Carnegie Mellon University Transfer, Acceptance Rate, And GPA Requirements

In 1900, Andrew Carnegie had the idea to set up a vocational school for children of industrial workers who mainly worked in sawmills. At first, it was known as the Carnegie Technical Schools but was later changed to  Carnegie Mellon University  (CMU).  Carnegie Mellon University formerly known as the  Carnegie Institute of Technology was later merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research in 1960. Before this, however, the name was changed to Carnegie Institute of Technology. In 1912, it began to operate as a formal college and its students could earn a degree after four years of study. Let us discuss, Carnegie Mellon University Transfer, Acceptance Rate, And GPA Requirements.

Carnegie Mellon University Transfer, Acceptance Rate, And GPA Requirements

The Mellon Institute of Research on the other hand was established by brothers Andrew and Richard Mellon in 1913 in honor of their father Thomas Mellon. Having stated a brief background of Carnegie Mellon, we would attempt to break down what life is like at Carnegie Mellon University and how to get into the school if you so desire to. The acceptance rate of the college is 17%. As well as the required GPA is  3.84

What is Carnegie Mellon’s Acceptance Rate?

As stated in the introductory paragraph, Carnegie Mellon was a merger of the Carnegie Institute of Technology and Mellon Institute of Research. Carnegie Mellon might not be an ivy league institution, but we can affirm that it is one of the best institutions in the United States by certain standards. Carnegie Mellon is known for its groundbreaking, research principles and is a pioneer in the area of technology. At a point in time, Carnegie Mellon University ranked third among institutions that received funding from the defense department. Just after the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and John Hopkins University. Carnegie Mellon is also known for its pioneering departments in the area of technology. Specifically, the area of technology, Artificial Intelligence like robotics, computer language, and computer engineering were firsts at Carnegie Mellon University. It is also considered a forerunner in the field of administrative science. Carnegie Mellon is also artistic as it is the first university to properly build a drama department. Furthermore, a look at the top schools in the country shows that Carnegie Mellon University is perched at number twenty-five 

With regards to its student acceptance rate, Carnegie Mellon University has been placed in the “most selective” category with a 17% acceptance rate. This means that for every 100 students who apply to Carnegie Mellon, only 17 are accepted, a high level of selectivity indeed. This is because Students who aspire to attend  Carnegie Mellon have to prove to the admissions board that they deserve a place at the institution, they might have to present grades, past academic records, or SAT scores to show their worthiness.

What Grade Point Average (GPA) does Carnegie Mellon Accept?

Students aiming to study at Carnegie Mellom University should possess a G.P.A of 3.84/4.00 or higher. This places Carnegie Mellon as a top-selective University. Asides from a 3.84 GPA, aspiring students need to have an SAT score of 1560 or higher with an ACT score of 35. Scoring anything below these scores would reduce an aspirant’s chances of getting into the school. There are already a lot of students with high GPAs and SAT/ACT scores, thus you would need to stand out from amongst the crowd in your applications. Having a low GPA or SAT/ACT score already puts you at a disadvantage. Asides from possessing high grades, the admissions board at Carnegie Mellon University would also consider an applicant’s extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and personal statement. So, this might be the time to take those extracurricular activities seriously as it might just be what would make your application stand out from others.

How To Transfer to Carnegie Mellon University? 

There are many reasons why people transfer from one University to another. It could be because of a change in location, a desire for higher academic standards, or probably an ugly event at your previous school. Whatever your reason for transferring is, we want you to understand that you are not alone. About 700,000 college students in the United States transfer from one college to another. About 1.07% of the student body at Carnegie Mellon transferred into the school. However, you can’t just breeze in and be declared a student of Carnegie Mellon University, there are certain requirements that must be presented and evaluated before you would be granted a spot at Carnegie Mellon University. They are:

1.  Your High School Transcript

2. Previous College Transcript 

3. Standardised Test Scores like SAT/ACT.

4. Essay or personal statement.

5. A statement of good standing from your prior institution.

6. Interview.

To be able to transfer to Carnegie Mellon University, you would need a GPA of 3.99 an SAT score of 1460 and must have completed a minimum of 12 units of academic work at your previous institution. Honestly, transferring to Carnegie Mellon University is not an easy one with its transfer acceptance rate benched at 7.1 percent. So if you are quite keen on transferring to Carnegie Mellon University, you would have to put your best foot forward and ensure that you stand out among other candidates. Not surprisingly, Carnegie Mellon receives transfer requests during the semester. Its fall transfer deadline usually falls in mid-February while its spring transfer deadline is in October. 

Academic Life at Carnegie Mellon University 

Carnegie Mellon University currently has seven colleges which include:

1. The School of Computer Science

Founded in 1988, the School of Computer Science has grown to be one of the finest faculties for the study of computer science in the United States. The school of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon is known for its pioneering departments in the field of robotics and machine learning in the United States. The Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science has made further advancements in the area of computer networks, software engineering, algorithms, distributed systems, parallel processing, computational biology, robotics, programming languages, human-computer interactions, and language technologies. Its members of faculty have also won notable awards and prizes such as the A.M Turing award and are members of fellowships like the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Engineering amongst others.

2. College of Engineering

The Carnegie Mellon College of Engineering traces its roots back to Andrew Carnegie’s founding of the Carnegie Technical School. It is the university’s academic college for engineering research Wand education. Established in 1905, the first students of Carnegie Mellon College of engineering took their classes at uncompleted buildings. It began granting two and three-year degrees to the wards of Pittsburgh working class. The college of engineering was a two-part institution that was unified to become what it is today. Today, the Carnegie Mellon College of Engineering has seven departments and is ranked No.4 nationally. The student population of almost 4000 students spread across undergraduate, master’s and doctoral sections are managed by its faculty of 207 who have conducted extensive research in the engineering field and has been recognized by the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Science Association.

3. Mellon College of Science

The Mellon College of Science was named after the Mellon family and was established in 1967 when the Carnegie institute Of Technology and the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research was merged. It is interesting to know that the Carnegie Mellon College of Engineering and School of Computer Science were split off in 1970 and 1988 respectively from the Mellon College of Science. The Mellon College of Science offers Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematical Sciences, and Physics degrees to its students. The Mellon College of Science is also affiliated with external academic centers such as the Pittsburgh Supercomputing center.    The Mellon College of Science has also produced notable persons such as Walter Kohn who was a professor at the Carnegie Institute of Technology and won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1998, and Otto Stern another professor, who won the 1943 Nobel Prize in Physics, John L. Hall a former Carnegie student won the Nobel Peace Prize in Physics (2005). Mellon College of Science has its award known as the Dickens award.

4. Tepper School of Business

     The school caters to the entrepreneurial side of Carnegie Mellon University. Founded in 1949 by William Larimer Mellon, the school was renamed after its alumnus David Tepper who donated a record $55 million to the school in 2004. The school grants a proper 4-year undergraduate degree which emphasizes solving problems rationally and quantitative decision making. The structure of its Master of Business Administration (MBA) program is strikingly different as it places more emphasis on Academic experience over professionally oriented courses. Students are required to choose two areas of specialization from Accounting, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Marketing,  Business Technology, International Business, Operations Management, Graphic Communication, Leadership, and Organisational Effectiveness amongst others.  Several Nobel Prize-winning Economists have been associated with the school such as Dale Mortenson, Merton Miller, Herbert A. Simon, Finn Kydland, Robert Lucas, and Edward Prescott amongst others.

5. College of Fine Arts

The Carnegie Mellon College of Fine Arts was established in 1900 alongside the other three colleges of the Carnegie Institute of Technology. The school oversees the department of Music, Architecture, Drama, Design, and Art. The College of Fine Arts seeks to educate its students on arts with a broader view. This enables the students to combine disciplines from the College of Fine Arts with other colleges within the University. Furthermore, the college’s buildings are situated in a prime artistic location. It is situated close to the Carnegie Museum of Art, Hillman Library, Frick Fine Arts Building, and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History amongst others. The College of Fine Arts alumni have vigorously evolved innovations, tools, techniques, and information systems in their trained professions. They have also written, published, and lectured broadly. The College of Fine Arts actively contributes to the artistic life of the University through various events consisting of theatre performances, film and media presentations, concerts, and exhibitions.

6. Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Science

    In 2011, The Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Science was named after William S. Dietrich’s mother, a former chairman of Dietrich industries who donated $265 million to the school. The Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Science has been praised as America’s most creative general education program The college currently oversees seven departments, one institute, and four multidisciplinary programs as it requires students to offer a course or two.  Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences provides Philosophy, Psychology, English, and  Social and decision studies among others.

7. Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy.

The Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy is a member of The Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection, caucus leadership of schools. It also co-founded the MetroLab Network. In1965, Richard Mellon and his wife laid the structure for establishing their school to train leaders who would focus majorly on public affairs. In 1968, talks were finalized for the School of Public Affairs. With various propositions and talks finalized, it was time for action, and the school was established within the same year. In 1992, the school acquired a large sum of money from Teresa Heinz, the wife of the late John Heinz III, a Pennsylvanian senator. The school was subsequently named after him. The school is currently ranked 14 among schools of public affairs.

In conclusion,

Carnegie Mellon University is known internationally with campuses on varying continents all around the world. Some of these include its campus in Qatar; its education city specifically. Different reactions have trailed the establishment of an American University in the core middle east. However, that is another article to write about.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Carnegie Mellon an Ivy League school?

    The ivy league schools consist of Brown, Harvard, Dartmouth, Cornell, Yale, Princeton, Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania, of which Carnegie Mellon is not a part.

2. What course is Carnegie Mellon known for?

    Carnegie Mellon is known for its Computer Science program.

3. Is Carnegie Mellon a prestigious University

Carnegie Mellon currently sits at number 25 in national universities