cmu essay prompts

Undergraduate Admission

Admission Consideration

Building a class with tartans of all kinds.

At Carnegie Mellon, we select our first-year class from a large group of very qualified candidates. We don’t use a calculation to choose who to admit because calculations can’t take into account all the factors we consider when making admission decisions. No single grade, factor, score or activity will automatically gain or deny you admission to Carnegie Mellon. We treat every applicant as an individual, taking great care to make our admission decisions fair, thorough and sensitive. We’re interested in students who can be successful at Carnegie Mellon while taking full advantage of all the university has to offer.

What We Consider

Our admission process reflects  Carnegie Mellon's values and core competencies , including diversity, equity, inclusion, collaboration, communication, community engagement, concern for others, self-directed learning and critical thinking. We recommend that you think creatively about how your experiences in and out of the classroom showcase these characteristics. We also encourage you to consider how to share your experiences and aspirations so the admission committee can learn more about you as an applicant, student and person beyond a list of accomplishments.

Academic and Creative Potential

Our admission process is designed to select a highly talented, diverse undergraduate population with high aspirations who will succeed at Carnegie Mellon. If you’re applying to academic programs, your high school talent and/or potential will be a significant factor in our admission decision because it’s the most meaningful indication of your motivation and abilities. We pay close attention to your curriculum rigor, the grades you’ve earned and the work you’ve accomplished. We’re interested in seeing that you’ve challenged yourself within your secondary school environment. If you’re applying to programs in the College of Fine Arts, your artistic performance will be either the main factor or a significant factor (depending on the program) in our admission decision.

Recommendations

We closely review your secondary school counselor’s evaluation and your teacher’s recommendation. If you're applying as a first-year student, we require two letters of recommendation: one from a high school counselor and one from a teacher. While we’ll accept a third recommendation from a teacher or other recommender, we require our committees to consider only two recommendations in the decision-making process.

When choosing a teacher to write your recommendation, be sure to choose someone who can speak to your academic abilities, achievements and broader personal characteristics. It doesn't have to be a teacher in the academic area you're applying to; rather, it should be the teacher who knows you the best.

If you're applying as a transfer student, 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.

Standardized Testing

Standardized test scores add to our knowledge of your ability, but we don’t make decisions simply on the basis of test scores alone.

Carnegie Mellon University is test optional for Fall 2025 undergraduate admission applications. However, students applying to the School of Computer Science are strongly encouraged to submit either an SAT or ACT score, including the math subscore, to bolster their application's strength and to aid in determining their ability to succeed academically at Carnegie Mellon.

Pursuant to this policy, applicants aren't required to submit SAT or ACT results; however, results will be considered for those who submit them.  Students who are unable to take either the SAT or ACT or choose not to submit their standardized test scores will be considered equally for admission along with those who submit scores. Learn more .

Please also note that submission of any prior SAT Subject Test results won’t be considered in our admission review process.

Activities, Experiences & Passions

Your non-academic interests, including extracurricular accomplishments, part-time jobs, hobbies and community service also play a very important role in the admission process. We also consider leadership, motivation, passion and perseverance, concern and advocacy for others, and other experiences when making admission decisions.

Our students make Carnegie Mellon an exciting campus. The positive qualities and diverse experiences you bring with you will enrich our community. By looking at this non-academic information, we develop a sense of your personality, motivation and social responsibility.

We also consider your Common Application essay and your responses to the Carnegie Mellon Common Application Writing Supplement. The Writing Supplement includes three short-answer questions:

• 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?
• 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?
• 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).

Your short answer responses shouldn't exceed 300 words each.

While there's no such thing as the perfect essay, the best essay you can write helps us learn about you! We want to know more about your passions, goals, aspirations and experiences to gain a deeper understanding of who you are beyond your transcript. While role models, mentors and family members may have played a critical role in your life, don’t forget to write about you. 

Finally, it’s important to recognize that you apply directly to a college or school within Carnegie Mellon, so we encourage you to use part of your essays to describe your academic interests and goals.  If you want to learn more about our wide range of programs, you can check out our visit opportunities to attend an information session or schedule a one-on-one meeting with an admission counselor.

Carnegie Mellon does not collect or review criminal history information as part of the admission process. However, individuals who are admitted to Carnegie Mellon will be required to disclose any past criminal conviction as part of the enrollment process. Learn how Carnegie Mellon considers criminal history information .

Striving for Access and Equity in Admission

The mission of Carnegie Mellon University includes the cultivation of a diverse and inclusive community. Our undergraduate admission process is committed to reducing or eliminating advantages that have been inherent in the admission process. The goal is to provide a more equitable, level playing field where all segments of our applicant population have the same opportunity in the admission process.

Our Admission Paradigm

Demonstrated interest not considered.

We do not consider demonstrated interest in our admission paradigm. Demonstrated interest is a term used in undergraduate admission that describes the ways in which a prospective student shows a college that they’re interested by visiting campus and submitting additional materials that aren’t required in the application. As a result, we do not consider a campus visit or communication with the Office of Admission or other members of the Carnegie Mellon community when making admission decisions. Also, we do not accept supplementary submission of materials, including:

• Research abstracts
• Writing samples
• Multimedia demonstrations of talents
• Maker portfolios

These extra materials haven't been useful in making our admission decisions and allowing optional materials has deterred some people from applying. Applicants have space on the Common Application to list accomplishments and involvement for the admission committee’s consideration. We encourage students to use this space to share the extracurricular facets of their high school experience.

Our Application Process

Shorter essays, non-evaluative on-campus sessions and refocused alumni efforts.

We’re working hard to move our admission application process in a more inclusive direction.

• We changed our long application essay to a series of short essays to better understand student context, unique talents and interests, as well as special considerations candidates would like to bring to our attention.
• On-campus sessions are not evaluative, but rather are counseling sessions to help students align their interests with our programs. 
• We do not offer alumni interviews in advance of admission decisions and have refocused alumni efforts to connect with admitted candidates instead.

Yet even with these changes, there's more work needed on our part to achieve a more inclusive process.

Issues surrounding standardized testing, for example, are complex in a research university like ours, and while we’re no longer requiring or recommending SAT Subject Tests, we’re hoping there is more we can do.

Our Waiting List

Designed to give everyone the opportunity to respond.

Efforts to support access and inclusion extend to our waiting list process as well. Like many other institutions, we are inundated with demonstrations of continued interest and additional recommendations, mostly from well-resourced or well-advised applicants. 

Our waiting list process is designed to give everyone who is interested in remaining on our waiting list the opportunity to respond about their uniqueness by sending us a paragraph at the appropriate time, only when we know there are additional places to fill. 

We request only the paragraph and do  not  consider:

• Letters of continued interest
• Extra recommendations
• Expectation of campus visits
• Lobbying efforts including phone calls and emails  

Details about the paragraph are included in the information made available to all students offered a place on our waiting list when admission decisions are rendered in March. We don't provide the exact topic in advance since we want to avoid having students work on it needlessly in the event we don't end up admitting candidates from our waiting list.

Even with these changes, there's more work needed on our part to achieve a more inclusive process. Issues surrounding standardized testing, for example, are complex in a research university like ours, and while we’re no longer requiring or recommending SAT Subject Tests, we’re hoping there is more we can do. All told, we're working hard to move our process in a more inclusive direction.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION AT CMU

Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essays 2023-24 – Prompts & Advice

September 8, 2023

When applying to a school like Carnegie Mellon that only accepts 11% of applicants, it’s important to keep in mind that the other 89% of applicants will ultimately be denied admission. Many of these rejected individuals will have straight A’s in high school and/or SATs in the 1500s. Those applying to certain programs—computer science, for example—will face even more harrowing odds. We don’t bring up this harsh reality in an attempt to crush your dreams or deter you from applying. Rather, we want to impart to prospective CMU applicants the need to maximize every component of your application. The aim is to ultimately shine just a touch brighter than your well-qualified competition. This includes the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into Carnegie Mellon University? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Carnegie Mellon: Admissions Data and Strategies  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

The three 300-word essays required by Carnegie Mellon give applicants the chance they need to separate themselves from the throngs of other extremely talented and deserving CMU hopefuls. Below are CMU’s supplemental prompts for the 2023-24 admissions cycle along with tips about how to address each one.

Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essays – #1

Required – (300 word limit)

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?

Here, CMU is asking you to share your story of how you became interested in your selected discipline. You can structure the narrative of this essay as a soup to nuts chronicling of your entire journey toward your discipline of interest. Contrarily, you could share one or two vignettes that illustrate your burgeoning passion for engineering, history, French, computer science, business, psychology, etc. As you begin the prewriting phase, you may want to ask yourself the following questions:

• What is your first strong memory relating to your future area of study?
• What fills you with wonder?
• What books have you read on the subject?
• Do you consume podcasts or documentaries related to your passions?
• Have certain online or print publications helped to fuel your interests?
• What subtopics of your prospective discipline most intrigue you?
• Did a teacher excite you about this topic or was it a parent/relative or outside mentor?
• How did you seek our subject-relevant opportunities outside of the high school classroom?

CMU Supplemental Essays – #2

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.

There’s a lot to unpack in this prompt before you even enter the brainstorming phase of the essay-writing process. First they want to know a bit about your goals in earning a CMU degree. These goals could be:

• Degree-oriented
• Career-focused
• A combination of two or all three of the previous options.

Given that CMU requires you to apply to a particular college within the larger university, you likely already have a reasonably strong notion of what discipline you hope to study. You’ll definitely want to share everything you already know about the degree you aim to earn. Additionally, you’ll want to discuss how that fits into your larger life plans.

Next, you’ll want to take note of the fact that “learning” is mentioned twice in this prompt, a solid indicator that CMU is sincerely interested in how you will take advantage of the unique learning opportunities available to you at their instruction. While not required, you should consider discussing items such as:

• CMU-specific academic programs , professors, or course offerings.
• Undergraduate research opportunities .
• Study abroad programs .
• The classroom environment at Carnegie Mellon— class size , laboratory settings, etc.
• Campus organizations that will help you continue your learning outside of the classroom.

In short, generic thoughts about how you envision engaging in the learning process throughout your collegiate experience are perfectly fine, but school-specific detail can take an essay from good to great.

CMU supplemental Essays – #3

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)..

After completing your main Common App essay and the first two CMU essays, is there anything that you have yet to share that is absolutely elemental to who you are as a person/student? Without the benefit of an in-person interview, it may feel like you never fully had a chance to connect intimately with a Carnegie Mellon admissions officer. You have a burning sense that you have not communicated the full you, your true essence, your je ne sais quoi, your…you get the idea. If you feel something important about yourself has yet to be communicated elsewhere in the application, then CMU Prompt #3 is the answer to your prayers.

Consider that the admissions reader is already familiar with your academic history, activities, and awards. What don’t they know, or, what could they understand on a deeper level? This could be a particular skill or talent, or something about your character or personality. This one is intentionally open-ended, so use this space to share your most cherished accomplishments or most winning attributes. The university itself is inviting you to “brag” here. We recommend obliging, by presenting the equivalent to a “closing argument” at the end of this admissions trial.

One example of what not to do would be to say, “I work as a camp counselor in the summer” if that was already listed in the Activities section. Another no-no is deciding that the admonition regarding linking to websites doesn’t apply to you, because, well…they simply have to see your art exhibit or performance on stage in Oklahoma! last year. We promise that it is better to take CMU at their word that they prefer that you describe it. This remains true no matter what “it” is.

How important are the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays?

CMU rates the essays as being an “important” factor in their evaluation process. The essays are listed alongside recommendations, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, first-generation status, and race/ethnicity. The only factors ranked above the essays as being “very important” are: GPA, the rigor of high school coursework, class rank, extracurricular activities, work experience, and volunteer work.

Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

Lastly, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays, we encourage you to get a quote  today.

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College Essays

Carnegie Mellon is ranked among the top 25 universities in the nation , so you'll need to have an impressive application—with stand-out essays, of course!—in order to get admitted. Applicants must submit a total of four Carnegie Mellon essays, three of which comprise the Carnegie Mellon supplement.

Keep reading to learn what the current Carnegie Mellon essay prompts are, what topics you could write about, and what qualities make for a great Carnegie Mellon essay.

Feature Image: Mathieu Thouvenin /Flickr

What Are the Carnegie Mellon Essay Prompts?

In addition to the personal statement you must write for the Common App (for which you get to select one out of seven possible prompts), Carnegie Mellon requires all applicants to submit three supplemental essays; these essays make up the Carnegie Mellon Supplement.

Applicants are not allowed to submit other supplemental materials with their applications, such as websites, artwork, or resumes. (Note that the only exception to this is if you're applying to a school that requires additional materials , such as the School of Architecture.)

Each essay may be up to 300 words long, making them a little shorter than your typical personal statement for college, which is usually around 500-600 words.

So what are the Carnegie Mellon essay prompts? Let's take a look:

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?

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?

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).

As you can see, each Carnegie Mellon essay you must write will focus on something different about yourself. Specifically, you must explain the following in your essays:

• For Essay 1, what you plan to major in and why
• For Essay 2, what you hope to get out of attending college
• For Essay 3, something you want to emphasize about yourself

How should you write each Carnegie Mellon essay? We give you specific tips next.

All Carnegie Mellon Essay Prompts, Analyzed

In this section, we'll go over the three Carnegie Mellon essay prompts in detail, giving you key tips so you can ensure your essays stand out from the rest of the crowd.

Carnegie Mellon Essay 1: Your Intended Major

Though it might look a little wordy, all this Carnegie Mellon essay prompt is really asking is, "Why this major?" More specifically, this prompt wants you to relate the intellectual path you've taken by explaining the experiences, people, and/or events that have led you to want to major in this particular field.

By far the most effective way to answer this prompt is to tell a compelling story about how you came to be interested in your intended major. Think about the most important moments from your life that showcase your love of what you want to study, and then write about those.

For example, say you plan to major in musical composition. You could start off by recounting the first time you tried to write a piece of music on your family's piano and how hard it was. However, you really enjoyed the process of creating something new. This prompted you to enroll in weekly piano lessons; you also continued to compose piano pieces in your spare time. As a sophomore, you decided to enter your school's talent show and ended up winning with a musical piece you'd composed.

While you don't need to stick to chronological order, using this organization ensures your essay is easy to follow and clearly illustrates how you progressed from someone who knew nothing about the field to someone now highly devoted to it.

In addition, be sure to focus on not only how you became interested in your major but also how this journey of discovering your passion has affected you and your goals. For example, perhaps you want to major in architecture because you hope to use your skills to encourage eco-friendly living and therefore combat the effects of climate change.

It's also a good idea to mention, explicitly or implicitly, how Carnegie Mellon will help you accomplish your goals in your intended field. You could talk briefly about a particular faculty member in your field whom you hope to work with, an expensive piece of equipment offered at Carnegie Mellon, or specific professional opportunities available to students.

Finally, be careful not to exaggerate. Don't say you suddenly developed an interest in literature after reading The Great Gatsby for English class if you actually loathed the book or had a passion for literature well before then.

It's OK if there wasn't one single moment in your life that made you realize this major was the right one for you. Instead of acting as though some particular incident was more significant than it actually was, just focus on the overall journey you took to get to the point you're at now—that is, the major you've chosen to pursue.

Carnegie Mellon Essay 2: Why You're Going to College

Going to college isn't just about getting your degree. That's part of it, of course—you'd feel pretty cheated if you got all the way through college only to find out that you weren't getting your degree—but learning new things and growing as a person are also really important.

In this essay, Carnegie Mellon wants to see you discuss how learning, not just having a degree, will represent your growth in college. That might feel a little intimidating since you haven't actually left for college yet, but you have two important things to draw on: experience in your prior education, and your hopes for the future.

When responding to this prompt, think less about the individual classes you'll take, what grades you'll get in them, or what essays you'll write. Think about the learning process, all the little things that go into your education beyond the grades and assignments. How do you learn? And beyond that, what did you learn?

Think about what having a "successful college experience" would look like for you. When you graduate, what knowledge and experience do you hope to have? What unique experiences will you have at Carnegie Mellon that will shape the person you ultimately want to become?

This is a time to be specific. Maybe you see yourself as belonging to a thriving intellectual community, and thought-provoking discussion is one of the ways that you learn best. You can look at what groups there are on campus, for example, and see which ones you'd like to join.

Joining re:verb might be a way that you connect with other people who love having thought-provoking discussions, or maybe you're drawn more toward MOSIAC to learn about concepts like intersectionality. You can identify groups that appeal to you in your specific niche, and mention them in your essay as places where you hope to find your intellectual community.

Of course, that's not the only way to go about it. The important thing you need to convey is that you have an interest not just in attaining your diploma, but in the experience of learning. How you do that is up to you—you can describe how you learn and how Carnegie Mellon will help enrich you as a person through their teaching methods, through being around other accomplished and intellectual individuals, or by naming specific clubs, groups, or classes you want to be part of.

Show Carnegie Mellon how you learn and how they'll contribute to your specific goals, and you'll be on the right track!

Carnegie Mellon Essay 3: Something Important About You

This essay prompt is the most open-ended of the three and a great opportunity to really dig into any important attributes of yourself that you feel you didn't get to write enough about or at all in other parts of your application.

Did you write about something in another essay, such as the one you wrote for the Common App, that you wish to talk about more here? Do you want to write about something that's important to you and that you haven't had a chance to elaborate on yet?

Your topics are pretty endless here —just make sure whatever you write about for this essay is revealing something important that you think the admissions committee should know about you.

This could be a specific personality trait —maybe you want to emphasize your leadership skills by talking about your role as team leader at the local youth club—or something about your life that's had a major impact on how you see yourself and your future.

Here are some topics you could write about (but don't feel limited by these suggestions!):

• A specific incident that holds importance for you, and what it taught you about your academic and/or professional interests, your goals, your personality, etc.
• Someone you know who has impacted you in a significant way, and how that person has specifically influenced your interests and/or goals
• An explanation for something that negatively impacted your grades or another part of your application —for example, perhaps you spent a lot of time taking care of a sick relative during your sophomore year of high school, which caused your grades to dip slightly
• A particular interest, passion, hobby, or skill you have, and what you've gained, either intellectually or emotionally, from it

Once again, don't try to write about what you think the CMU admissions committee wants to read—be honest about what's important to you and why. If you volunteered somewhere a few times but didn't enjoy it or gain anything valuable from it, do not write about it here!

Similarly, don't be afraid to focus on something seemingly mundane. Just be sure you're using the topic you choose—even if it's pretty commonplace—to ultimately reveal something important about you. So, no, it's probably not a good idea to write about how you spend hours on Instagram every day, since this hobby isn't really revealing anything significant about you, your goals, or your personal growth.

2 Real Carnegie Mellon Essay Examples + Analysis

In order to write a great Carnegie Mellon essay, it helps to see what kinds of essays actually got applicants accepted to this prestigious university. Here, we give you two real Carnegie Mellon essay examples we found online and explain what makes them successful.

Carnegie Mellon Essay Example 1

This first of the two Carnegie Mellon essay examples comes from the college essays website Essays That Worked . The essay is quite long— more than 650 words! —and was written in response to the following (old) supplemental Carnegie Mellon essay prompt:

And now here's the essay:

When I was younger, I faced a lot of negative emotions including anxiety and low self-esteem. For a long time, I felt alone and as if no one understood how I felt. My self confidence was at an all-time low when I started taking psychology. All of a sudden the negative emotions I was feeling started making sense. I was suddenly able to understand how people were wired and why others treated me a certain way. I in fact was able to feel empathy for my aggressors after understanding that those who treated me negatively often faced struggles of their own.

Most importantly, I felt as though something out there finally understood me. Because psychology offered insight into my own behavior and helped me to understand others, I was eventually able to overcome my insecurities. In the future, I would like to help others do the same. No matter where I end up, understanding why people behave a certain way and being more considerate and empathetic for others will only help me thrive. Mental health is a growing issue in our society. The world we live in is a confusing place filled with pain, but psychology provides a way to determine the cause of this suffering and how to change it. I never want anyone to feel the isolation and sorrow I felt when I was younger.

I want to help others become compassionate and unconditionally loving not just toward others, but to themselves. Even if I only make a small change in the world and affect just one person’s life, I would like to pursue that.

Here's why this Carnegie Mellon essay works so well:

• It has an honest, compelling narrative that flows well. This applicant begins by explaining how their feelings and experiences allowed them to form a connection to the field of psychology from a young age. This story is raw and honest, and it highlights the applicant's reasons for wanting to pursue psychology in an appropriate and relevant manner.
• It's extremely specific. The applicant uses concrete details to explain their background and why the psychology major is a perfect fit for their goals and interests. In addition, the essay connects the applicant’s present interest in psychology to how they hope to help others in the future, giving us a clear indication of why the applicant is so interested in psychology.

Carnegie Mellon Essay Example 2

This second Carnegie Mellon essay example also comes from the website Essays That Worked and, like the essay above, responds to a current Carnegie Mellon essay prompt .

It was written in response to Carnegie Mellon essay prompt number three:

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 words max)

Here is the essay:

I recall entering the intimidating world of high school as an exorbitantly introverted, stereotypical Asian girl. My father urged me to assert myself and attempt new activities I wouldn’t have typically participated in. I didn’t want to be disappointed in twenty years by the things I didn’t attempt in high school, so I decided to pursue my long-time dream of becoming a cheerleader. I had always admired the optimism that cheerleaders had, and I was at a point in my life where I needed more positivity.

I faced obstacles trying to join the team. An Asian cheerleader? But Asians were supposed to be smart and cheerleaders were dumb! I broke racial stereotypes by becoming the first Asian cheerleader in my high school. When I made the squad, I was exposed to individuals which whom I did not ordinarily traverse paths. I stepped outside of my bubble and met girls who were extremely extroverted and seemed to be in a constant state of elation. They taught me how to spread positivity throughout my daily interactions and taught me to use optimism as a strength in facing the hurdles of life. These were qualities I would have never learned from a textbook.

My parents had possessed strong reservations about me joining and feared I would meet girls who weren’t motivated in academics. This was false. Many of the girls were brilliant and creative in ways my regular friend group wasn’t. All avenues of life met there on that team.

Cheerleading was the rain and sun that helped a small seed like me bloom into a flower. It delights me knowing that I gained social skills and made friends I never thought I could gain. Cheerleading has changed my perspective on life and joining that family is one of my greatest treasures.

• It's tightly focused. This essay centers on a struggle the applicant overcame, a topic that is made clear quickly and acts as the focal point throughout the essay. We learn that the applicant made a decision in high school--to become a cheerleader--that defied racial stereotypes and helped her grow as a person. The role that cheerleading played in the applicant’s personal growth remains the focus through the end of the essay.
• It goes into significant detail about a specific incident. In order to showcase the uniqueness of their experience and the impact it had on their identity, this applicant wrote a detailed description of what being a cheerleader was really like, beyond the stereotypes, and what they learned from that experience. This provides information about who the applicant is that can’t be conveyed through the other parts of their application.

4 Tips for a Great Carnegie Mellon Essay

As you now know, you'll need to write three essays for the Carnegie Mellon supplement. Here are some general tips to keep in mind as you begin to work on each Carnegie Mellon essay.

#1: Use Highly Specific Details

Don't rely on catch-all phrases to get your points across in your essays. Instead, try to think of real, concrete examples you can use.

Specific details will make each Carnegie Mellon essay you write (and your application as a whole!) stand apart from others; it also proves to the admissions committee that you know what kinds of opportunities are available to you at Carnegie Mellon.

#2: Avoid Exaggeration—Be Yourself!

Many students think they need to write about topics that sound "impressive," but this isn't actually what admissions committees want. What they really want is to learn more about who you are, what you sound like naturally (on paper, of course), and what you value in life.

This is why it's so important for you to clearly channel your voice in your writing. For example, it's OK to tell a joke or focus on a lighthearted topic if you would describe yourself as a comedian.

Just make sure that, no matter what kind of topic you choose or how you write, you're ultimately making a bigger, important point about yourself —one that ideally emphasizes essential facets of your personality, your experiences, and/or your ambitions.

#3: Don't Repeat Anything You've Written for Your Common App Essay

Carnegie Mellon requires all applicants to submit the Common App essay in addition to the three essays described above, so you'll want to ensure there's not too much overlap between them. While it's OK to elaborate on a specific topic or point that you briefly mentioned in another essay, don't end up writing about the same experience more than once.

The point of these essays is to showcase various aspects of your personality and life, and you won't succeed if all you're doing is repeating yourself in each Carnegie Mellon essay!

#4: Edit, Polish, and Proofread

Our final tip is to take a lot of time to edit, polish, and proofread each Carnegie Mellon essay you write. Look over each essay multiple times to catch typos and other technical errors, such as grammatical problems, and spelling mistakes.

You should also be on the lookout for the following problems:

• Any inconsistencies in style, tone, voice, tense, etc.
• Any areas that are unclear, vague, or awkwardly worded or placed
• Any irrelevant details or descriptions that don't add anything important

Once you've edited and changed your essays a few times, give them to someone you trust, such as a teacher, mentor, or parent, and have that person offer feedback on how you could improve your writing.

Here are some key questions to ask this person to think about as they edit your essay:

• Is the topic/theme effective and appropriate for a college essay?
• Does the essay sound as though you wrote it (and not someone else)? Does the voice sound like your authentic voice?
• Does the overall organization make sense? Is there a story, and does it flow well? Does the structure successfully get the main point across?
• Are the details specific and relevant?

With all these tips in mind, you should definitely be able to write a great Carnegie Mellon essay!

What's Next?

You'll need to use the Common App if you're applying to Carnegie Mellon. Get tips on how to write a great Common App essay with our expert guide.

Thinking of applying to other great schools like Princeton , Brown , or Columbia ? Then be sure to check out our guides to learn how you can write amazing essays for these schools' supplements.

Learn more about Carnegie Mellon's admission requirements by visiting its school page in our extensive database.

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 Carnegie Mellon Essay Prompts

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Carnegie Mellon is one of the nation’s top universities. With a 14% acceptance rate , CMU surely gets top applicants each year. If you want to rise above the rest, the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays are your chance.  Carnegie Mellon’s prompts touch on different aspects of your background, interests, and goals. They are a great way to show off more of your personality and enthusiasm for the school. Planning strong examples to weave throughout your essays is key to success.

We will walk you through each prompt and offer tips on how to craft stellar responses for each of the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays!

Also see:  How to write an essay about yourself

“ 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 words) ”

Say you are interested in Computer Science. Well, you would not be alone, given it is Carnegie Mellon’s top major. Fortunately, this question invites you to back up your chosen area of study with a reason that is distinctly yours. For example, you could discuss your obsession with Guitar Hero as a kid and thus how video games are made. This inspiration for why you want to study programming makes this response personal and unique. 

Note that this prompt says a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time. Talk about the origin of your interest, then trace the ways you have further cultivated it. What started as a Guitar Hero fascination then led you to take a summer coding bootcamp. Now, you spend hours viewing YouTube videos on game development. Whatever your major is, try to get to the core of what intellectually excites you about it and what sparked that curiosity. This will ensure your sincerity and voice shines through. You can close with your long-term aspiration in this field or conclude more specifically with how you plan to pursue this interest at CM. 

Questions to consider: 

• Is there a role model you look up to whose career you’d like to emulate? 
• Have you taken a class that piqued your interest in this major?  
• Are you drawn to a particular field of study because of the positive impact it can make in the world? 

“ 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 words) ”

This question can be tricky for some students because there are many directions to take your response. There is no one right answer for what you’d like to achieve in college and what constitutes a successful experience. After all, learning takes place both in and out of the classroom. Instead of being scared of this freedom, embrace it. Before writing, take a moment to really envision yourself in four years. How do you hope to grow personally and academically at Carnegie Mellon? If one goal does not dominate, make a list of all the things you want to achieve and find a way to summarize them into an overarching theme. 

One example could be how the prospect of meeting new people energizes you. You might discuss how you grew up in a small, southern town as an only child. Moving to Pittsburgh to live with peers of diverse backgrounds will be a big shift. Studying abroad could be another related wish for your time at CM. Talk about how these experiences will fulfill your ultimate goal of expanding your worldview. This avenue is a great way to discuss CM’s values and how you hope to align them with your own, as well.

Some students approach this question by discussing college as the key to unlock their dream profession. If you take this route, be sure you are not repeating information you discussed in prompt #1. You could go at it from a more abstract lens, like discovering how to engage both your creative and analytical sides. You could talk about an interesting major/minor combination, clubs you’d like to be involved in, or a research project you wish to explore. 

Questions to consider:  

• What would you change about your high school mindset? For example, do you want to do a better job taking risks, or make community service a weekly priority?
• In what ways will college enrich your character? 
• What academic benchmarks do you hope to meet? 

“ 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 words) ”

Similar to prompt #2, this response is incredibly open. You can choose to write literally anything about yourself here. Of all the prompts, this is perhaps the best way to differentiate your essays.  It is helpful to look over your application as a whole. What have you already shared with admissions, and what have you left out?

Is there something meaningful to you that you could only briefly mention in your activities section? For instance, you may have been in the improvisation club in high school. You could describe how you used to be incredibly shy, but this form of theater let’s you discover a whole new witty side to yourself. It may have taught you humility and the value in stepping outside of your comfort zone. These are terrific qualities to take with you to CM. 

In a whole different vein, you could use this space to be vulnerable. Maybe remote learning was especially hard on you and resulted in a semester of lower grades. You could explain the obstacles you overcame and how it made you realize the importance of prioritizing mental health. This showcases your resiliency and informs admissions about an inconsistency on your transcript. 

The admissions team wants to know what makes you, you. They also are curious about your road to get to this point. So, anything is fair game. Trust your gut, and choose something that you feel is genuinely important to paint a whole picture of yourself and your experiences. 

• What have you been involved in that has shaped who you are today?
• Are there any red flags on your application that require explaining? 
• Do you have any unique hobbies or stand-out personality traits?

Final thoughts

After these deep dives, we hope you feel inspired to tackle each of the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays with ease. Use our tips to organize your responses, then get all your thoughts down. You can cut out the fluff and revise for grammar and writing quality later. Be genuine in sharing what matters to you, not what you think admissions want to hear. You are well on your way to crushing these essays!

Also see:  Top scholarships for high school seniors

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As you continue in your college application process, make sure to check back with us for other useful resources! We can help you decide how many schools to apply to , how to write a 500 word essay , and how to get a college application fee waiver . We’ll also help you decide whether you should send your ACT/SAT scores to test-optional schools. Good luck!

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How to Write the Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essays

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 4/26/24

Find out how to write stellar CMU essays in this complete guide, including tips, FAQs, and examples!

Carnegie Mellon University is an internationally recognized educational institution in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Since CMU is competitive, many applicants look for ways to stand out in their application. That’s where the CMU supplemental essays can come in handy.

The Carnegie Mellon supplementals are crucial to your application and provide an opportunity to showcase your personality, interests, and experiences. However, writing these essays can be daunting, especially if you're unsure what the university is looking for. 

We’ll walk you through the process of writing the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays. We’ve included expert tips, examples, and FAQs to help get you started on your CMU supplemental essays and help you write something unforgettable. Let’s get started!

Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essay Prompts 2023-2024

So, what are the Carnegie Mellon essay prompts? Let’s discuss! First of all, let’s talk about volume. In total, there are four CMU essay prompts. However, only three are required, while the fourth is optional. 

Although writing multiple essays can be intimidating, think of the positives. For one, you have many more chances to stand out as a candidate . Writing multiple essays also allows you to demonstrate various facets of your personality and experiences you may not have been able to share in your application. 

Here are the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essay prompts : 

“ 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 words)”

“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 words)”

“ 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 words)”

Prompt #4 (Optional)

“ When it comes to deciding whether to submit standardized test scores, occasionally applicants want us to better understand the individual context of their decision. If you’d like to take advantage of this opportunity, please share any information about your decision here. This is an optional question for those who may want to provide additional context for consideration. (150 words)”

Have any of these prompts sparked your inspiration? If not, no problem! Read on to learn how to answer the Carnegie Mellon essay prompts with examples. 

How to Write Each Essay Prompt for Carnegie Mellon

Here’s how to write each of the Carnegie Mellon essays. For each prompt, we’ve included an analysis of what the prompt is asking and tips on how to answer. 

How to Write Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essay #1 + Analysis and Tips

Analysis of prompt #1 : The first Carnegie Mellon essay prompt asks you to explain your choice of major in three hundred words or less. In other words, this is considered a “why this major” essay, a common question in the college application process. 

Let’s go over some tips on how to handle this prompt.

• Choose One Anecdote : It’s not uncommon for students to have many reasons for choosing a major. “My parents did this, I like the subject, I want to learn more,” etc. However, you should choose to narrow in on your strongest anecdote before writing this essay to formulate one strong story around a timeline of events. 
• Create a Timeline : Before you start writing, create a timeline of events to help guide you. In the beginning, share when you first became interested in your major. The middle should tell the story of how your interest became a serious commitment, and you can end your essay by sharing your goals. 
• Write Now, Trim Later : Shorter essays may seem easier. However, it may be more challenging to get your point across in fewer words. So, focus on the writing first, then trim the fat. Ensure each sentence helps to tell your story and that every word serves a purpose. 

How to Write Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essay #2 + Analysis and Tips

Analysis of prompt #2 : With this essay prompt, CMU is trying to understand what you hope to take with you from your education. A successful college experience is subjective, so there’s no correct answer. Ultimately, this is the place to outline what you intend to achieve during your college years and after. 

Here are some tips to help you get started:

• Speak From the Heart : Answer this earnest question honestly. Talk about your future goals, your passions, and how you intend to contribute to your chosen field. Consider what goes through your mind when you picture your graduation day. What are you proud of? What will you do next? 
• Tie In Your Past, If Applicable : Opening this essay with an anecdote about your past that ties into what a successful college experience means to you can be impactful. You should only do this if it applies to your situation and ties into why you’re applying to college and your future goals.
• Talk About the School : This shouldn’t be the main focus of your essay, but in general, colleges love it when you’ve done your research and know about the clubs and programs they offer. To answer this prompt well, you should get familiar with what you’d like to participate in. 

How to Write Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essay #3 + Analysis and Tips

Analysis of prompt #3 : The third CMU essay prompt is an excellent place to pop in one more achievement you’re really proud of or haven’t been able to share yet. Consider what you’ve shared so far and if there’s anything else you’d like to tell the admissions committee. Many applicants use this space to write about an extracurricular interest.

Use these tips to help you approach your essay: 

• Find Your Subject : There are various directions you could take here. You may choose to frame this as an adversity essay, where you tell the story of a challenge you overcame to achieve something. If you want to highlight a particular skill, you can write an extracurricular essay to delve into your passions . 
• Make Sure Your Topic Is Relevant : With a broad prompt like this one, it can be easy to get lost. It’s important to stay on track and add value to your application. If you write about something you’ve briefly touched on in your application, ensure your story isn’t repetitive . 
• Be Authentic : It’s important that you write about something you genuinely care about. Don’t tailor your responses according to what you think the school wants to hear. 

How to Write Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essay #4 + Analysis and Tips

For the optional fourth prompt, you need to first figure out if you should write this optional essay at all. This prompt targets students who have chosen not to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you have chosen not to submit scores, you should absolutely explain your decision through this essay. If not, there’s no need to write the essay.

Examples of Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essays That Worked

If you still have no idea where to start with your Carnegie Mellon essays, don’t worry. Take a look at some of these examples, written by real, admitted students, to give you inspiration! 

Sample Essay #1

Prompt : “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 words)”

Read through this sample essay for some inspiration: 

“When I was younger, I faced a lot of negative emotions including anxiety and low self-esteem. For a long time, I felt alone and as if no one understood how I felt. My self confidence was at an all-time low when I started taking psychology. All of a sudden the negative emotions I was feeling started making sense. I was suddenly able to understand how people were wired and why others treated me a certain way. I was able to feel empathy for my aggressors after understanding that those who treated me negatively often faced struggles of their own. Most importantly, I felt as though something out there finally understood me. Because psychology offered insight into my own behavior and helped me to understand others, I was eventually able to overcome my insecurities.

In the future, I would like to help others do the same. No matter where I end up, understanding why people behave a certain way and being more considerate and empathetic for others will only help me thrive. Mental health is a growing issue in our society. The world we live in is a confusing place filled with pain, but psychology provides a way to determine the cause of this suffering and how to change it. I never want anyone to feel the isolation and sorrow I felt when I was younger. I want to help others become compassionate and unconditionally loving not just toward others, but to themselves. Even if I only make a small change in the world and affect just one person’s life, I would like to pursue that.”

Why Essay #1 Worked

In this example, the writer uses a clear timeline of events to convey the story of how they became interested in their major. What the student has done especially well here is demonstrate a developed passion and deeper meaning to their choice of program. 

Your story doesn’t have to start in childhood – for many applicants, it doesn’t! Whatever your story, just ensure your devotion to the study of your subject is apparent and your story is concise, easy to read, and moving. 

Sample Essay #2

Prompt 2 : “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 words)”

This essay provides a great example of how to answer this prompt: 

“My main goal in college is to attain a specific degree so I may pursue a stable career I’m happy with. However, the manner in which I achieve this is imperative since I will spend a considerable portion of my early adulthood in college. This is why I want to attend an institution that will teach me what to learn, how to learn, and why I should learn. 

When I leave college and enter the real world, I don’t want to stop learning about how the world works or how I can improve upon myself. I believe that to give up the pursuit of knowledge is to give up hope for true happiness. I don’t want to die knowing I could’ve achieved more through my time on earth but chose not to, especially considering the people in less fortunate circumstances who would’ve taken full advantage of the opportunities I was presented. I have a sense of duty to improve myself in some way each day so in the future, I may apply the lessons I’ve learned and experiences I’ve gained to make a positive impact on this world. I fervently believe that true education prepares students for the outside world by emphasizing this mindset. 

Therefore, a successful college experience to me is one that facilitates this kind of growth by providing bountiful opportunities for me to pursue my goals and even open my eyes to activities I never thought of attempting. This sort of environment is one that must be achieved through the collaborative effort of faculty and peers alike. I believe Carnegie Mellon-with its vast undergraduate and graduate majors, research programs, student organizations, and diverse campus culture-accomplishes this well.”

Source: Carnegie Mellon University

Why Essay #2 Worked 

In this essay example from an accepted Carnegie Mellon student , the writer focuses on their passion for the pursuit of education and why learning is important to them. This is an excellent approach; it indicates that this student wants to soak up as much of the CMU learning experience as possible rather than simply get a degree and move on. 

This Carnegie Mellon essay briefly mentions what the school has to offer, why they’re attracted to it, and how attending will help them fulfill their goals. 

Sample Essay #3

Prompt #3 : “ 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 words)”

Check out this sample essay to help you respond to prompt #3: 

“Haunted romanticism, ravaged gaze, desperation bordering on lunacy, Saturn Devouring His Son first caught my attention as a bored nine-year-old wandering around a museum, and once again as a high-school student, after catching a glimpse of it in a textbook. 

Because after looking at angelic frescos after more Church frescos, I could not stop myself from flipping back to the tiny printing of this unholy piece. I sought to discover the story behind it—what caused this artist to create something so raw and naked, in the age of staid royal family portraits?

I became immersed in unraveling each bit of the story, how Goya had long transitioned from a royal painter, to a harsh, but veiled critic of society, the desolation that occurred during the French occupation of Spain, the corruption of Charles IV— who was really only a puppet ruler to Godoy. I learned how kingdoms rose and fell—and rose again, how art is unafraid to capture the seditious attitudes of the common people, and how it has endured to teach us of past mistakes.

I fell in love with dissecting the messages from the past, and discovering how we still have not listened to them.”

Why Essay #3 Worked

In this example from a similar Yale prompt , the writer chose to delve into their appreciation for visiting art museums beyond the classroom and discovering their curiosity for art history. 

The essay is particularly effective because it doesn't just list the paintings they admire but instead delves into the meanings and significance behind each piece. 

The key to a successful extracurricular essay is to showcase your enthusiasm for the activity. To transport the reader into your world, it can be helpful to include sensory details that create a vivid picture of your experiences. 

Consider including descriptions of the smells, sights, and emotions that surround your extracurricular interest. By doing so, you can help your reader feel as though they’re there with you, experiencing the activity alongside you.

Get More Sample Essays Here!

If you found it helpful to look at sample essays, good news! You can check out our college essay example database down below for tons of great essay examples. 

FAQs: Carnegie Mellon Essays

Here are our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about how to write each Carnegie Mellon supplemental essay.

1. How Important Are Essays for CMU?

Supplemental essays are an important part of the application process for Carnegie Mellon University. They allow applicants to showcase their unique qualities, achievements, and perspectives that may not be evident from other parts of their application.

2. How Many Supplemental Essays Does Carnegie Mellon Require?

The CMU essay requirements vary depending on the program you are applying for. For most applicants, there are three required essays and one optional essay. 

3. What Is the Word Limit for Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essays?

Each CMU essay must be 300 words or fewer, while the fourth optional essay word limit is 150 words or fewer. 

4. Are the Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essays Required for All Applicants, Including Transfer and International Students?

Yes, all Carnegie Mellon applicants must write supplemental essays, including transfer and international students. 

5. Can I Reuse Essays That I Wrote for Other College Applications for Carnegie Mellon's Supplemental Essays?

You may be able to recycle content to an extent based on the essay you’ve previously written. For example, your description of why you want to pursue a particular major may not change, but the school-specific details you add will. 

Final Thoughts

Writing strong CMU essays is a critical part of your application. These essays provide an opportunity to showcase what makes you a fantastic CMU candidate. They also provide a platform to discuss personal achievements that may not be evident in other parts of your application. 

Because the CMU essays are relatively short, it's important to be concise while sharing your stories. It's also crucial to ensure that your essays are cohesive, flow smoothly, and make a strong case for you as a candidate. 

By following our tips, you’ll be able to craft memorable essays and increase your chances of standing out to the admissions committee at Carnegie Mellon University. Good luck!

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Analyzing the Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essays 2021-2022

Padya Paramita

October 11, 2021

Carnegie Mellon University is top-choice for numerous students. The college prides itself on its holistic approach to accepting students—so if you have your eye on one of the undergraduate colleges within CMU, you’ll need to excel not just in academics, but in your extracurriculars as well. And the best way to prove that you are CMU material is by mastering the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays 2021-2022 .

Carnegie Mellon has six great colleges for six different areas of interest: the College of Engineering, The College of Fine Arts, The Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, The Information Systems program, The Mellon College of Science, School of Computer Science, and Tepper School of Business. In reading your responses to the supplemental essays, admissions officers want to know whether your strengths, experiences, and goals are compatible with the unique and competitive programs the colleges within CMU have to offer. To guide you through the questions, I’ve elaborated on how to answer each of the prompts for the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays 2021-2022 and added tips to keep in mind during the writing process.

Prompts for the Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essays 2021-2022

The Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays 2021-2022 ask three questions, all of which are mandatory for all applicants, with your answers limited to 300 words each. Below, we’ve taken a look at the questions and how to tackle each of them in more detail.

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)

The key to answering this question among the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays 2021-2022 lies in conducting appropriate research surrounding the major and college you’ve chosen. Think about what your experiences have looked like so far — and most importantly, connect your past to your chosen field at CMU. You can write about specific courses that appeal to you within your major, such as the Behavioral Economics, Policy & Organizations program within the Dietrich College of Humanities & Social Sciences. 

While 300 words is not a lot, make sure to assert your interest in the subject in your essay as well. Mention any anecdote or example that conveys your passion for the field. Elaborate on how your experiences and exploration of the topics within the discipline so far make you a strong candidate for the program. If there have been any ways you’ve actively pursued your interest—such as working at a lab in preparation for a Chemical Engineering or Mathematical Sciences major, mention them in a sentence or two. 

Since there’s not much space, you won’t be able to get too much into the details about other areas of academic focus, and that’s okay. Drive home your enthusiasm both for your field, and how CMU can specifically hone your skills and assist your growth as a student. 

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 question is different from the last prompt among the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays 2021-2022 as it gets to what you look for out of your college experience, with a specific focus towards learning. To pinpoint specific resources and characteristics you look for out of your ideal college, consider the following questions: 

• What are your academic interests and goals?
• Why do the course offerings at CMU stand out to you?
• What do you look for in classmates?
• What kind of environment do you need to thrive?
• Why do you believe CMU is a good fit for you?

Take your answers and find the most important factors to you, and elaborate on them. I’d suggest that you ideally write about 2-3 aspects rather than try to fit in everything. If you focus your answer on the ways you and Carnegie Mellon are good fits for each other, admissions officers will be able to understand how the college can help you, and how you can contribute to the academic environment of the college.

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)

This is the most open-ended prompt among the Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essays 2021-2022 . There can be many different parts of your profile or identity to choose from—your cultural background, your gender identity or sexual orientation, your socioeconomic class, or even an activity that you participate in that is unusual. Whether it’s learning languages or playing a little-known instrument, your essay should focus on one particular thing that makes you different.

Remember, don’t repeat anything you’ve already mentioned in your personal statement. Tell admissions officers about an aspect of your identity that you find valuable and can add to the diversity of the Carnegie Mellon campus. Do you feel like you’re a part of a bigger community? How has your perspective been shaped by these components of yourself? Have you faced any challenges because of them?

Don’t forget that your supplemental essays should distinguish you from other applicants. If you believe there will be many students with similar backgrounds applying, don’t highlight it in your essay. Admissions officers have seen plenty of students whose main extracurricular activity has been debate club. It won’t help you stand out!

Further Tips on answering the Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essays 2021-2022

• Strike a Balance: The Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays 2021-2022 expect your answers to highlight both your experiences along with what appeals to you regarding the university. Think carefully about what you’ve done so far and what you hope to achieve in the next four years, specifically at CMU. For example, If you’ve chosen English as your major, focus your first essay on when this love started, how your love for the topic grew, and how you’ve honed your reading writing skills—if you participated in any competitions or creative writing clubs. Finally, finish it off with which classes appeal to you from the CMU catalog, whether it’s “Literature and Culture in the Renaissance” or “The Short Story.”
• Don’t misrepresent yourself: For the questions on your academic interests or what you look for out of your college experience, it might be tempting to try and guess what admissions officers want to hear. You should definitely avoid that, as it’s neither fair to you nor your reader. While there’s pressure to write stellar essays, if you try too hard, you’re going to put a lot of effort into an application that is dishonest. You want the admissions officers to evaluate you based on your real interests. 

At first glance, the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays 2021-2022 might seem a little intimidating. But if you carefully read through the prompts, avoid common answers, and show admissions officers that you possess the values that CMU looks for, you’ll set yourself up for a chance at acceptance. Show admissions officers how you think and guide them through your passions and aspirations and—who knows, maybe this is the component that helps you get one step closer to becoming a Scottie Dog next year. Best of luck!

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Carnegie Mellon University Supplemental Essays 2023-24

Carnegie mellon supplemental essays 2023-24.

Carnegie Mellon University is renowned for its unwavering commitment to academic excellence, especially in engineering and computer science . As one of the nation’s top universities, CMU demands rock-solid applications, which means well-crafted Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays. While a 4.0 GPA is impressive, CMU supplemental essays will truly differentiate the most competitive applicants. So, to maximize your admissions chances, you want highly refined Carnegie Mellon essays, and we’ll help you get started.

Here’s a quick rundown of Carnegie Mellon. CMU’s cutting-edge academic offerings and vibrant extracurricular opportunities draw many aspiring students every year for every discipline. Where is Carnegie Mellon? It’s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , and is among the top schools in the state. As one of America’s premier private research institutions, Carnegie Mellon annually attracts a diverse cohort of exceptional minds—including you. 

This article will review the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays and their place among the Carnegie Mellon requirements. We’ll decode the Carnegie Mellon essay prompts and outline the Carnegie Mellon admissions requirements. We’ll also guide you through writing your CMU supplemental essays by offering strategies and tips for your Carnegie Mellon essays. Together, we will learn how to craft impactful Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays. Let’s get started. 

CMU Supplemental Essays: Quick Facts

Carnegie mellon supplemental essays: quick facts.

• Carnegie Mellon University Acceptance Rate: According to U.S. News , the acceptance rate is 14%, which classifies Carnegie Mellon University as most selective.
• 1 Personal Statement
• 3 essays  (< 300 words each)
• Carnegie Mellon University Admissions Application: Carnegie Mellon University only accepts Common Application . Therefore, students must complete their Carnegie Mellon application using the Common Application.
• Early Decision I: November 1st
• Regular Decision for Schools of Drama and Music: December 1st
• Early Decision II: January 3rd
• Regular Decision: January 3rd

Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website.

Does Carnegie Mellon require supplemental essays?

Yes, the Carnegie Mellon requirements include supplemental essays. In addition to your Common Application personal statement, Carnegie Mellon University requires applicants to respond to three Carnegie Mellon essay prompts. These Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays should be under 300 words and will explore your academic interests, learning process, and personal interests.

It’s important to note that the Common Application personal statement is not covered further in this article. However, CollegeAdvisor.com has several resources for writing knockout Common Application and Coalition Application essays, including several successful examples . We also have an article that takes a deep dive into the 2023–2024 Common App essay prompts. Take a look around our site for more about personal statements and more.

With a word count of 300 words or less, these Carnegie Mellon essay prompts require a concise response. Therefore, applicants must craft brief, impactful CMU supplemental essays that positively impact the Carnegie Mellon admissions team . In the following sections, we’ll discuss the Carnegie Mellon essay prompts and how to approach the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays.

What are the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays?

As shared in the previous section, Carnegie Mellon University requires the Common Application personal statement and three CMU supplemental essays. Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays respond to three distinct Carnegie Mellon essay prompts. Each of these Carnegie Mellon essay prompts asks a different question, and each essay will also reveal more about you.

Here are the Carnegie Mellon essay prompts for 2023–2024:

As you can see, the Carnegie Mellon essay prompts all ask very different questions. The Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays should give the admissions committee insight into you as a future CMU student. So, why are you interested in CMU as a place to explore your passions and fulfill your goals? Moreover, will you uphold CMU’s legacy on campus and after graduation?

Next, we’ll look more closely at how to approach each of these Carnegie Mellon essay prompts. Remember that it’s advisable to brainstorm several ideas for each prompt, even if you already know what to write. You never know when you may come up with even better essay ideas for your CMU supplemental essays.

Carnegie Mellon Essay Prompts #1

As shared in the previous section, the first of the three Carnegie Mellon essay prompts asks:

Carnegie Mellon Essay Prompt #1

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.

Among the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays, this asks most directly about applicants’ interest in Carnegie Mellon. Strong CMU supplemental essays for this prompt should balance the applicant’s goals for college with the university’s offerings. The essay should also show the applicant has done their research and knows how CMU can uniquely support them in their college journey.

How to write this Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essay

The first of the three Carnegie Mellon essay prompts asks students to reflect on what they consider a successful college experience. In response to this Carnegie Mellon essay, it’s important to note that the college experience is multifaceted, so there are many different ways to define “success.” For this Carnegie Mellon essay, it is essential to understand what a successful college experience looks like for you.

Some types of success that you may want to consider in your response are: 

Academic Excellence

You may hope for close relationships with professors through office hours and small class sizes. What kind of academic environment can you thrive in, and how can CMU offer that?

Broadened Horizons

CMU has myriad opportunities to expand your learning beyond lectures, from extracurricular groups to study abroad programs. How do you envision these mind-opening experiences as part of your years at CMU?

Skill Development

Many students also hone skills relevant to your future career through internships, research projects, or extracurricular activities. Are there any offerings at Carnegie Mellon that will help you foster useful skills?

Personal Growth

For most, college is a time for self-discovery and personal development. This could mean joining groups relevant to your cultural identity or background, participating in mentorship, or even doing community service.

An illustrious school like CMU is an ideal place to build meaningful relationships with peers, professors, and mentors. Think of your future career and ways you may start building a network while still a student.

Of course, you don’t have to include every one of these points, and you can choose your own. The key is to think about what excites you about college—large lecture hall classes? Robotics research? Slacklining with the outdoors club? Jot down the most important or interesting prospects and research CMU to see if they can offer that.

Successful Carnegie Mellon essays for this prompt should be specific about what the applicant considers a “successful college experience.” In addition, they should clearly state ways that CMU is an ideal environment, mentioning offerings like specific programs and groups. Ultimately, your essay should leave the reader understanding what you want out of college and how CMU can provide it.

Carnegie Mellon Why Major Essay

Like many selective colleges, the second of the three Carnegie Mellon essay prompts ask students to complete the “why major” essay as part of their application process. For this Carnegie Mellon essay, the prompt asks:

Carnegie Mellon Essay Prompt # 2

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.

Out of the three Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays, this question may appear the simplest, but don’t be mistaken. Writing this essay can be challenging because you only have 300 words to convey your passion. Especially for students who are laser-focused on their intended major, this can be a sizable challenge to write.

It’s important to note that students actually enter Carnegie Mellon undecided. In fact, students can’t even declare a major until the end of their first year. Therefore, you aren’t bound by the topic you write about in this essay. Right now, you may already be planning the layout of your desk at NASA—and maybe you end up majoring in biology. This essay is about your academic passion right now; nobody will scrutinize it if you change disciplines in college. 

Some students face a different hurdle: they don’t know what area of study they’re most passionate about. You may even be applying undeclared to one of CMU’s schools—a wide range of fields are available. Again, these Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays play no role in the major you ultimately declare. In light of that, you can brainstorm several topics that interest you and why. Don’t hesitate to make outlines or even quick and dirty drafts to narrow down your topic.

Approaching this Why Major Essay

Among the three Carnegie Mellon essay prompts, this asks most specifically about your intellectual interests. Therefore, a good Carnegie Mellon essay for this essay should accomplish three key things.

1. Identify Your Interest

Identify the academic area or major that genuinely resonates with you. You may state this directly, or it may be built in to the next section.

2. Share Your Background

Provide context to how you developed your passion for that particular interest, demonstrating enthusiasm for the field. This section should be the longest because you want to share as much information about yourself as possible. Therefore, share stories, anecdotes, or experiences illustrating your passion for the major. Furthermore, be sure to include any relevant experience that you already have in the field. Do you have internships, research projects, extracurricular activities, or coursework that have informed your decision? Be sure to mention them and explain how these experiences have shaped your understanding of the field.

3. Connect to Carnegie

Connect your passion and academic interest to Carnegie Mellon’s academic programs and opportunities. Share why the chance to study at Carnegie Mellon captivates you—whether it’s a unique curriculum, esteemed faculty, or research initiatives. Highlight how Carnegie’s programs align with your academic aspirations and why CMU is the ideal place to foster intellectual growth. 

Considering you only have 300 words to tackle this Carnegie Mellon essay, every word counts. So, avoid general statements and focus on specifics that showcase your deep interest and preparedness for the chosen academic areas. Be specific about your interest, your experience, and how CMU can meet your academic needs.

Additionally, be mindful of mentioning the same thing twice. If you mentioned a research initiative in the first Carnegie Mellon essay, do you need to bring it up here? That’s not to say your application will be automatically rejected if you name drop it again, but think carefully. Use your words wisely—if you could better use those words to talk about yourself and your passion, do so. The Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays don’t give any room for wasted words.

By following this advice, your Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays will certainly captivate Carnegie’s admissions committee. 

CMU Supplemental Essay #3 – Highlight Something

The final Carnegie Mellon supplemental essay allows you to highlight something about yourself that wasn’t previously mentioned in your application materials. The last of the three Carnegie Mellon essay prompts asks:

Carnegie Mellon Essay Prompt #3

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)..

While possible Carnegie Mellon essays here are endless, it’s important to consider the overall impression of your CMU supplemental essays . That is to say, Carnegie Mellon essays for this prompt should contribute to the applicant’s personal narrative . How are you trying to present yourself to the admissions committee? Within that, what aspects are missing from your Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays? Questions like these can help you choose your topic, but they can be difficult to answer.

Therefore, in the next section, we will help you decide what to showcase in this Carnegie Mellon supplemental essay.

Choosing what to showcase in this Carnegie Mellon essay

When approaching this Carnegie Mellon supplemental essay, think about it like this; your admissions decision may be riding on these 300 words. This might be the keystone that completes the admissions officer’s understanding of you as a potential CMU student. Ideally, these Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays provide critical information that rounds out a picture of their writers.

So think about who you are and how you want the admissions committee to understand you. Reread your other two CMU supplemental essays, personal statement, and extracurricular activities section. What is something you haven’t already shared that would take you over the top in the eyes of the admissions committee? 

Here are some things you may want to consider: 

Hobby or Extracurricular Activity Experience

While Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays allow you to highlight your academic interests, sometimes, your academic interests don’t align with your hobbies. Therefore, this could be a great space for a particular hobby or extracurricular experience you couldn’t highlight anywhere else. Common topics like sports or community service should be considered carefully, but most importantly, you should write with enthusiasm. 

Cultural or Diversity Perspectives

Considering the recent affirmative action ruling , some students from marginalized groups may not be able to state their ethnic background on the Common App. This includes how their ethnicity may have affected their livelihood. Therefore, you can use this Carnegie Mellon essay to discuss your cultural background, experiences, or perspectives. There are endless ways to approach this, like how your experiences will enrich your time as a community member at CMU.

Personal Challenges or Growth

Some successful Carnegie Mellon essays share a personal challenge and the growth that resulted from facing it. Instead of focusing solely on hardship, delve into the specific experiences and emotions you encountered during these challenges. What did you learn, and how did facing—not necessarily overcoming—this challenge shape you? Furthermore, maintain a positive and forward-looking tone, demonstrating resilience and a capacity for self-improvement. 

Is Carnegie Mellon hard to get into?

You’re probably aware that Carnegie Mellon University is renowned for its challenging admissions process. With an acceptance rate of approximately 14%, it can be quite difficult to secure a spot. While meeting the academic Carnegie Mellon requirements is important, your application is much more than a place to flaunt good grades.

Remember that your application’s strength lies within overall excellence, which includes well-crafted CMU supplemental essays. These Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays can be what puts you over the edge. Your CMU supplemental essays allow you to showcase your unique qualities, experiences and your fit with CMU’s values and academic programs. While it’s undeniably competitive, admissions at Carnegie Mellon is not insurmountable. Well-rounded and thoughtful Carnegie Mellon essays can be what sets you apart and ultimately tips the scales in your favor.

Does Carnegie Mellon care about essays?

Yes, yes, yes. Admissions officers greatly value Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays because they offer direct insight into an applicant’s capabilities. In Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays, hopeful students speak directly to admissions staff about what they’ve done and what they’ll do at CMU. Essays are also a useful means to expand the admission criteria for prospective students, providing a more complete picture than scores alone.

As a test-optional institution for those applying for fall 2024, Carnegie Mellon University also acknowledges the limitations of standardized test scores. A student’s potential, abilities, and compatibility with the university’s community cannot be fully captured by a standardized test. Consequently, for students without test scores, other Carnegie Mellon admissions requirements like transcripts, recommendations , and, most notably, CMU supplemental essays are more heavily weighed. However, that’s not to say that applicants are forbidden from sending test scores—if your standardized test scores are competitive, submit them.

Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays empower applicants to illuminate their distinctive perspectives, life experiences, and personal attributes. Through the CMU supplemental essays, applicants can provide a deeper look into their character, intellectual curiosity, and alignment with Carnegie Mellon’s core values. Therefore, the university gains a more comprehensive and holistic understanding of each applicant by meticulously reviewing CMU supplemental essays.

How do I make my Carnegie Mellon essays stand out?

Considering the importance of the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays, getting your CMU supplemental essays to stand out is incredibly important. So, here are some suggestions to help your Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays stand out to the admissions team.

Using Authenticity and Personal Voice in Your Carnegie Mellon Essays

Ensure your Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays reflect your true self. Use your Carnegie Mellon essays to share personal anecdotes and experiences that have influenced your values, passions, and goals. Avoid generic responses and instead focus on the unique aspects of your journey. Even if you feel that your experiences are common, make them yours.

Research and Understanding of Carnegie Mellon University

Take the time to research Carnegie Mellon University’s values, mission, and academic programs thoroughly. Anyone can answer, “Where is Carnegie Mellon?”, but you should be able to outline several CMU offerings that interest you. Gain a deep understanding of the university’s majors, academic offerings, campus culture, and initiatives. Incorporate this knowledge into your Carnegie Mellon essays to demonstrate your genuine interest and alignment with Carnegie Mellon.

Have an Engaging Writing Style in Your Carnegie Mellon Essays

Make your Carnegie Mellon essays engaging and captivating through strong storytelling . Capture the reader’s attention with powerful imagery and thoughtful language. Maintain a compelling narrative flow that keeps the reader hooked from the introduction to the conclusion. Avoid cliches and other common pitfalls —try to find your particular writing voice and let it shine through.

Proofread and Refine Your Carnegie Mellon Essays

Pay careful attention to proofreading and editing your CMU essays. Ensure correct grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. Verify the clarity and coherence of your ideas. Given the limited word count, you should also choose every word wisely and eliminate redundancy. You may ask a trusted friend or mentor to read your Carnegie Mellon essays and give you feedback.

By utilizing these strategies while writing your Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays, you can create standout Carnegie Mellon essays that showcase your unique qualities and potential. Remember, CMU supplemental essays are your opportunity to convince the admissions committee that you’re an ideal fit for Carnegie Mellon University.

CMU Supplemental Essays – Final Thoughts

Carnegie Mellon University boasts a reputation for academic excellence and a highly competitive admissions process. To secure admission to Carnegie Mellon, it’s crucial to recognize the paramount importance of the Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays. Indeed, all aspects of the Carnegie Mellon application, from extracurriculars to recommendation letters , are important. However, in Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays, you can directly tell admissions officers who you are and why CMU is the place for you.

CMU supplemental essays are your chance to stand out and capture the admissions committee’s attention. Your Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays are a crucial component of your application and will significantly impact your admission chances. Therefore, it’s essential to approach your Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays strategically. Craft your CMU supplemental essays thoughtfully and use them to convey your unique qualities and potential contributions to the Carnegie Mellon community.

Ultimately, your Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays allow you to shine and convince the admissions committee that you’re an ideal fit. Use these tips to write impressive CMU supplemental essays and put your Carnegie Mellon application over the top. Are you now ready to apply ? We hope so. Good luck!

This article was written by senior advisor Ashley Hollins . Still looking for additional information, check out this CollegeAdvisor article on Carnegie Mellon supplemental essays from 2021-2022 . Are you looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. Our team will discuss your profile during your meeting and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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4 Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essay Examples (2023)

If you want to get into Carnegie Mellon in 2023, you'll need to write responses to CMU's writing supplement that help you stand out and get accepted.

In this article, I've gathered 4 of the best CMU essays that worked to hopefully get you inspired to write your own stand-out essays.

I've also included this year's supplemental prompts for CMU and some ideas for getting started.

Let's get started.

What is Carnegie Mellon's Acceptance Rate?

Getting into Carnegie Mellon is more difficult every year. Last year, 42,015 students applied to CMU and only 7,143 students were admitted.

Which means Carnegie Mellon University an overall acceptance rate of 17% , or in other words less than every 1 in 5 students get admitted each year.

And admissions into certain programs like Computer Science or the School of Drama is even more competitive, with acceptances rates of 7% and 4% each.

Carnegie Mellon Acceptance Scattergram

That's a comparable admit rate to the most selective Ivy League schools like Princeton University for example.

To have your best chances of getting into CMU, you'll need to write great essay responses. Below are 4 of the best examples of CMU essays to help improve your essays and get accepted.

What are the Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Prompts for 2022-23?

This year Carnegie Mellon requires students to write three short essays of 300 words each.

Here are the Carnegie Mellon University writing supplement prompts for 2022. The questions on this page are being asked by Carnegie Mellon University:

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)

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)

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)

Carnegie Mellon has used these prompts in past years.

And below you'll find several examples of essays that responded to these prompts. I've also included some personal statement essays from admitted CMU students.

4 Carnegie Mellon University EssaysThatWorked

It's safe to say students who get into Carnegie Mellon write interesting and creative application essays. Or at least these ones did.

Here are 4 of the best Carnegie Mellon essays that have helped students get admitted.

Carnegie Mellon Essay Example #1

Carnegie mellon essay example #2, carnegie mellon essay example #3, carnegie mellon essay example #4.

Prompt: 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 words max)

When I was younger, I faced a lot of negative emotions including anxiety and low self-esteem. For a long time, I felt alone and as if no one understood how I felt. My self confidence was at an all-time low when I started taking psychology. All of a sudden the negative emotions I was feeling started making sense. I was suddenly able to understand how people were wired and why others treated me a certain way. I in fact was able to feel empathy for my aggressors after understanding that those who treated me negatively often faced struggles of their own. Most importantly, I felt as though something out there finally understood me. Because psychology offered insight into my own behavior and helped me to understand others, I was eventually able to overcome my insecurities.

In the future, I would like to help others do the same. No matter where I end up, understanding why people behave a certain way and being more considerate and empathetic for others will only help me thrive. Mental health is a growing issue in our society. The world we live in is a confusing place filled with pain, but psychology provides a way to determine the cause of this suffering and how to change it. I never want anyone to feel the isolation and sorrow I felt when I was younger. I want to help others become compassionate and unconditionally loving not just toward others, but to themselves. Even if I only make a small change in the world and affect just one person’s life, I would like to pursue that.

Prompt: 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 words max)

I recall entering the intimidating world of high school as an exorbitantly introverted, stereotypical Asian girl. My father urged me to assert myself and attempt new activities I wouldn’t have typically participated in. I didn’t want to be disappointed in twenty years by the things I didn’t attempt in high school, so I decided to pursue my long-time dream of becoming a cheerleader. I had always admired the optimism that cheerleaders had, and I was at a point in my life where I needed more positivity.

I faced obstacles trying to join the team. An Asian cheerleader? But Asians were supposed to be smart and cheerleaders were dumb! I broke racial stereotypes by becoming the first Asian cheerleader in my high school.

When I made the squad, I was exposed to individuals which whom I did not ordinarily traverse paths. I stepped outside of my bubble and met girls who were extremely extroverted and seemed to be in a constant state of elation. They taught me how to spread positivity throughout my daily interactions and taught me to use optimism as a strength in facing the hurdles of life. These were qualities I would have never learned from a textbook.

My parents had possessed strong reservations about me joining and feared I would meet girls who weren’t motivated in academics. This was false. Many of the girls were brilliant and creative in ways my regular friend group wasn’t. All avenues of life met there on that team.

Cheerleading was the rain and sun that helped a small seed like me bloom into a flower. It delights me knowing that I gained social skills and made friends I never thought I could gain. Cheerleading has changed my perspective on life and joining that family is one of my greatest treasures.

Prompt: “When we‘re connected to others, we become better people,” said Carnegie Mellon University‘s Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture .

At Carnegie Mellon you‘ll have the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse community of scholars, artists and innovators. Given the students, faculty, staff and resources that have been available to you as a student, how have you collaborated with others, in or out of the classroom?

Or, what lessons have you learned from working with others in the past, that might shape your experience in the future? (300 words max)

Because it took some time for me to pass my driving test, I was unable to get a traditional job at the same age as the rest of my peers. I had another friend who was also unable to drive. To fund our shopping addictions, we started our own business, "Velour Slimes," where we sold slimes of a diverse number of scents and textures. The experience gave us a taste of entrepreneurship and the elements of what it takes to run a successful business. One of those elements was collaboration.

Going into business with a friend can get ugly, even with a small scale operation like ours. One of our most grueling conflicts was deciding whether to spend our first profit paying off our debts or buying new materials to make more slime with. Neither of us were transparent with our goals, or on the same page. We let our conflict escalate to the point where we could not look at each other. Eventually we solved our issue by effectively communicating together. By being honest with each other about our ideas and concisely supporting our arguments with evidence, we were able to understand each other and find a balance. In the end, we compromised. We spent half of the money paying off our debts and the other half on more materials to create even more slimes.

This experience brought me closer to my friend. We were able to strengthen our relationship while becoming more understanding and considerate of each others’ feelings. I discovered empathy is deeply necessary in improving the negative aspects of modern day society. If we were all a bit more empathetic, the world would be a more pleasant place. For that reason, I try to continuously improve my own compassion.

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Prompt: Why Carnegie Mellon? (650 words max)

With a strong background in computer science and communications, I hope to incorporate both into a future career of building data systems, conducting research, and consulting for organizations that serve underrepresented citizens.

Why This Essay Works:

Specific details and anecdotes will almost always be more compelling than less specific ones. In this essay, the student does a great job of including specific, "nerdy" details, such as "an association test between melanoma associated variants and survival outcome." These details demonstrate your in-depth knowledge of an area and make your essay more engaging.

This essay does a fantastic job of addressing real-world problems and emphasizing the "bigger picture" impact of their studies. Rather than just explaining what they want to study, this student explains how their education will help them have an impact on the world. Make an argument for what problems you see in the world and how you could potentially help solve them.

For "Why Us?" college essays, one of the most important parts is to reference unique aspects to the school. Almost all colleges have strong academics, great faculty, etc. So instead of referencing those points, reference what makes the school unique and different. In this essay, the student talks about "CMU's Technology Consulting in the Global Community" program, which is both highly specific to CMU and relevant to their own interests.

What They Might Improve:

In general, you should avoid simply listing your achievements. This student has many remarkable activities and experiences, but it comes across less interesting because the first half of the essay is simply describing these accomplishments.

For "Why Us?" essays, it is also a good idea to reference the values the school represents. Each school has a different "culture" and type of student body, and admissions wants to know how you will fit in.

If you're trying to get into Carnegie Mellon, here are 4 of the best essays that worked. Read example answers to Carnegie Mellon's writing supplement for 2022 and see how other students got into CMU.

What did you think of these Carnegie Mellon essays?

Ryan Chiang , Founder of EssaysThatWorked

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Princeton Admitted Essay

People love to ask why. Why do you wear a turban? Why do you have long hair? Why are you playing a guitar with only 3 strings and watching TV at 3 A.M.—where did you get that cat? Why won’t you go back to your country, you terrorist? My answer is... uncomfortable. Many truths of the world are uncomfortable...

MIT Admitted Essay

Her baking is not confined to an amalgamation of sugar, butter, and flour. It's an outstretched hand, an open invitation, a makeshift bridge thrown across the divides of age and culture. Thanks to Buni, the reason I bake has evolved. What started as stress relief is now a lifeline to my heritage, a language that allows me to communicate with my family in ways my tongue cannot. By rolling dough for saratele and crushing walnuts for cornulete, my baking speaks more fluently to my Romanian heritage than my broken Romanian ever could....

UPenn Admitted Essay

A cow gave birth and I watched. Staring from the window of our stopped car, I experienced two beginnings that day: the small bovine life and my future. Both emerged when I was only 10 years old and cruising along the twisting roads of rural Maryland...

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Mastering the CMU Supplemental Essays: 2023-2024 Admissions Cycle

ello, future Tartans! If you're eager to join the innovative community at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), it's crucial to ace their supplemental essays. Let's discuss the specific advice on how to best approach them.

CMU requires one general essay and three short answer prompts. Each school under CMU may also have specific prompts.

General Essay (250-300 words)

• Please submit a one-page, single-spaced essay that explains why you have chosen Carnegie Mellon and your particular major(s), department(s) or program(s).

This essay calls for specificity. Why CMU? Why this particular program? Your reasons should go beyond CMU's reputation or ranking.

Example: "CMU's Computer Science program is renowned for its focus on practical application. As someone passionate about cybersecurity, the opportunity to learn in an environment that values hands-on experiences like the Build18 festival is appealing. I am particularly interested in Professor X's research on IoT security and would be thrilled to contribute to it."

Short Answer Questions (1-2 sentences)

• List the books (if any) you've read this year for pleasure.
• Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
• What or who has influenced you to apply to Carnegie Mellon?

The short answers test your ability to be concise and impactful. The first question reflects your intellectual curiosity. The second question is about your sense of belonging and identity, and the third question is about your motivation.

For the book list, choose a diverse set of books that reflect different interests. For the community question, choose a community that has significantly shaped your experiences or values.

School-specific Prompts

The additional essay(s) for specific schools vary, but all demand you to illustrate your commitment and suitability to the chosen field of study. For example, the School of Drama asks for a two-page essay describing your career goals and how CMU can help you achieve them.

In these essays, detail any relevant experiences (internships, workshops, school clubs), discuss your passion for the field, and explain why the particular program at CMU aligns with your career goals.

Example: "Working backstage in high school theatre ignited my passion for stage management. The School of Drama's Stage and Production Management Program offers a mix of practical training and theoretical knowledge I need to transition from a high school setting to larger, professional productions. I am particularly excited about the program's collaboration with Pittsburgh theatres."

In all responses, be authentic and specific, and ensure your passion for your field of study and for CMU shines through. Best of luck, future Tartans!

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August 17, 2021

Carnegie Mellon University 2021-2022 Essay Prompts

Carnegie Mellon University has released its 2021-2022 admissions essay prompts for applicants to the Class of 2026. In total, CMU asks applicants to respond to three essay prompts. Each essay prompt has a 300-word maximum. So how many words should applicants to CMU’s Class of 2026 write in each essay? That’s right. As close to 300 as possible (if not 300). Applicants to our nation’s elite universities should always use all of the real estate they are given to make their case. And what are Carnegie Mellon ’s three essay prompts this year? Wonder no more!

The first CMU essay prompt reads, “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?” The second essay prompt reads, “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?” And the third essay prompt reads, “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).”

Have a question about the Carnegie Mellon University 2021-2022 essay prompts? Let us know your question by posting it below. We look forward to hearing from you!

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How to Write Carnegie Mellon University’s Essays 2018-2019

See our updated 2019-2020 guide here . 

With its application pool rising to record highs and an acceptance rate that keeps dropping (2017 saw a 10.8% acceptance rate spanning its seven colleges), Carnegie Mellon University is amongst the most selective institutions of higher education in this country. As the university becomes more selective, its supplemental essays provide an increasingly vital opportunity for you to differentiate yourself from the pack.

For the 2018-2019 admissions year, CMU has announced that it will be using three entirely new prompts. This is your chance to show them something they’ve never seen before! Below, we’ll go into detailed explanation of what the prompts are asking—with tips, hints, and examples provided to ensure that you stand out.

Want to learn what Carnegie Mellon University will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take? Here’s what every student considering Carnegie Mellon University needs to know.

Carnegie Mellon University Supplemental Essay Prompts

Prompt #1: “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 words).

What CMU has done here is take a standard question— why this major —and ask it in a manner that will make you answer it a certain way. While the typical ‘why this major’ prompt gives students the freedom to focus on the past or future (i.e. how you developed an interest or what you plan to do with the major), this version of the question is asking you to focus on the former.

A successful execution of this prompt will:

1) elaborate on the path that led you to choose your major and

2) show the adcom why you deserve to pursue this major at their school.

The latter doesn’t necessarily need to be explicit. If you can do part one while showing drive, curiosity and all those good things that adcoms love to see, consider part two completed as well. Let’s dive in.

There are essentially two methods for completing this prompt. The first is a narrative arc or anecdote. If there’s a moment where you said to yourself “this is going to be my major,” that could be a great story to tell! Perhaps you were in a robotics competition and after weeks of toiling, your robot finally moves. And that’s when you knew, you knew beyond a shadow of doubt, this was the path you needed to pursue.

Here’s what telling that story does. First, it shows tenacity—even after weeks of failure, you didn’t give up. Second, it shows innovation. And third, CMU just happens to be known for offering a robotics major, so even without being explicit, you just told the adcom exactly why you belong at CMU!

Stories are a great method for drawing in your reader and creating pathos. The trick, however, is to not get so caught up in the narration that you fill your 300 words without actually saying anything. If you’re going the anecdote route, ask yourself the following questions:

Did I answer the prompt?

Does the story I just told show why I’m passionate about the major I’ve chosen?

Have I showed that CMU is the right place for me?

Don’t say you want to pursue a major in underwater basket-weaving if CMU doesn’t offer that (just an example, but you get the idea).

Do mention, either briefly or implicitly, how CMU would allow you to continue pursuing and developing your passion.

If you can honestly answer yes to those questions, then you’re all set! Let’s move on to the second method of answering this prompt. I call it the brag sheet method.

You may not be able to fully answer the prompt with just one moment or story. That’s okay! Not everyone has that kind of story to tell. An alternative is to briefly list key moments, progressions, or accomplishments leading up to your decision. Here’s an example:

“From writing short stories as a seven year old to winning my first prose contest in high school, creative writing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.”

Unlike the narrative arc method, this example is neither a story nor a specific event. Instead, it shows how creative writing has been pivotal to my life for years. Though arguably less compelling than a story, this method has the bonus of demonstrating growth, long-term commitment, and development. Being that CMU is one of the only universities to offer a BA in creative writing, it also shows why I’m applying.

This same method will work if you choose to talk about who or what inspired you. However , this comes with a warning. If you choose to talk about a person or work that inspired you, ensure that you don’t only write about said person or work. If the adcom learns more about the Pulitzer prize winner whose work inspired you than they do about you and your work, reassess!

Prompt #2 “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 words)

This prompt is a gift. Within the confines of the word limit, the options are endless. This is your chance to show the adcom exactly what makes you so special. But don’t get bogged down by the possibilities! So how do you know what’s worth writing about?

Is there something you mentioned on your Common App that you feel the need to elaborate?  This should not be even remotely similar to the subject of your personal statement. Think of your essays as a portfolio; they should be complimentary without being redundant.   For example,  if your passions are science and wildlife, and your personal statement is about wildlife, make this prompt about science.

Is there something you haven’t been able to mention anywhere that you’re dying to mention?  Let your personality shine through. Whether your passion of choice is volunteering with animals, taking apart computers, or almost anything else, it can have a place in this prompt. However, it shouldn’t be so random that it doesn’t say anything about you as an applicant.

Here’s a good idea: “ I collect postcards from all over the world because I love learning about new cultures.”

See how this paints a picture of a student eager to learn and expand their horizons?

Now here’s a bad idea: “I like watching Netflix in my free time.”

Does that tell the adcom something that helps them envision a contributing member of the CMU community?

Neither of the above? Just write about something you love. If you have a topic that you could talk about for hours, then here’s your place. 

Note: this has to be entirely different than your answer for the previous prompt.

The scoop : use this as an opportunity to show your personality and your passion.

The caveat: don’t get overwhelmed by the possibilities. Narrow in on something pivotal to what makes you you, and make sure it still shows CMU why you’re a fit.

The ideal : if you have a story, accomplishment, or passion that shows you possess drive, an entrepreneurial spirit, or a similar embodiment of the CMU spirit, here’s the place to prove it.

What not to do: Don’t be redundant. If you’ve already said it in another CMU essay or in your personal statement, don’t say it again.

Prompt #3: “When we’re connected to others, we become better people,” said Carnegie Mellon University’s Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture. At Carnegie Mellon you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse community of scholars, artists and innovators. Given the students, faculty, staff and resources that have been available to you as a student, how have you collaborated with others, in or out of the classroom? Or, what lessons have you learned from working with others in the past, that might shape your experiences in the future? (300 words)

This prompt is clearly one CMU values highly. They give you an additional 50 words, provide an introduction for the prompt, and attach more than one question. Spoiler: they care a lot about your answer.

Let’s break down what this prompt is really asking because there are a lot of extra words.

• How have you demonstrated teamwork, be it in or out of the classroom?
• What did you gain from that experience?
• How will this experience impact your teamwork in the future?

The overarching goal for this essay is to prove to CMU that you deserve their “diverse community of scholars, artists, and innovators.” They’re proud of their network. Why do you deserve to be a part of it? If offered access, what do you have to offer to their collaborative environment? These are all implicit questions, meaning they may not outright ask them, but they secretly want them answered.

The only efficient way to ensure you account for all aspects of the prompt is to focus on one instance or example. Whether this is a long-term commitment (the teamwork you’ve encountered while playing football for the last four years) or one specific event (the time your group was falling behind on a school project, so you helped delegate roles to pull everyone together), the idea is the same. But don’t just start listing stuff.

Here’s the format your essay should follow (and for clarity’s sake, I’ll continue with the previous example):

The challenge : Regardless of whether you’re choosing the long-term or specific instance, your essay will be much stronger if you describe a challenge that had to be overcome. For example, you’ve been assigned to a group for a school project. The deadline is in a week, your group has communicated very little, and everyone seems to be inefficiently doing their own thing.

The solution: Solve your challenge using teamwork. Bonus: try to show leadership qualities!  You realize your group needs to work together, so you get everyone together and delegate roles to get things done. With everyone working on a role that caters to their unique talents, the project comes together.

The takeaway: What did you learn from the experience?  I learned that communication and teamwork allowed our finished product to be so much stronger than it otherwise would have been.

The future: How will you apply the takeaway to the future? Don’t be afraid to make it CMU specific! In fact, this is a great opportunity to throw in a few sentences of ‘why CMU.’

Example:  “CMU is constantly collaborating with leading companies, amongst them Sony and CH Robinson, to create results that would otherwise not be possible. In this environment, I would use my own talent for robotics and seek complimentary talents to push the limits of what I can achieve.”

The more specific you can be here, the better. Specific to you and specific to CMU.

Be aware that the above scenario is a very generic scenario. You will create a much stronger essay by using this space to share an example specific to you. Whether this is the time you entered a design competition with a group of friends or painted a city mural with your art club, just make sure it’s pretty specific to you! If it’s a situation that can apply to every high schooler in the world, definitely reassess.

So, there you have it! At the end of the day, you want your essays to answer the prompts in a way that screams ‘you.’ The more personality and you-ness in the essays, the better.

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Hey, I'm preparing to apply to Carnegie Mellon University in the upcoming admissions cycle. Does anybody have information on the essay prompts for the CMU application?

You're in luck - CollegeVine has a blog post which not only lists Carnegie Mellon's essay prompts, but also breaks down each one and explains how to write an effective response: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-carnegie-mellon-essays/.

Also keep in mind that CollegeVine offers both a free peer essay review service and paid reviews by expert college admissions advisors - sometimes, a second set of eyes is just the thing your essay needs to go from good to great.

Good luck with your application! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.