<p>I'll preface this by saying that I am a hardworking, nerdy high school senior that's interested in chem e and physics.</p>
<p>I had an amazing interview with a CMU alumni that really sold me on this school, whereas before I only saw this as another backup if I didn't get into my top choice, MIT. She made CMU out to be a place with a passionate student body that, on the surface, has interests that are polar opposites (tech fields and fine arts) but meshes together to create something unique and offers an expereince that you couldn't really get anywhere else.</p>
<p>I was researching CMU, when I came across a review of the school (Yishan</a> Wong's answer to What is it like to attend Carnegie Mellon as an undergrad? - Quora) written by another former alumni. His account made CMU seem like a place where students have little social interaction, and mostly just stay in their dorm studying. I am no stranger to having to work a lot and am not a huge party person but his description of the social scene as mostly dead is a turn off.</p>
<p>So, what is it really like at CMU? Is the reviewer right?</p>
<p>It is what you make it. If you stay in your room you obviously won’t meet anyone but your roommate. This question comes up every few months - search the forums and you can find them. Here are a few that I found.</p>
<p>I am sitting here in my dorm at CMU with about five other friends just hanging out at 1 am. Meanwhile, people are talking in the other lounges down the hall, and a few folks just ran down the hall chasing each other. And this is our downtime–around 5 pm, we’re a lot more social with a lot more people, spanning every major and beyond.</p>
<p>I’ve met some of the greatest people just by hanging around campus, or joining clubs. CMU, for me, is actually a more social environment than high school ever was. I actually have so many things I want to do with friends here that I actually have scheduling conflicts between my various friends and barely have time to settle down between class and having “burrito day” lunch parties and all the meetings my friends want me to go to and just plain running around campus playing around.</p>
<p>And I have never once been to a party here. Totally optional.</p>
<p>I hope that unnecessarily-lengthy description helped you out!</p>
<p>CMU focuses more on “hanging out” than parties, that much is true (although there are parties if you really want them!) But I would never call it anti-social.</p>
<p>social scene is absolutely diverse. weekend events range from frat parties, to studying for chem, to going to a see a musical in the school of drama. the reality is - you will gel with a group of kids who are as passionate about their field as you are and fit you like a social glove. the way the alumni described the school when they sold it to you is spot on. for example its four am and i am chilling with friends and eating pizza… class is in four hours but its college… nobody wishes they slept more in college</p>