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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.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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Carnegie Mellon University Supplemental Essay Examples

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Is Carnegie Mellon University on your college list?

Located in Pittsburgh, CMU offers strong academic programs in both the arts and sciences, attracting top students all over the world to apply. Carnegie Mellon has seven undergraduate colleges you can study in:

• College of Engineering
• College of Fine Arts
• Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Mellon College of Science
• Tepper School of Business
• H. John Heinz III College of Information Systems and Public Policy
• School of Computer Science

Carnegie Mellon is well known for their undergraduate engineering programs and their entrepreneurial teachings, but they also have a strong arts program and an architecture program, which isn’t offered at all universities.

Interested in applying to CMU? Carnegie Mellon’s application calls for an additional writing supplement, asking students to elaborate on why they want to attend. Here are 5 successful examples for you to learn more about what the college offers, and how to best approach the “Why us?” supplemental essay:

Essay Excerpt 1

Thicctartan

Mechanical Engineering, CMU ‘21

“My face lit up as I moved my mouse over and clicked “run” to watch my days of work unfold before me. I had meticulously reconstructed my hometown of Pittsburgh to the best of my memory, but this time with a twist. The player has to navigate through the street of downtown to Heinz Field to beat both the clock and a pack of brain-hungry zombies. As I loaded up Alice each day to perfect this game, I took notice of the school in the corner: Carnegie Mellon University. As I continue to develop over the years, I kept finding myself drawn to the school, traces of it appearing everywhere.”

Unlock his Carnegie Mellon profile to read his full essay and his application advice.

Essay Excerpt 2

Eliotdexter

Computer Science, CMU ‘19

“One of the reasons Carnegie Mellon appeals to me is because it is an urban campus and is intertwined with the city of Pittsburgh. On my visit to the campus for Sleeping Bag Weekend, I was quite impressed with the school and pleasantly surprised by the city of Pittsburgh. I attended presentations on both engineering and computer science. I am torn on which discipline appeals to me more, thus i am considering a double major. Although I have had more exposure to computer science, I am also very interested in the type of work that electrical engineers do.”

View his full Carnegie Mellon profile to learn more about his application!

Essay Excerpt 3

Computer Engineering, CMU ‘21

“”El Circulo” is what first got me interested in Carnegie Mellon University. It’s a course at the Department of Modern Language designed to help Latino children keep in touch with their culture. I am Cuban, and though Spanish was my first language, I’ve struggled with my ethnic identity. My skill with Spanish has fluctuated as a result, but I’m resolved to never lose that part of me. Spanish connects me to a whole other plethora of cultures, all unique in their own ways, and maintaining that connection is important to me. When I heard about “El Circulo”, I immediately thought of Coder Dojo, an educational platform for teaching computer science to children.”

Check out his successful Carnegie Mellon application to see his essays and advice.

Essay Excerpt 4

Computer Science, CMU ‘21

“In the sweltering heat of a Pittsburgh summer, I found myself sitting in one of the cool, air-conditioned classrooms in Wean Hall, quietly working with four other students to design our first ever video game. Having the opportunity to participate in one of Carnegie Mellon’s pre-college programs, the National High School Game Academy, I was overjoyed to be able to call this my home for the next six weeks. When I sat in the packed auditorium on opening day, I could not wait to meet the dozens of students who had the same shining eyes as I did, eager to learn and eager to create.”

Unlock her CMU profile to see her full application!

Essay Excerpt 5

Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering, CMU ‘19

“I visited Carnegie Mellon twice—once last winter for a tour and information session, and again in October for a Sleeping Bag weekend. These visits opened my eyes to the incredible experience CMU provides. I sat in on Professor Conrad Zapanta’s Biomedical Engineering lab, peering over the shoulders of seniors as they experimented on muscle cells and explained their research to me.”

View her CMU application file to learn more about her application journey.

Hope this was helpful for those considering applying to CMU this fall! Interested in reading these students’ full personal statements in addition to their full responses to the CMU supplemental prompts? Unlock all of them in one go with our  CMU Package !

You can also find more general tips to help you put together your  supplemental essays . Additionally, you can now search by  supplemental essay topics  on our search page. Or, you can check out our  curated packages  to find what you’re looking!

For further access, upgrade to our  premium plans  offer different levels of profile access and data insights that can help you get into your dream school.

About The Author

Frances was born in Hong Kong and received her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University. She loves super sad drama television, cooking, and reading. Her favorite person on Earth isn’t actually a member of the AdmitSee team - it’s her dog Cooper.

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Undergraduate Catalog

School of design courses, about course numbers:.

Each Carnegie Mellon course number begins with a two-digit prefix that designates the department offering the course (i.e., 76-xxx courses are offered by the Department of English). Although each department maintains its own course numbering practices, typically, the first digit after the prefix indicates the class level: xx-1xx courses are freshmen-level, xx-2xx courses are sophomore level, etc. Depending on the department, xx-6xx courses may be either undergraduate senior-level or graduate-level, and xx-7xx courses and higher are graduate-level. Consult the Schedule of Classes each semester for course offerings and for any necessary pre-requisites or co-requisites.

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We want to learn more about what makes you unique.

Here’s what you need to know to apply.

Early Decision

Regular decision.

what you need to make

1. short video.

Create a video that shows and tells us something about who you are and what you care about, i.e., your passions, interests outside of school, a meaningful experience, or other. And, tell us what excites you about potentially studying at the School of Design. Guidelines You may use any device, from your phone to webcam, with no need for fancy editing. Video should be no more than 90 seconds or else it will NOT be reviewed. Video will be uploaded to SlideRoom as one of the slides.

2. Portfolio of Creative Work

Showcase your best creative work in 2-D or 3-D up to 18 “slides.” Include at least one slide that shows us how you think through ideas during your creative process. You might need to compile sketches and notes from multiple pages in your sketchbook to communicate this effectively. Guidelines You have up to 18 slides to submit samples of your work. Each slide can have one or multiple images on that slide. You can also create slides in PDF format but multiple page PDF files within a single slide will NOT be reviewed. Digital files (videos, animations, etc.) should not exceed 2 minutes or else they will NOT be reviewed. You may submit a 2-minute clip of a longer piece and tell us that it is an edited sample. You are encouraged to include examples of drawings but need to be creative in how you communicate content within the 18 image limit. You can include any creative medium like, but not exluded to, 2-D and 3-D design, drawing, painting, mixed-media, sculpture, photography, videos, or animations. For each piece, answer all the SlideRoom information prompts including:     - Was it a class or self-directed project?     - If a class project, what was the prompt?     - If a self-directed project, what inspired you?     - Was it a team or individual project? If a team project, what did you do?

uninspired?

Here are some portfolio tips and a years worth of creative prompts , one for each week, that might help

more questions?

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Portfolio & Apply

Admissions to the School of Art is based on a holistic approach that considers your portfolio of artwork, academic record, extracurricular activities, recommendations, and personal statements.

While your portfolio should demonstrate technical proficiency, we are most interested to see how you use art to express your voice and explore ideas. Portfolios that excite us are those that demonstrate experimentation, risk-taking, and curiosity rather than purely technical studies. Most importantly, we want to get a sense of who you are as a person and creator!

P ortfolio Advice Session

It can be challenging to know what to include when curating your portfolio. At any point in the process, you can meet virtually with our senior admissions officer to get feedback on your artwork, suggestions on putting together the strongest pieces, and support in completing the application.

It is never too early for a portfolio advice session. High school sophomores and juniors can get valuable feedback and recommendations for continued artistic development.

Click here  to schedule an informal 30-minute portfolio advice session before you apply. 

To learn about the other application requirements and deadlines, please visit the Admissions page .

P ortfolio Guidelines

Portfolios should include 12 to 20 images and/or videos of your most recent work that best showcase your ideas, interests, and unique artistic voice. There is no universal recipe for a successful portfolio; in fact, your portfolio should be as unique as you are. Consider what kind of story your portfolio tells about you and your interests, and include works that will give reviewers insight into how you think.

Possible portfolio pieces:

• Art made outside the classroom.
• Pages from your sketchbook.
• Art that shows off your personal view of the world, sense of humor, or interests.
• Social, political, or economic issues
• Humans’ relationship to the natural world
• Personal identity, for example: queer, racial, ethnic, cultural, and gender identities
• Feminist perspectives
• Philosophical, spiritual, or religious exploration
• Other questions of ethics or morality
• Critical takes or reflections on culture and popular culture
• Scientific or mathematical concepts
• 2D images like drawings, paintings, photographs, artist prints, collaged works, zines, and mixed media
• 3D work like sculpture, textile experimentation, and environmental or site-specific installation
• Computer-generated or computer-assisted imagery
• Time-based art such as kinetic sculpture, animation, performance, live-action video, film, and audio works
• Interactive projects, such as a game you programmed yourself, or work made with Arduino, Processing, Unity, or other software

Technical details:

Your portfolio should consist of 12 to 20 recent works. SlideRoom allows you to type in additional details when uploading files. Please include:

• Title of the piece
• Dimensions (length x width x height)
• Mediums used in the piece
• A short written description of the meaning behind the work, any influences or inspiration, or any additional research that went into the making of the piece. If the artwork was made in collaboration with other artists or groups, describe what your specific contribution was to the overall piece.

For images:

• Images should be uploaded as JPGs of approximately 1 MB, or around 1000 pixels on the shortest side. (Do not include very high-resolution images.)
• Do not include picture frames or borders in your images. Your flatwork should fill the digital image completely.
• For sketchbooks, zines, artist books, or other multi-page works, upload as a multi-page PDF (up to 10MB).
• Do not add distracting information such as embedded titles, descriptions, or designed borders to your images. This can make it difficult for reviewers to see and focus on the actual artwork.
• Digital illustrations may be uploaded as a JPEG or TIFF.
• Illustrations with animated elements or short animated GIFs are acceptable.
• 3D models may be submitted as Sketchfab links or videos (see below for video requirements.)

For sculptures, 3D media, and other physical objects:

• Photograph your work with a neutral background, unless the surrounding area is integral to the work (such as an installation that is site-specific and/or interactive).
• For kinetic sculptures or complex installations, consider presenting a 30-second demonstration video in addition to a still image.

For video and sound:

• Videos may be no larger than 250 MB each and should be uploaded in MOV, MP4, WMW, or FLV format.
• Audio files are limited to 30MB each and should be uploaded in MP3 format.
• Video and audio files should be no more than 3 minutes long. If your work is longer, choose an excerpt to present.
• If your video uses a soundtrack (such as a song) by someone else, be sure to credit them.

For interactive projects, such as a game you programmed:

• Document interactive software projects with screen-captured demonstration videos, ideally with narration.
• Documentation videos should be no more than 3 minutes long and under 250MB.
• Note which programming languages you used.

AI Policy in your Admissions Portfolio Submission :

Generative AI is having a transformative and complex impact on creative practices, and we recognize that applicants may use AI in a variety of ways. We value your transparency and ask that you describe whether and/or how you used AI techniques in your application artworks. In particular:

• We expect that you will not misrepresent how an artwork was made. For example, it would be a violation of our academic integrity policy to claim that an artwork was a handmade oil painting, when you actually created it by prompting a generative AI system.
• We do permit you to submit works created with commercial AI tools (such as MidJourney, ChatGPT, etc.), if you feel that the work genuinely represents your creative effort. If you include such works, we ask you to include descriptive information about your tools, choices, and process.

We also welcome unconventional portfolios that include tools or AI-powered artworks you have programmed yourself. Be sure to describe your research as clearly as possible, and mention any libraries you may have used (such as PyTorch, Tensorflow, etc.).

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, cmu design acceptance rate.

Hi, everyone! I'm really passionate about design and I'm looking into Carnegie Mellon's design program. Does anyone have any idea about the acceptance rate for this program? It would really help me better prepare for applications!

Hi there! Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) has a prestigious design program, and it can be quite competitive. While CMU doesn't publish specific acceptance rates for individual programs, it's reasonable to assume that the design program's acceptance rate would be similar to or slightly lower than the overall acceptance rate for the university, which is typically around 15-20%.

To better prepare yourself for applying, focus on maintaining a strong academic record and participating in extracurricular activities related to design. You should also work on building a strong portfolio that showcases your talent and dedication to the field, as the portfolio is a crucial component for CMU's design program application. Additionally, when writing your essays, be sure to convey your passion for design and any personal experiences that have shaped your interest.

In conclusion, the CMU design program is likely to have a competitive acceptance rate. The key to increasing your chances of getting in is to excel academically, create an exceptional portfolio, and craft thoughtful, engaging essays that tell your story.

Good luck with the application process!

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Carnegie Mellon University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide 

Early Decision: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 3

You Have: 

Carnegie Mellon University 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 3 short essays of 300 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s):   Why ,  Short Answer

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?

So many factors go into shaping your educational experience: course selection, professors, classmates, campus culture, even the city where you’ll live. Think through how each of these will affect you and jot down some examples of what you’re looking for in each. Do you value a professor who is accessible via office hours? Do you focus well in a stadium-seating lecture hall? Are you excited to start a small study group for your Shakespeare: Comedies and Romances  literature course? Additionally, do some research on their website and show them that you value what they specifically have to offer. Give them a peek into how you learn and help them visualize you as a thriving student in their community.

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?

This prompt sounds simple enough: describe what you want to study and why you like it so much so that you’re willing to dedicate four years of your life to it (at the very least). While you might be tempted to get technical or poetic in your response, your reader will expect you to connect your intended major with some prior experience and/or passion. In other words, tell a story. Lucky for you, we would have advised you to start with an anecdote anyway. The most personal, memorable essays spring from concrete descriptions of your lived experience. What excites you and why? When was the last time you got drawn down a Reddit rabbit hole – and what was the topic? While you don’t need to drill to the origin of your interest in a given topic, try to zero in on some formative experience: the best TED Talk you ever watched, the first time you spoke to your new friend in ASL, that one time when you shadowed an EMT and saw what it’s like to help people in need! Your story should showcase your unique connection to your chosen course of study. And don’t forget: CMU asks what passion OR inspiration led you to choose this area of study. You can also talk about a particularly powerful book you read or a life-changing experience that set you on this path. Just make sure to use details to bring your story to life.

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).

This prompt is a kind of free for all opportunity. Much like Common App’s prompt #7 , CMU is giving you free reign to write about any topic under the sun. If you’re overwhelmed by all the potential possibilities, don’t fret. Instead take a breath and ask yourself: What doesn’t admissions know about me yet? What do I wish I’d had more space to write about on my resume or activity list? If you’ve written a supplemental essay for another school about a particularly rewarding activity, this is an excellent place to tweak and recycle that essay. Almost any essay that you have already written in response to supplemental essay prompts for other schools will be applicable here, as long as it doesn’t address what you want to study or how you work with others. If you haven’t already drafted any others supplemental essays that would fit here, feel free to seek inspiration in the prompts for other schools (ideally the ones on your list). Worst case scenario, revisit your personal statement brainstorming notes and think about the topics that you almost wrote about. Can you write about any of those memories or stories in 200 words?

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Design at CMU

Optional photo credit © Lorem Ipsum

The School of Design is among the oldest design programs in North America. We are located within Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), a highly ranked tier one research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, celebrated for its unique assembly of colleges of the arts, engineering, sciences, humanities and social science, and public policy.

Studying Design at CMU

At Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design, we approach design education with an emphasis on humanity and sustainable systems. CMU is a top-ranked multidisciplinary research university where design students have access to faculty and resources from a variety of fields, which helps them develop a broad and holistic understanding of design.

Our programs attract students from all over the world, with a variety of backgrounds and interests creating a rich and diverse learning environment where students learn from each other and build strong professional and social networks. Knowing this, our education model incorporates broad perspectives — recognizing that throughout your career it will be essential to work collaboratively across disciplines in fields as varied as journalism, engineering, fine arts, social work, computer science, anthropology, psychology, and business.

The School of Design's alumni go on to some of the most desirable positions in the field, with multinational companies, design firms, and nonprofits. Our graduates enter the field having the mindset and technical and collaborative skills to contribute to identifying today’s real-world problems and opportunities, and respond creatively with innovative propositions and solutions.

Our Degrees

Our degree programs, which consistently rank among the best in the world, are scaled to prepare students at the undergraduate and master’s levels, and the doctoral level where we are one of the few schools in the U.S. offering a PhD in design. (second option for this block below)

Our degree programs, which consistently rank among the best in the world, are scaled to prepare students at the undergraduate and master’s levels, and the doctoral level where we are one of the few schools in the U.S. offering a PhD in design.

CMU design graduates are employed in a wide range of industries, including:

• Consumer goods

They work as designers, researchers, educators, and entrepreneurs at places like (ADD LINKS) Whirlpool, Volkswagen/Audi, Motorola, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Skype, Pinterest, IDEO, R/GA, Isobar, the Mayo Clinic, and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, to name a few.

Throughout its history, the School of Design has led the evolution of design craft, pedagogy, research, practice, and ultimately the discipline. It aspires to continue its impact on the field of design moving forward.

Campus & Student Life

Love where you learn..

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The School of Design is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which is recognized globally as a center of research, education, and technology. Pittsburgh has been named America's most livable city, most affordable city, and safest for walking—and it's among the best cities for young entrepreneurs.

You can walk or bike from campus to world-class museums, libraries, parks, and restaurants. It’s easy to find housing on or near campus, and you can get to know people from around the world with every conceivable interest. Affordable living eases the financial burden of education and enhances the quality of life for our undergraduate and graduate students.

Design students are part of a diverse, intellectually rich community. Carnegie Mellon has been known for ingenuity since it was founded in 1900, and that tradition carries on today.

Live the Studio Life

Design students at Carnegie Mellon are part of a diverse, intellectually rich community. Learn from world-renowned faculty and collaborate with peers from all over the world. Our state-of-the-art studios are open 24 hours a day, giving you the space and time you need to create your best work.

The CMU Experience

Carnegie Mellon offers a vibrant campus experience with over 350 clubs and organizations to serve the academic, social, physical, and spiritual well-being of its student population. CMU students are passionate about their interests, with organizations devoted to everything from athletics to business to board games and music. The University also provides a full range of resources to support its students' academic, financial, health, and technology needs.

Beyond the Classroom

Outside of the classroom, Carnegie Mellon students have ample opportunities to learn about the world of design. They can visit museums like The Warhol, the Carnegie Museum of Art, Fallingwater, and the Mattress Factory. The School of Design hosts the Design Lecture Series, and additional programming across campus brings regular lectures and discussions to promote awareness and critical thinking about the most pressing design, academic, and societal issues of our time. Carnegie Mellon's student chapters of AIGA and IDSA provide opportunities for communication design and industrial design students to learn more about the design profession, form connections, and explore the field.

Each year more than 70 of the country’s top companies attend Confluence, the School of Design’s career event, to tap into our pool of talented graduates. In the weeks leading up to Confluence, our students work closely with faculty advisors to prepare their resumes, portfolios, and interview skills. Students have the chance to speak with prospective employers, discuss their work, and take them on tours around campus.

Confluence - 2024   February 16-17, 2023

Thursday, February 16

• Confluence, 10am-1pm - Margaret Morrison Carnegie Hall
• Creative Arts Career Fair, 2:30-6p - Wiegand Gym, Cohon University Center

Friday, February 17

• Continuing conversations at the discretion of interested employers

If you’ve never attended Confluence before, you might anticipate a typical career fair with booths, students with stacks of resumes, and other normal sites. Confluence, however, is anything but your typical career fair. Instead, students open the door to their studios to showcase their work, talk about what their passions are and how they manifest in their designing, and what they hope to find in full-time or internship opportunities.

Confluence takes place within Margaret Morrison Carnegie Hall with dozens of students excited to engage with employers around design work, career aspirations, and professional opportunities. Employers are welcome to browse our undergraduate and graduate student profiles before and after the event, but Confluence exists to bring seasoned and young professionals together in a hands-on, exciting way. No matter how you meet CMU’s Design students and familiarize yourself with their work, you and your organization won’t regret getting to see what we do here at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Design.

Employer Registration - Confluence Deadline: February 14

Employer Registration - Creative Arts Career Fair Deadline: February 11

Questions? Contact Caedyn Busche from the College of Fine Arts Career and Professional Development Center [email protected]

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

We celebrate our diverse population and are committed to growing and sustaining a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our commitment in the School of Design is to nurture, support, and enable all students, staff, and faculty to develop to their full potential. We value collective strength and difference, while recognizing that the School and the field of design have more work to do to embrace other ways of knowing, doing, and being. 

We recognize the force that design and designers can be in the world, and believe that it is important that we cultivate a culture of inclusive collaboration to grapple with the complex problems facing society today. Understanding and welcoming our differences helps position designers and design to address imbalances, injustices, and inequity in the world.

We commit to ongoing efforts to recruit and retain students, staff, and faculty from all communities, cultures, and backgrounds, and to develop an inclusive curriculum that acknowledges and celebrates diversity.

This work is a living process, and together we will leverage the intellect, talents, and passions of our community to continue learning and taking thoughtful and meaningful actions toward these goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Learn more about DEI within the College of Fine Arts .

We welcome you to reach out if you have any feedback, concerns or questions. You can reach us at [email protected] .

A student, staff, faculty member, third party, or campus visitor may report a Bias Incident to the Office for Institutional Equity via this link .

Underrepresented People who have historically not had representation because of barriers to inclusion. These might include factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexuality, religion, ability, socioeconomic status, culture, age, and/or livelihood, etc.

Diversity At the School of Design, diversity is defined broadly to mean the presence of difference within our contained environments.

Equity Equity recognizes that when people come together in groups, power is unequally distributed. Some individuals have advantages while others have disadvantages. Equity, as a process, is the very intentional approach organizations take to ensure that everyone has access to the same opportunities and that those starting from disadvantage are given the chance to grow, contribute, learn, and develop.

Inclusion Inclusion supports individuals with different identities to feel they belong within the group because they are valued, relied upon, welcomed, and empowered.

Allyship Allyship means showing up to act in solidarity with disempowered peoples without centering yourself or worldview. We need people to do this even if they cannot fully understand what it’s like to be disadvantaged because of race or ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability, class, religion, or other markers of identity.

School of Design Community Faculty, Staff, Students, Researchers, and Alumni

Social Justice Social justice can be defined as the intentional work, policy and practice to promote systemic equality, equity, respect, and the assurance of rights within and between social groups, and communities.

Source for definitions of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: How to Talk about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion By Alida Miranda-Wolff

• Pre-College Programs

Architecture

An intensive program that engages inquisitive high school students in the creative energy and speculative culture of the study of architecture..

Program Overview

In these changing times, Pre-College Architecture responds to challenges regarding practice, communication, and our relationship with the built environment by utilizing a diverse set of tools and techniques, guided by the leadership of the School of Architecture Faculty.   Pre-College Architecture introduces design practice, creative problem solving, and critical thinking to young designers through a matrix of programming, celebrating curiosity and providing a strong foundation for architectural education. Pre-College students will navigate complex design problems, encouraging growth through the development of skills, preparing them for future undergraduate studies.  

Pre-College Architecture is an intensive summer experience for students with a keen interest in architecture.   Over the course of five weeks, Pre-College students will experience the interdisciplinary field of architecture through the lens of Carnegie Mellon’s  School of Architecture  (SOA) as well as contemporary practices. Students will experience the dynamic of architectural education within the studio, supported by integrated coursework in analog drawing, digital media, seminars, and workshops. This approach will allow for broader exploration of design issues related to the environment, technology as well as the future of our cities.

The projects and assignments issued within all courses will increase in complexity as students build upon their newly found technical skills and creativity.  

Pre-College students will begin by working through a series of projects to build a basic comprehension of the fundamental principles of architecture. Students iterate ideas through 2D, 3D, digital, and analog techniques, participating in critique as a central component of the studio experience, with a focus on:

• Building foundational architectural skills, literacy, and confidence
• Analytical thinking
• Conceptual development
• Techniques in representation and spatial articulation

Pre-College students will be expected to both collaborate with their classmates as well as work individually. Seminars, special lectures, and field trips that relate to digital media and fabrication, issues of contemporary practice, and portfolio allow for additional exploration of the architecture profession.

Typical Schedule

Monday - Thursday

• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm: Design, Media, History/Theory Seminars
• 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm: Architectural Design Studio
• 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm: Teaching Assistant help sessions and Open Studio
• Field Trips
• Open Studio

Faculty Highlight: Heather Bizon

She previously held the Ann Kalla Professorship in Architecture with the school from 2018-19. In this role, she taught as part of Dana Cupkova’s third year studio team in the fall 2018 semester. ..  Learn more .

Testimonials

I really enjoyed my experience at CMU this summer. I learned a lot about myself and college life that I will now take with me for my future endeavors. Thank you CMU! ~ Jimmy W., Architecture 2022

The overall Pre-College program experience was great and allowed my student to get a taste of college life, while being able to explore one of the areas he was interested in, but didn't know much about. ~ Anonymous Architecture Parent 2023

Hear more from our students and families HERE !

Eligibility and Application Requirements

Eligibility requirements.

• Be at least 16 years old by the program start date.
• Be a current sophomore or junior in high school at the time of application submission.

Application Requirements

• Completed online application
• Unofficial transcript
• Standardized test scores (optional)
• One letter of recommendation
• Responses to essay prompts
• Identify and describe something about yourself that will help the admission committee determine your potential as a Pre-College Architecture student at Carnegie Mellon University. We are interested in getting to know you in the context of your application.
• This short 30-second video needs no staging or post-production .
• Videos are preferred as a link to Youtube or Vimeo.
• If submitting a file, clips must be under 10MB and saved as .m4v, .mov, .mp4, .wmv, .flv, .asf, .mpeg, .mpg, or .mkv, and you might need to compress the video file prior to uploading.
• 5 to 10 images of your original work in a single PDF file.
• Links to video or audio artwork may be included in the PDF if applicable.

Application Essay Prompts

• What do you hope to gain from participating in Carnegie Mellon's Pre-College Programs?
• Why are you interested in studying architecture?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Pre-College Architecture program challenging?

Pre-College Architecture is an immersive program with the intensive energy and dynamic creative culture of a college-level experience. Design success is largely the result of focused effort and intensity of investigation; students should expect to invest significant time working in the studio with fellow students outside of class (evenings and weekends) to develop and complete project coursework. 

What is unique about the study of architecture?

A progressive interdisciplinary course of study combining design creativity, historical perspective, technical knowledge and innovation, and social responsibility, architecture is a profession that occupies a unique role in the shaping of our built environment. Pre-College Architecture is structured to introduce the discipline of architecture and the study of architecture in a university setting.

What is Design Studio?

Studio is the core of the Pre-College Architecture Program and serves as an introduction to the spatial concepts of architecture. Projects will explore the design and experience of spatial environments through a series of creative investigations consisting of both independent and collaborative work. Studio work focuses on experience and human sensory engagement in physical space; project themes include context, scale, perception, light, materiality, and component systems. Studio work will be supported by individual critique as well as group discussion based upon critical review of student work. The course is focused entirely on project design work while integrating concepts and skills from Drawing and Digital Media as well as workshops and seminar courses.

What skills and techniques will I learn in Digital Media?

Digital Media introduces students to the creative use of digital software and technology in architecture through in-class workshops and lectures. Students will learn the basic skills needed to create, explore and critique digital images, drawings, and three-dimensional environments. As a complement to the design studio, assignments will encourage an active dialogue between design intentions and representational tools. With a focus on Photoshop, Illustrator, and Rhinoceros, skills explored include image editing, color manipulation, line drawings, curves, surfaces and solids, 3D object manipulation, and composite imagery. We provide an intensive introduction to creative software. No previous experience or specific computer skills are required to succeed, although dedication and commitment to the subject is critical for success.

Are there activities specific to Pre-College Architecture outside of class time?

On Fridays, field trips and special projects introduce students to dynamic learning opportunities out in the field. Trips and projects vary from year to year. Past events have included visits to recently completed local architectural projects, building construction sites, museum exhibitions, and workshop experiments in conjunction with the Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture Computational Design and Digital Fabrication Labs. Some evenings and weekends, our teaching assistants hold optional workshops to provide extra help and support for classwork.

Will I earn college credit from this program?

No, Pre-College Architecture students do not earn college credit.

Is there an opportunity for portfolio development?

Work created in Pre-College Architecture may be excellent material to package for your portfolio. 

What supplies will I receive as part of the program?

As part of the program costs, you will be provided materials and tools required for media and design studio. If you need additional supplies, feel free to purchase them from our Art Store once you arrive on campus. 

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