<p>Haha CMU is crazy unique, do a bit of research and you’ll see some of what that is. The big one for me was that they’re so awesome in engineering/CS as well as art and humanities and stuff, but that’s not a draw for everyone. Maybe you dig the campus culture or the funky traditions or you just respect it as a strong school for your major. </p>
<p>My interview was just a discussion about CMU and the time I spent there (it was after sleeping bag weekend) and why I liked it.</p>
<p>Interdisciplinary. It is encouraged and it something that people are proud of there. Problem solvers. Not a school for everything, but the departments they do have are all top notch. A school on the rise. A school where leading edge technological solutions for society are constantly emerging. First school of computer science. Computers, software pervade the whole intellectual process in most of the departments. Amazing theater school. CMU alums are everywhere on Broadway, on TV, and in movies. Also strong visual and musical arts which surprises people. Andy Warhol was an art student there. They do a lot with what they’ve got (endowment has always been on the low end among “peer” schools). Integrated into the city of Pittsburgh. Collaborative with University of Pittsburgh, particularly in the area of medical technology. Increasingly international in outlook. New President (Suresh) is first non-US born leader of the institution. I suspect that means that the international outlook will continue. Main campus is in the city, but in an area which is nice residential.</p>
<p>These are the thoughts of an aging alumnus who has seen the University develop over the last several decades, and who has always loved the school. All the best to you in your interview.</p>
<p>@lilemmie My interview went well! It was in a local Starbucks and was very laid-back. My interviewer had the alumni interview sheet printed out (you can check it out on the website). We basically went through the questions quickly and then he talked quite a bit about his time at CMU. He actually did Information Systems, which is the program I’m interested in, so we talked about that for a while.</p>
<p>my interview went great! Although other people on here have said that alumni interviews dont have a ton of weight, my interviewer said that all her recommended students have gotten in and that all her non-recommendeds didnt. And we totally hit it off and things went wonderfully so hopefully that is a good sign for me! If anyone has any questions about the interview feel free to ask:)</p>
<p>Hey, did CMU process your recs and writing supplement? I am not sure why those are still not processed. They sent me an e-mail 2 days ago saying my application is incomplete and to send missing material ASAP. However, I submitted my entire Common App on Jan. 1; don’t know what to do.</p>
<p>Yeah it says they were received the day after I had submitted my app! But this situation has happened to me for other schools I’ve applied to. I ended up asking my school counselor about it and she just called and asked and it was all sorted out. I suppose I could have done it for myself. The admissions office is super nice if you call and always help you out! I suggest doing that, it could just be a mistake that needs to be sorted out.</p>
<p>hey, guys, how did you got your interview notification? My son turned his regular app in before the deadline but never got an interview invite. We live in a Midwest medium size town.</p>
<p>yeah the interview is totally optional and in your hands to initiate. Once your app has been processed you can get access to the alumni directory and choose an interviewer who you have to contact to set one up</p>
<p>How much does an alumni interview actually matter for CMU? I have 10 days left and don’t want to go for one if it doesn’t make a difference because I think I am going screw up by not being able to express myself properly.</p>
<p>from what I can tell, CMU pays a lot of attention to demonstrated interest. If you haven’t gone on a tour or anything like that, I’d suggest doing an interview! They’re super casual and more like a conversation than anything else. Additionally, it seems like with interviews, it matters more that you did one than how exactly it went. There was an alumni on here that said their recommendations dont seem to be considered in the actual decision but more that they see that you put in that extra effort by doing an interview and that that makes you more appealing to admissions. I’d go for it! It was honestly really fun because you got to learn about CMU more too</p>
<p>I have my interview on Sunday. Can you guys help me out here: how did you prepare for this interview? how long did it last? How many questions did the interviewer ask you and what sort of questions? Thanks. I am pretty nervous because this is my first ever interview and don’t know what to expect.</p>
<p>I totally get it! My CMU interview was my first and only! I prepared about 5 questions of things I truly wondered about the school and wanted perspective on. Some were about campus life, some were about classes, workload, weather, overall lessons or experiences. It could be about anything- part of the interview is supposed to be informative for you!</p>