaknesses IMHO are in traditional humanities/liberal arts majors and in basic sciences, even though CMU does have a few strong research groups e.g. in physics and chemistry and is now investing heavily in biological/biomedical sciences (including a close partnership with the University of Pittsburgh’s medical school).</p>
<p>Hmm I see. Since I can’t change anything at this point besides my ACT score, how high would it need to be for CMU to be less of a low reach and more of a match?</p>
<p>The data given above was from last year. The 2008-2009 class has yet to be posted but their stats are even better and CMU has become more selective. I don’t think it is possible to be a true match or “in” at any top-tier private nowadays, but a 34 ACT might be a good start.</p>
<p>On financial aid, CMU is not known for its generosity, but it does openly try to match competing offers.</p>
<p>I just want to say that Carnegie mellon has gotten me an absolutely amazing Wall St. job and I didn’t have the best grades. </p>
<p>the selectivity has gone up alot over the years and if u check the new numbers the more tech and business and comp sci schools are just as hard as the ivies i think. CMU’s avg in overall is usually dragged down by the CFA and liberal arts who don’t focus on gpa or sat but if you focus just on CIT/Tepper/SCS/MCS, CMU is pretty much a top 15 private in my eyes.</p>
<p>Anyways my financial aid was met but some of my high school buddies way back then didn’t get all they wanted. however, cmu’s endowment actually grew a bit so perhaps u might get ur needs met.</p>
<p>Another question I have about CMU is if they want SAT subject tests. On college board they’re listed as not requiring, or even recommending them but on other sites they have it down as a requirement. I tried to find if they want them on their official site but the application is just redirected to common app, which unless I’m missing something, doesn’t list any request for SAT II scores.</p>
<p>When I applied…umm…six or so years ago they required SAT II Writing, SAT II Math IIc, and a science of your choice (I went with chemistry).</p>
<p>^ I think it is still the same.</p>
<p>I signed up for Math II and Physics. My ACT has gone up to 33 as well.</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon would be a reach, not out of the picture, but not looking as a definite acceptance.</p>
<p>i get the feeling from my days, that cmu tend to give you financial aid based on how much they want you, and not entirely based on need. My friend in high school had the same EFC as me, but lower scores, but I ended up getting 10k more in grants per year than him. I ended up not going, but he did. I wouldn’t count on too much financial aid, unless you are URM.</p>
<p>if you apply to CMU as an English/Creative Writing Major under the College of the Humanities and Social Sciences you must take 2 satII tests and one has to be Math. this link tells you which college requires which tests at CMU… [Academic</a> Requirements](<a href=“Home - Computing Services - Office of the CIO - Carnegie Mellon University”>Home - Computing Services - Office of the CIO - Carnegie Mellon University)</p>
<p>Didn’t do so hot on my SAT IIs</p>
<p>Math 770
Physics 670</p>