So CMU School of Design has been my top choice for about a year now, and admittedly I was pretty devastated finding out I got waitlisted out of all things. I’ve only prepared myself for getting either rejected or accepted, but not the in-between so I was definitely not ready for this. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I spent the last few hours crying. Friends and family are urging me to move on and attend other design schools I’ve been accepted to, which I honestly don’t want to even think about at the moment.
The acceptance rate for Design is about 9%, and I’ve been told that they waitlist around 10 students and accept 70 but only take 40 enrollments. The fact that you have a lower chance of getting waitlisted than getting accepted really freaking stinks and I’m still beating myself over what I could’ve done differently. I honestly don’t know if I can survive waiting until May to hear if I’m even able to get off the priority waitlist.
Does anyone have any idea if there’s even a shot of getting off the list? It just seems like such a stretch and it’s frustrating knowing I was so close. Do waitlisted students get finaid packages anytime soon? What about housing? What else can I even do to increase my chances? Is there even anything I can do?
hey i’m in the exact same boat as you. is it seriously only 10 students?? I hear the waitlists are ranked, and I thought it’d be 40 enrollments?
I searched cc and found a few cases of ppl who go off the list, but they were from a few years ago. and you should get your financial aid stuff soon
Hi. I’ve also looked around CC and, from what I’ve gathered, waitlist acceptances are an outstanding circumstance. Last year, apparently 0 people were accepted off the waitlist across all departments at CMU. That being said, do not panic. The chances are slim but the most you can do is to make your statement of intent the best it can be.
Like I said to design2020, I hope I get to see you at CMU. Hold tight and fight for this with that statement.
According to a CMU fact sheet I found, their waitlists are ranked and if your counselor requests that info they can give it to him/her. But I think your counselor has to request it.
I think I saw the same sheet as you but it was from around 2013-14? The sheet from last year says they no longer release that information unfortunately. Last year was also apparently an anomaly since they only accepted 4 people off from the waitlist across all departments, whereas the past years they’ve accepted 70-90 people. Hope to god this year isn’t a repeat of last year.
I’m not sure if anyone knows but…since last year only 37 people enrolled why did they still take no one off the waitlist? shouldn’t there be three spots left?
I emailed them asking about the class size last year and they said that information was confidential… So I guess it remains a mystery. Maybe nobody on the waitlist decided to accept a spot? Or they just ran out of funding for financial aid?
Talked to a current student and it turns out the reason why nobody got off the waitlist last year despite low enrollment in design was because they overenrolled as a whole by 20%… so if other departments have too many students I guess that takes a toll on all of them resource-wise. Hopefully they took that into account and corrected some mistakes for this year, same issue with overenrollment happened back in 2011 too.
Aid package also came. Got over $53k/yr which would nearly be a full ride with outside scholarships taken into account… I found it kinda weird how they gave me so much money but still put me on waitlist. A double edged sword though since waitlist acceptances aren’t need-blind
@youmus I’m in the same boat, but its 2017. I’m wondering, how did it turn out for you in the end? Did you ever get off of the waitlist? CMU is my top choice…and honestly I don’t think they ever take from the waitlist
