Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, PA. The school is most known for its computer science and STEM programs, but there is a lot more going on at CMU. That being said, if you are trying to transfer as a STEM student, just know that it is competitive.
But honestly, CMU is always competitive. Last year, the acceptance rate for first-year applicants was only 11%, and the transfer acceptance rate was even lower, at only around 5%. We don’t say this to discourage you; we just want to stress that you need to be highly motivated and put in the work if you are serious about transferring to CMU. Thankfully, we are here to help and give you some advice.
Requirements
CMU requires transfer applicants to have completed a semester of college before the application deadline and to choose one college or program within Carnegie Mellon to apply into.
To apply as a transfer to CMU, you will also need to submit a high school transcript, a college transcript/course descriptions (more on that in a moment), a recommendation from a professor, a couple of essays, and a college report from your current school.
One note about the letter of recommendation. They require one from a professor, but they accept more optional recommendations with a big caveat:
“We require one letter of recommendation from either a faculty member/professor or an academic advisor. While we’ll accept two additional recommendations, we require our committees to consider only one recommendation in the decision-making process.”
We know that's a little confusing, but our advice is just to submit one professor's recommendation. Unless you know the Dean or like, Obama personally, and they are vouching for you, the admissions committee will only consider the professor's recommendation heavily.
CMU also asks for course descriptions. They say, “[Your transcript] will need to be accompanied by a copy of course descriptions for courses you've taken from each college/university you attended. This can either be emailed to admission@andrew.cmu.edu with the subject line, “Transfer Course Descriptions” or submitted via this form. Please don't send an entire college course catalog.”
Get Good Grades
CMU says it themselves, “Each year, Carnegie Mellon admits a small number of transfer students as space permits.” They are admitting a limited number of students for a limited number of spaces. Meeting the requirements will only make you eligible. You also need to be an outstanding applicant. Part of that is getting great grades. Full stop. Having excellent grades will show CMU that you can slay the college game.
If you can, avoid classes that don’t set you up for success. If you struggled in AP Chem, maybe don’t take Orgo in the first semester of college. Play to your strengths as much as you can. College classes are hard. You need to be proactive if you feel like your grades are slipping. Our biggest tip is to go to office hours! You get your questions answered and get face time with your professors (which can be a huge help when it comes to asking for that letter of rec.)
Develop Your Niche
Just like your grades need to be great, your extracurriculars must also be 10/10. You need to carefully choose activities and opportunities that tell a story.
You should prioritize quality over quantity and connect your extracurriculars to what you hope to study. For example, if you want to study English, you should be on the lit review at the very least. Ideally, you could also be the president of an on-campus book club or lit circle, work at the writing center, and/or volunteer as an English tutor. No matter what you want to study, research is also always going to look good. We highly recommend getting involved with research as it will instantly help your resume. Ask your professors if they need assistance or check in with the undergrad research center.
Write Great Essays
This comes last, but it is essential. CMU is a very competitive school, and a great essay can help you stand out. CMU asks the same questions to transfers as they do to first year applicants. However, you need to add the extra context of being a transfer. Notably, they don’t ask “why do you want to transfer” directly, but you still need to include it.
Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time – what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study? (300 word maximum)
For this question, we need to understand your academic passion and how you got it. Think of it as a kind of origin story. For example, if you want to study Economics, maybe you participated in a stock trading game in high school or read the Financial Times every Sunday with your grandfather growing up. We want to know what sparked that interest. Then, it is time to tell us how that spark turned into a fire. How have you explored this interest since? How have you done so at college, especially!?
We then recommend connecting your passion to the specific course of study at CMU. You should mention at least two higher-level courses (they are marked as 300 and above at CMU) and a professor whose research you find fascinating. Show the overlap between what they offer and your academic passions. Technically, you can also do this during the next question, but we find that with short word counts, it is easier to add here.
Many students pursue college for a specific degree, career opportunity or personal goal. Whichever it may be, learning will be critical to achieve your ultimate goal. As you think ahead to the process of learning during your college years, how will you define a successful college experience? (300 word maximum)
This is where you should add the context of being a transfer. You need a good reason why you want to pursue your goals at CMU specifically. While you don’t necessarily want to trash your current school, you need to identify an educational need you have that they aren’t meeting (that CMU will.) For example, if you are at a small school with very few research opportunities, you could speak to specific research opportunities at CMU. You then want to connect doing research as an undergrad to a bigger goal.
Before you start writing this essay, you need to do some research (did we say research too many times in this section or what?) The more you know about CMU and its offerings, the better. You can talk about extracurriculars, unique classes, the core, on-campus opportunities, or anything else that stands out to you and connects to your goals. Your essay needs to show the overall between your reason for transferring, the opportunities they offer, and your goals.
Consider your application as a whole. What do you personally want to emphasize about your application for the admission committee's consideration? Highlight something that's important to you or something you haven't had a chance to share. Tell us, don't show us (no websites please). (300 word maximum)
Think of this as almost a shorter Common App essay. You need to tell a good story that showcases some of your positive characteristics. Another trick is to give them new information. You don’t want to just regurgitate your resume; instead, you want to bring the reader into your world with a good story that conveys your personality. Think about the growth you have done this year. You want to tell an engaging story that will show the reader who you are.
CMU doesn’t take many transfers, so you need to stand out. You should make sure you have a strong transcript, resume, and application. If that sounds scary, we can help!
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