<p>I am an admitted student into the CFA as a design major. Industrial Design particularly interests. I have doubts on whether CMU is a good fit for me though I am impressed with the design program. Money is not an issue (I was eligible for financial aid), but CMU is my most expensive choice.</p>
<p>The general word seems to be that CMU is a school you go into knowing what you want to do, not to figure out what to do. Well, I think I know what I want to do... :) But I am also open to finding and exploring new interests. Would CMU be limiting in that aspect? I get the impression that I'd be too busy working in the studio to pursue other interests...</p>
<p>I've been advised to choose a school based on the quality of its programs that interest me over quality of life/college experience. I guess that is where my dilemma comes in. CMU beats all my other choices in that it is the only university that has a strong design program and most likely offers more opportunities related to that field. While design is an interest, I would not consider it a passion. (at least not now since I lack experience) </p>
<p>I love art and I also love humanities. I love English (especially literature), languages, and am interested in history and linguistics. CMU I hear is not particularly strong in humanities, but it does have an intriguing Bachelor of Humanities and Art program that I have also been admitted too. Does anyone have any insight to this program?</p>
<p>I did an overnight stay at CMU, and while I did see it as a "nice school," I was not overly in love with it. I could definitely sense the incredible work ethic, which is impressive, but not what I'm looking for in a college experience--I seek something with a healthier balance socially and academically; I'm not too concerned about training for a career. I'm also from Texas so the Pittsburgh weather was intimidating. :)</p>
<p>My other choices, Rice and USC, are vastly different. I love Rice as a school. Academically, it has just what I'm looking for though I am undecided on a major. Its art department is small and does not impress me though. I applied to USC for its new animation program, but I seem to prefer design over animation.</p>
<p>Thanks for taking the time to read my post. Any comments/insight would be very much appreciated!</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I'm quite distanced from H/SS and CFA programs as an ECE major. But CMU programs are rarely limiting (except maybe architecture), as I can take most any class I want, and I don't see why it should be different for you.</p>
<p>I know nothing of Rice or USC, so I can't compare.</p>
<p>CMU has great job placement for CIT (engineers), and I doubt CFA has much trouble in that field, as the programs seem to be quite good.</p>
<p>The weather sucks, that should be like the absolute last thing to think about. Just bring an umbrella.</p>
<p>My overnight at CMU didn't do a very good job at predicting life at CMU (thank god). I don't sit around playing Super Smash Brothers all night, although some people do. There's a stereotype that CFA kids have more fun than the rest of the kids here, and while it's just a blind stereotype, I think it should be encouraging to you. Pittsburgh is a good city, so there's that going for you (although people from New York city seem to think any other city sucks).</p>
<p>Basically, I came here because the engineering is really good. I could have gone to UIUC and probably have more parties to go to or whatever, while still getting a respectable degree, but I chose CMU because it was the best option for my future. I'm not saying you should necessarily choose CMU, but I do think you should choose your best option for you to become the best designer you can be. You can always bring the party with you ;)</p>
<p>I also chose between USC, Rice, and CMU (and Northwestern and UT), but for CS. If design is what you think you want to do right now, even if you really like Rice as a school, that's not a good choice- you'll probably end up frustrated with your lack of choice in classes.</p>
<p>The people I know at CMU in BHA seem happy with the program, though I don't know much about it. CMU just added a major in linguistics (new, for next semester), so the linguistics classes should be offered more regularly (phonolgy and nature of language in the fall, I think; they're in the philosophy department). CMU offers a range of semi-random history classes, but not what you'd find at USC. To see the sort of things offered, go here (<a href="http://scheduleman.org/)%5B/url%5D">http://scheduleman.org/)</a>. It's the newspaper's scheduling website- the official website is inaccessible if you're not a CMU student. You might want to contact the design department or look at the typical schedule for a design student (<a href="http://www.cmu.edu/esg-cat/%5B/url%5D">http://www.cmu.edu/esg-cat/</a>) to see if you will have time to take the courses outside of CFA that you want to take. Studios are very time intensive.</p>
<p>When I visited USC, I was impressed by how responsive they seemed and how willing they were to answer questions, though I don't know if that was just because I was there for a scholarship interview. As long as you're okay with the area it is in, and you think that you're interested in the program you were admitted to or that you can transfer to something that interests you more, I think you would probably be happy. The school is large enough that you should be able to find your niche.</p>
<p>You'll survive the weather change to Pittsburgh, though you may not like it. Just plan on going shopping for a good coat and some sweaters sometime in October. The good news is that there's no sales tax on clothes in Pennsylvania.</p>