I’m strongly considering applying this fall for MechE. I’m also interested in maybe sending in a supplemental part of my talent and interest of instrumental music. Is this a good idea? Also, do they have any extra scholarships/money for participating in music ensembles?
Hi fellow MechE! I don’t see how the supplemental with your interest in music would hurt, but I don’t think it’s what they’re really looking for (as far as I remember). I do remember that when they provided a link to submit a supplement, their examples were research papers and portfolios. There is, however, an optional resume that you can submit and I think that might be more fitting to showcase your musical accomplishments.
CMU doesn’t give any merit scholarships other than the Carnegie scholarship:
“Carnegie Mellon offers a Carnegie Scholarship to incoming freshmen. Carnegie Scholarships are awarded to academically and artistically talented middle income students who qualify for little to no need-based financial aid. Carnegie Scholarships are open to all qualified U.S. citizens and permanent residents, regardless of race or national origin. Students must apply for need-based financial aid to be considered.”
So I would try to apply to local scholarships because CMU financial aid kinda sucks, and maybe emphasize your interest in music there.
^The Presidential Scholars and Fellows program was introduced in 2014. It follows the same criteria as the Carnegie Scholarship, but targets low income students rather than middle income students. About 140 undergrad in the class of 2019 were given this scholarship (out of 1500+ incoming students total), so it’s just as if not more prestigious than the Carnegie scholarship. I’m not sure if all amounts are the same – mine ended up being 25k each year.
Music scholarships are available, but they aren’t really advertised. They’re mostly for students who get endowed while they’re attending, and they’re usually reserved for School of Music students.
As for supplemental information, I was told by the admissions office that any form of work, maker project, or model could be submitted, including music. Whether it’ll lead to a Carnegie or Presidential scholarship or not I can’t say.
@MandomeLife do the Carnegie/Presidential/Endowed scholarships stack with normal financial aid?
@jjjwyatt Yeah, they stack.
Also, note that all gift aid from Carnegie, with the exception of government-regulated aid such as the Pell Grant or Special Opportunities grant, has some form of merit backing to it. From https://admission.enrollment.cmu.edu/pages/financial-aid ;
"…we seek to enroll students of the highest academic and artistic caliber in each of our six undergraduate colleges. We use our financial aid resources to enroll a class that reflects this goal.
Carnegie Mellon’s financial assistance program is designed to meet our dual goal of helping prospective students who have demonstrated financial need afford the cost of education and rewarding those students who have outstanding talents and abilities. Need-based financial assistance is used to enroll high-quality students. Highest quality students will receive the most favorable financial assistance packages."
In other words, if they want you, you get more money. There have been many instances, including one that I’ve experienced myself, where two or more people with the same Expected Family Contribution (EFC) received differing amounts of need-based grants and institutional aid. And that all boils down to how valuable you are to the school. Of course, race, gender, and other statistical stuff like that play a role too – they want to attract kids that would make them look good.
@MandomeLife ok this really helps thank you so much!!! theyre my #1 choice and I really hope I can afford them!!!
@jjjwyatt No problem! If you have any more questions feel free to ask – I’ll probably be on here for most of the upcoming school year. You should also start a Class of 2021 thread too!
Best of luck.