So, you’re thinking about applying to Carnegie Mellon University, and you’re curious about your chances of admission. There are a lot of factors in the admissions process. However, the most important factors in the admissions game are your GPA and test scores.

With an acceptance rate of 22%, admission to Carnegie Mellon is incredibly competitive. Based on our analysis, to have a good chance of being admitted, you need to be at the top of your class and have an SAT score of close to 1500, or an ACT score of around 32.

Not quite there? Try taking our SAT prep course and you’ll still have a chance of getting in, but it’s in the single digits. Let’s take a closer look at Carnegie Mellon admission statistics.

Carnegie Mellon 2018 Admissions Statistics: Class of 2022

• Carnegie Mellon’s acceptance rate in 108 was 22%
• For the class of 2022, out of 21,189 applicants, Carnegie Mellon admitted 4,601
• The average GPA of admitted applicants was 3.76
• The average ACT score was 32
• The average SAT score was 1490

For students who took the ACT, the 25th percentile score of successful applicants was 31, and the 75th percentile score was 34.

For students who took the SAT, the 25th percentile score was 1430. The 75th percentile score was 1560.

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If you’re somewhere in the middle of these numbers, remember that a high test score can compensate for a slightly lower GPA, and vice versa. If you’re at the lower end, it helps if you’re a diverse applicant, the child of an alum, or have incredible personal achievements. Still, at the 25th percentile, your chances of getting in are in the low single digits.

Other aspects of your application, such as athletics, extracurricular and recommendations, are important, but will likely only make a difference for admission if you’re in the 75th percentile range for your GPA and SAT/ACT scores.

Even if Carnegie Mellon is your dream school, and even if you’re in the 75th percentile, you’ll still want to make sure you apply to a wide variety of schools to ensure you’ll gain admission somewhere.

Generally, you should have:

• Three safety schools (where you are in the 75th percentile of GPA/test scores)
• Three reach schools (where you are in the 25th percentile of GPA/test scores)
• Three target schools (where you are near the average for GPA/test scores)

OK, so you’ve decided to apply. We took a look at Carnegie Mellon’s admissions requirements to help you get everything in order.

2018 Carnegie Mellon Application Requirements: Class of 2022

Here’s a full list of application requirements:

• Fill out the Common Application
• Submit an ACT score or SAT score
• Pay the $75 application fee
• Submit your official high school transcript
• Submit a Secondary School Counselor Evaluation
• Submit a Teacher Recommendation
• Submit a Common Application essay and personal statement

Here are the deadlines that you should be aware of:

• The application deadline is November 1st for Early Action
• The application deadline is January 1st for Regular Decision
• Early Action notifications are released on December 15th
• Regular Decision applicants find out their fates by April 15th

Have you been admitted to Carnegie Mellon? Congratulations! Below is a glimpse of what your classmates will be like.

Carnegie Mellon 2018 Admitted Students Profile: Class of 2022

If you matriculate at Carnegie Mellon, you’ll be joining a diverse class, with students from all over the U.S. and the world, and have a chance to study in dozens of fields.

Here are some interesting facts about the recently admitted class:

• Roughly 53% are male and 47% are female
• 23% of students are international

Carnegie Mellon has a diverse class, as well, with a large number of people of color. The ethnicities of admitted applicants are:

• International: 23%
• Underrepresented minority: 6.6%
• Two or more races: 5.3%
• White: 36%

What do these admitted students plan to study? Carnegie Mellon offers dozens of majors, and students matriculating there pursue a wide number of subjects. Here is a list of some of the top programs:

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• Information Technology
• Business Administration and Management
• Computer Science

Now, how are you going to pay for this?

Carnegie Mellon Tuition Figures

At $67,980, Carnegie Mellon’s cost of attendance is astronomical. Most incoming students receive some form of financial aid, and the average award is $34,632.

Here’s a fuller look at Carnegie Mellon tuition and financial aid in 2017:

• Total budget: $67,980
• Average financial aid package: $34,632
• The average student debt of a Carnegie Mellon graduate is $30,866

Now, what is life like at Carnegie Mellon? Let’s take a look.

Campus Location

Carnegie Mellon’s campus is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, about three miles west of the city’s downtown area.

The campus’ original designed was heavily influenced by the Beaux-Arts architecture style.

Remember, you’re going to Carnegie Mellon for its excellent academics! Below is a look at what academic life will be like.

Carnegie Mellon Academics

Carnegie Mellon has dozens of majors. Some of the school’s more interesting majors are:

• Applied and Professional Ethics
• Business Administration and Management
• Cognitive Science
• Design and Visual Communications
• Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
• Finance
• German Language and Literature
• Industrial and Product Design
• Japanese Language and Literature
• Linguistics
• Marketing
• Neuroscience
• Philosophy
• Psychology
• Systems Science and Theory
• Theoretical and Mathematical Physics

Now, let’s take a look at life outside the classroom at Carnegie Mellon.

Student Life at Carnegie Mellon

Carnegie Mellon has hundreds of student organizations, covering academic interests, creative and performing arts, cultural and racial initiatives, gender and sexuality affinity groups, government and political interests, and various media and publications.

Here’s a sampling of Carnegie Mellon’s student activities:

• 1000plus Day of Service
• ALLIES
• CMU Pool Club
• Game Creation Society
• Pittsburgh Go Association
• Vermillion Anime Club
• Feminists Engaged in Multicultural Matters and Education
• Apex
• Carnegie Involvement Association
• Cosplay@CMU
• Emerging Leaders
• Futurist Club
• Lunar Gala
• MellonHeads
• Partners in Speculative Fiction
• Undergraduate Poker Club
• Artist Alley Club

Are you an athlete? Carnegie Mellon’s got plenty of options for you.

Carnegie Mellon Athletics

Carnegie Mellon offers a large number of intercollegiate sports, with extensive varsity, as well as club, offerings, for both men and women. 

Carnegie Mellon’s sports include:

• Basketball
• Football
• Cross-Country
• Swimming & Diving
• Volleyball
• Hockey
• Track & Field
• Tennis

Who might you become with a Carnegie Mellon degree? Let’s take a look at some well-known and successful alums:

Notable Alums

Carnegie Mellon has produced politicians, business tycoons, entertainers, musicians, media figures, and leaders in dozens of other fields.

Here’s a list of some particularly well-known alums:

• Artist Andy Warhol
• Java inventor James Gosling
• Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Forbes Nash
• Actress Cote de Pablo
• Author Kurt Vonnegut
• IDEO co-founder David M. Kelley
• Intel founder Gordon Moore
• Actress Sutton Foster
• Artist Joyce Kozloff
• Hedge fund investor David Tepper
• Computer scientist Shafrira Goldwasser
• Actor Ted Danson

And this is only a partial list!

Remember!

Getting into Carnegie Mellon is very competitive. Don’t despair if you get a no.

If you have a strong GPA and high test scores, you have a great chance of getting into at least one of the more competitive schools. And if you don’t, remember: where you go is NOT who you are.

If you need to boost your GPA or test scores before application time rolls around, you should consider signing up for a course with Prep Expert. We offer one-on-one tutoring and classes, both in-person and online, at locations throughout the United States.

For more test strategy, college admissions, and scholarship application tips sign up for our FREE class happening right now!