Should I attend Carnegie Mellon as an international student who plans to enter ECE? Or should I look at other schools?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Demographics

  • US domestic (US citizen or permanent resident) or international student: International
  • State/Location of residency: (state is important if you apply to any state universities): Peru
  • Type of high school (current college for transfers): Private high school
  • Gender/Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic/Latina Female
  • Other special factors (first generation to college, legacy, athlete, etc.): Dad has a four year degree from a top public university in my country, older brother, aunt and cousins are US citizens.

Intended Major(s): Electrical and Computer Engineering

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.8
  • Weighted HS GPA (incl. weighting system): Haven’t calculated, but likely around 3.9
  • Class Rank: 1st
  • ACT/SAT Scores: Haven’t tested myself in either yet, but I plan to get perfect scores.

Coursework
(AP/IB/Dual Enrollment classes, AP/IB scores for high school; also include level of math and foreign language reached and any unusual academic electives; for transfers, describe your college courses and preparation for your intended major(s)): We don’t do AP in my country, but all coursework in my school, especially anything STEM-related is already more advanced than the standard curriculum. My school is considering to start an IB program next year, however - I’m not sure if this will actually happen or not.

Awards
I’ve been given awards for being at the top of my class at the end of my latest school year and before that as well. In addition, I’ve managed to win school-level math and English competitions during that year too, pretty sure I won the science one as well.

Extracurriculars
(Include leadership, summer activities, competitions, volunteering, and work experience)
In my spare time, I mostly draw, write both fiction and how-tos and program websites. I have also been trying to get back into systems programming.
Not that much of an extracurricular since it was still done at school, but I also excelled at the debate programs which my school held from 2020 to 2022. I’ve recently joined my school’s newly-formed drama club as well, and I hope to get some main roles for it.

Essays/LORs/Other
(Optionally, guess how strong these are and include any other relevant information or circumstances.)
I’m pretty good at writing essays myself since I have some confidence on my writing skills and have already written more than a few texts before.
I’m planning to get my LORs from my English and Physics teachers, as well as either my school therapist as the college counselor (since she’s closest to fitting the bill for that, if I even have to). If I have to get more than two-three letters I’ll ask my Biology teacher/school secretary as well.

Cost Constraints / Budget
(High school students: please get a budget from your parents and use the Net Price Calculators on the web sites of colleges of interest.)
Budgeting is my most pressing concern by far. I know most schools not named Harvard do not give international students any sort of financial aid, and since I personally want to attend CMU as my dream school, it is especially worrying me.
Current plans for budgeting if I do get admitted into CMU include getting as many scholarships as possible, parents saving more money and working between graduation from high school and the beginning of college in order to fund the freshman year, then mix scholarships and loans from then on

Schools
(List of colleges by your initial chance estimate; designate if applying ED/EA/RD; if a scholarship is necessary for affordability, indicate that you are aiming for a scholarship and use the scholarship chance to estimate it into the appropriate group below)

  • Safety (certain admission and affordability)
    • UPC (local university which has guaranteed admissions for anyone scoring on their class rank’s top 3)
  • Match
    • Don’t know, really, but I’d ideally like to have some match schools suggested as well given that I doubt I’ll be accepted into CMU. Cost would be a huge factor for match schools since I’d rather not attend a lower quality school if it’s more expensive than my dream school would be.
  • Reach
    • Carnegie Mellon University (applying ED)
2

That’s not true. Most private schools, at least those most often discussed here, do provide FA to eligible international applicants. Of course, CMU (along with USC) is a notable exception.

Whether you will be able to find enough outside scholarships to make CMU an option is a different question.

2 Likes
3

This is not a good plan.

To get a student visa here, you will need to complete a certificate of finances. You will need to demonstrate that you have the money at the ready to fund your college costs here. This can include already received financial aid, scholarships and approved loans. It can NOT include possible future income, scholarships you haven’t received or loans you have not yet secured. In addition, keep in mind that your ability to work while on a student visa will be very limited and certainly cannot be expected to fund your college costs.

None if these are special factors that will help your college acceptances.

That would be wonderful. But until you have these scores, it is all a guess.

I’m not wishing to sound like a Debbie downer. At least you have a sure thing school in your country if things don’t work out in the U.S.

What year are you in HS?

How much can your family pay annually for college costs?

4

That’s not true. Most private schools, at least those most often discussed here, do provide FA to eligible international applicants.

It’s been a few years since I last checked the list of schools that provided FA to international applicants, so I’m not surprised that the numbers are higher now. While I’d love to go to some more prestigious universities as well, I feel like any school with an acceptance rate firmly under 10% is like a lottery (even though CMU is close).

Of course, CMU (along with USC) is a notable exception.

Seems about right. Thankfully I have zero interest on studying in California due to the cost of living and other things surrounding that state, so USC is very much out of the question.

Whether you will be able to find enough outside scholarships to make CMU an option is a different question.

Yeah, and a much harder one. My parents are upper-middle class by Peruvian standards, they make well over minimum wage but definitely aren’t rich either, so going to a private school would still probably stretch us out even with all the scholarships and loans in the world.

5

This is not a good plan.
To get a student visa here, you will need to complete a certificate of finances. You will need to demonstrate that you have the money at the ready to fund your college costs here. This can include already received financial aid, scholarships and approved loans. It can NOT include possible future income, scholarships you haven’t received or loans you have not yet secured. In addition, keep in mind that your ability to work while on a student visa will be very limited and certainly cannot be expected to fund your college costs.

Thanks for telling me! My work plans are actually BEFORE I go to university, not once I’m in there, just spending my time between HS graduation and going to the US working and getting the final stuff done in my home country.
And thanks for telling me that the certificate of finances will have to be done. That means that I should get the financial stuff done as soon as possible, right? Because from what I’ve noticed, most international scholarships are very competitive, for students already in college, both or in one case of a scholarship for students in my country studying abroad made by a company from my country, limited to the Ivies, Oxbridge and maybe MIT, Berkeley and Stanford and with a family income limit of $2k a month.

None if these are special factors that will help your college acceptances.

Thanks, not really surprised since more often than not legacy means that it was the exact same university your parents went to.

That would be wonderful. But until you have these scores, it is all a guess.

Yeah, sadly. I’m going to start studying for the Digital SAT tomorrow, though, and hopefully convince my parents that 60$ for it is worth it.

I’m not wishing to sound like a Debbie downer. At least you have a sure thing school in your country if things don’t work out in the U.S.

Yeah, I do. There’s a private university in my country that is cheaper than its US counterparts, has my major (or close to) and offers pretty strong study abroad programs for undergraduates all over the world, and they also instantly admit you if you prove to be one of the top 3 students in class rank for your school on your senior year - which I’ll definitely be.

What year are you in HS?

Currently on my junior year.

How much can your family pay annually for college costs?

Not very sure, really. We earn about $2.5k-3k a month, which makes for some comfortable living in my country, but not as much in the US.

6

How will you work here without an appropriate visa to work? Carnegie Mellon costs $79,000 THIS year. There is absolutely no way you can earn that amount of money here between HS graduation and starting college. PLUS you won’t have a work eligible visa. In addition, while you work here, you will need to pay living expenses…which could easily eat up any earnings.

With this income, your parents cannot be asked to pay your college costs. They need their earnings to fund their living expenses.

There are only 7 colleges here that are both need blind for admissions (in other words, your significant financial need will be considered when your application for admission is reviewed) AND also meet full need for all international students. They are:

  • Amherst College.
  • Bowdoin College.
  • Dartmouth College.
  • Harvard University.
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
  • Princeton University.
  • Yale University.

I’m going to tag @MYOS1634 and @AustenNut and @Mwfan1921 who might have some ideas.

But really…you need to be realistic about being able to fund Carnegie Mellon. The school clearly says that international students should expect to pay the full cost of attendance for all four years. The school doesn’t give them aid of any kind.

So…you need a four year plan…that is affordable. I’m glad to hear you have a good option in your country

2 Likes
7

How will you work here without an appropriate visa to work? Carnegie Mellon costs $79,000 THIS year. There is absolutely no way you can earn that amount of money here between HS graduation and starting college. PLUS you won’t have a work eligible visa. In addition, while you work here, you will need to pay living expenses…which could easily eat up any earnings.

My work plan is to work in my home country, but if I do have to work in US I’ll just have to apply to in-campus work as often as I can. I very much know I won’t be able to get $80k between HS and college, hence why I’m also considering to get all the scholarships and loans I can possibly get, even if the competition is cutthroat.

There are only 7 colleges here that are both need blind for admissions (in other words, your significant financial need will be considered when your application for admission is reviewed) AND also meet full need for all international students.

Just read the list, and it seems that MIT is the only school of these that is particularly well-known for engineering. Harvard did the CS50 course and I heard a few of the other Ivies had decent engineering programs too, but a few of these were already excluded from my list just because they were better known for other disciplines I have zero interest in.

I’m going to tag @MYOS1634 and @AustenNut and @Mwfan1921 who might have some ideas.

That sounds good, I’d like to hear their ideas as well!

But really…you need to be realistic about being able to fund Carnegie Mellon. The school clearly says that international students should expect to pay the full cost of attendance for all four years. The school doesn’t give them aid of any kind.

Yeah, I know. I cannot see a plan that wouldn’t involve me getting into debt so that’s already probably a big problem.

So…you need a four year plan…that is affordable. I’m glad to hear you have a good option in your country

Thanks! I personally would prefer to study in the US as an undergraduate, but I wouldn’t mind delaying that until grad school too much either.

8

So you think the only elite college here for engineering is MIT? Well…the admission rate for MIT for international students is about 3%.

And you are wrong. You don’t need to attend an elite school to get a very fine degree in engineering in this country. IOW, you don’t need to attend MIT, or any other top 50 school for that matter.

If you want to study here, you need an affordable college with an ABET accredited engineering program. Period. You don’t need CMU. You don’t need MIT.

I tagged @AustenNut becsuse he might have some ideas of possible affordable schools for you.

I tagged @MYOS1634 because they might have some ideas of colleges in other countries.

And I tagged @Mwfan1921 because he has experience with lower income students.

9

:+1:t2:

1 Like
10

Remember that there are 3,700 universities in the US. Any of the 375 top colleges are excellent, and any Top100 is topnotch. A college with a sub-25% acceptance rate is elite (because it means from all the best students in the country who apply, most are turned down.)

Engineering at any of the colleges on the meet need/need blind list is world-class.
(Amherst and Bowdoin don’t offer Engineering). Check out Berea, not sure they offer Engineering, but if they do you could qualify (they may take 1 student from Peru per year OR 1 student from the world’s region where Peru is located). If you can find interest in Physics (or another subject), Berea, Amherst, and Bowdoin all offer it.

CMU simply isn’t possible. You will never convince a US visa officer that, despite your comfortably upper middle class Peruvian lifestyle, your family can afford $80,000X4. Scholarships come from the colleges themselves so if a college doesn’t offer scholarships to internationals, that’s it. Hence, cross out CMU.

Beside the 7 need blind/meet need colleges, your best bet is to take the SAT and secure a scholarship through a very high score (1500+). The universities that offer such scholarships may not be as prestigious as the ones on the “7” list, but they’ll all offer solid opportunities to learn and grow. Engineering is not easy and many give up. (ABET accredited means there’s a difficult standard anywhere, which of course universities can choose to exceed.)
You’ll have to decide whether you prefer studying in the US even if the college is unknown in Peru or not highly ranked, or whether you’d rather stay in Peru and attend the college that’s a safety for you.

In the meantime, you can start working during your vacations and set some money aside. In all likelihood, it won’t make much of a dent into the cost of college but it’ll help you a little. You could offer tutoring sessions. If you score high on the SAT you could sell lessons on how to do well on the SAT to kids in your HS (who I assume could afford the $60 if motivated to study abroad).

4 Likes
11

So you think the only elite college here for engineering is MIT? Well…the admission rate for MIT for international students is about 3%.

I just meant the colleges on the list you sent of schools that look for needs and also give financial aid to international students, and I know of the extremely low acceptance rate - it’s why I’ve not considered going to MIT, I’m basically guaranteed to be outgunned by the competition around me.

And you are wrong. You don’t need to attend an elite school to get a very fine degree in engineering in this country. IOW, you don’t need to attend MIT, or any other top 50 school for that matter.

I was just reading an article on which degrees were affected by studying in an elite university the most, and I just got to the part where they say that it doesn’t really matter for STEM graduates, so thanks for telling me it’s the case as well

If you want to study here, you need an affordable college with an ABET accredited engineering program. Period. You don’t need CMU. You don’t need MIT.

It just happens that the private college in my country I just talked about in this thread is ABET accredited for all of its engineering programs, including their Electrical Enginering one, so I guess that’d work.

I tagged @AustenNut becsuse he might have some ideas of possible affordable schools for you.
I tagged @MYOS1634 because they might have some ideas of colleges in other countries.
And I tagged @Mwfan1921 because he has experience with lower income students.

That’s cool to hear! I love hearing the thoughts and opinions of other users here so I’m very glad you’ve told them about this thread.

1 Like
12

There is not such a thing as a “dream school”. CMU does not offer financial aid to international students.
international Students:
Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for federal, state, and institutional undergraduate financial aid programs. Undergraduate Financial Aid Process - Student Financial Services - Office of Enrollment Management - Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon is a good school, but applying ED means that you will attend there, if admitted, no matter what. How will your family pay $79K per year to attend your “dream” school?

I think it’s very naive and interesting that international students tend to think that in the US, there are only a handful of “acceptable” universities and anything else would be deemed “lower quality”.

There are nearly 4000 universities in the US and many are extremely good. In order to receive State and Federal funding from those government agencies, they have to meet a certain level of rigor. You need to seek out schools that will attempt to meet need, but they meet need according to what THEY think you will need.

In corporate America, employees come from all of those schools including the ivies, state universities and private colleges. Once hired, no one even looks at where a person went to school. My husband is a graduate of Stanford. His supervisor attended a California state university (I think, Northridge).

You are not in a good position, as an international candidate, because you require funding. Plus, you are seeking a seat in engineering. Many schools are impacted in Engineering because the schools are limited in resources for all of the students who hope to gain a seat. It’s very competitive and popular.

Special factors mean just that, special factors. It’s a specific talent that the schools seek in students with international recognition like an Olympic athlete, celebrity, artist, Peacemaker (Greta, Malala, etc.)

Most of the schools are need aware which means that if you and another “similar student” are vying for a seat, they may select the student who doesn’t need money from the university.

It doesn’t matter if you are a #1 rank and what EC’s you’ve done. If you are asking for funding, they don’t have to admit you.
Need blind means that when they look at your application, they have no idea if you are asking for funding. That’s a separate department and building.

Expect to pay a minimum of $60K per year. I don’t know of any scholarships that will cover what you need for Carnegie Mellon.

13

Remember that there are 3,700 universities in the US. Any of the 375 top colleges are excellent, and any Top100 is topnotch. A college with a sub-25% acceptance rate is elite (because it means from all the best students in the country who apply, most are turned down.)

Yeah, that seems about right.

Engineering at any of the colleges on the meet need/need blind list is world-class.
(Amherst and Bowdoin don’t offer Engineering).

Yeah, I’ve definitely noticed that’s the case! I’ve never heard of Bowdoin before, but I remember hearing Amherst was very much arts-focused and best known for its music programs so I didn’t think it’d have Engineering at all.

CMU simply isn’t possible. You will never convince a US visa officer that, despite your comfortably upper middle class Peruvian lifestyle, your family can afford $80,000X4. Scholarships come from the colleges themselves so if a college doesn’t offer scholarships to internationals, that’s it. Hence, cross out CMU.

Yeah, not surprise - but $320k? Really? I thought the $80k was just full price for all 4 years, so that must have confused me by A LOT. But yeah, price is indeed a massive concern for my family so I might as well cross that out.

Beside the 7 need blind/meet need colleges, your best bet is to take the SAT and secure a scholarship through a very high score (1500+). The universities that offer such scholarships may not be as prestigious as the ones on the “7” list, but they’ll all offer solid opportunities to learn and grow. Engineering is not easy and many give up. (ABET accredited means there’s a difficult standard anywhere, which of course universities can choose to exceed.)
You’ll have to decide whether you prefer studying in the US even if the college is unknown in Peru or not highly ranked, or whether you’d rather stay in Peru and attend the college that’s a safety for you.

Yeah, I’m planning to take the SAT and get as close to 1600 as I can. CMU isn’t really well-known in my country, so I have no issues if the college is unknown, but if it’s not really highly ranked then I might as well study in Peru. I also don’t really think that even if I do study in Peru, I’ll stay there after college. If I do, I’ll most likely be working remotely for a foreign company or just returning there after working somewhere else for a while.

There’s also the option of studying in other parts of the world where college is cheaper than the US such as Canada, the UK or Germany, but aside from Canada I don’t think I’d like to study in a country where I do not know the main language of.

In the meantime, you can start working during your vacations and set some money aside. In all likelihood, it won’t make much of a dent into the cost of college but it’ll help you a little. You could offer tutoring sessions. If you score high on the SAT you could sell lessons on how to do well on the SAT to kids in your HS (who I assume could afford the $60 if motivated to study abroad).

That sounds like an awesome idea! My parents for whatever reason don’t want me to get a job, even if it’s part-time, but I’d absolutely love to have one! As for tutoring, that sounds like a good idea too. I’ve had many tutors over the years, why not continue the tutoring legacy?

14

I hope you realize this ED application is a hard NO.

2 Likes
15

Did I read that you have a plan to pay year one?

Realistic or not, how about two, three, or four?

Loans and scholarships are not realistic.

2 Likes
16

No plan…just hopes to have the money…

17

Might I suggest power ball ?

Yes, this and assuming a perfect SAT, not a plan.

With a budget if what could be afforded over four years, we could perhaps find a match.

18

Student lives in Peru…

19

Family income is under $40,000 a year. But the good news is this student DOES have an affordable sure thing college with ABET engineering available in Peru.

5 Likes
20

There is not such a thing as a “dream school”. CMU does not offer financial aid to international students.
international Students:
Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for federal, state, and institutional undergraduate financial aid programs. Undergraduate Financial Aid Process - Student Financial Services - Division of Enrollment Services - Carnegie Mellon University

Yeah, I have read this, somehow didn’t demotivate me completely.

Carnegie Mellon is a good school, but applying ED means that you will attend there, if admitted, no matter what. How will your family pay $79K per year to attend your “dream” school?

I’ve already said that I plan to get scholarships from other entities and loans with a co-signer, and pay a small party of the cost with employment between high school graduation and starting college. I know how hard-working my parents are too, and I’m sure we’d be able to get as much money as we could even if it’s not the full price.
But if I really cannot afford $79k+ per year I might just study my undergrad here and only go abroad for graduate school.

I think it’s very naive and interesting that international students tend to think that in the US, there are only a handful of “acceptable” universities and anything else would be deemed “lower quality”.

Yeah, from what I’ve seen that mentality tends to be common and it doesn’t help that the very rich or very lucky few international students that do get into T20 US universities get all the promotion in national news, while the ones who just end up in state universities or less-well known institutions aren’t noticed as much.

There are nearly 4000 universities in the US and many are extremely good. In order to receive State and Federal funding from those government agencies, they have to meet a certain level of rigor. You need to seek out schools that will attempt to meet need, but they meet need according to what THEY think you will need.
In corporate America, employees come from all of those schools including the ivies, state universities and private colleges. Once hired, no one even looks at where a person went to school. My husband is a graduate of Stanford. His supervisor attended a California state university (I think, Northridge).

That’s nice to hear! I’ve been starting to get e-mails from a few colleges (definitely no big ones, though) and clicking on their links already, so there’s already a chance for me.

Special factors mean just that, special factors. It’s a specific talent that the schools seek in students with international recognition like an Olympic athlete, celebrity, artist, Peacemaker (Greta, Malala, etc.)

Yeah, I’m definitely not A-list celebrity or climate change solver, but I do think that my specific interests might be just notable enough for a T50 university in the US.

Most of the schools are need aware which means that if you and another “similar student” are vying for a seat, they may select the student who doesn’t need money from the university.
It doesn’t matter if you are a #1 rank and what EC’s you’ve done. If you are asking for funding, they don’t have to admit you.
Need blind means that when they look at your application, they have no idea if you are asking for funding. That’s a separate department and building.

I see. Given how cutthroat the US university landscape is, I’m not surprised that most schools are need aware. Even if they’re told that accepting poorer students is a very good thing to do (it is) and a path to upward mobility (it also is), they have to keep themselves running, and accepting richer students who might not be that talented, such as legacies is ultimately the more pragmatic, and from an economic perspective better choice for them.

Expect to pay a minimum of $60K per year. I don’t know of any scholarships that will cover what you need for Carnegie Mellon.

From what I’ve seen MPower has some that would cover, but these seem to be only for junior year onwards.