How to Get Into Carnegie Mellon: Acceptance Rate & Strategies

Carnegie Mellon University admissions: introduction

Are you considering applying to Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)? You're in good company! In the last application cycle, more than 34,000 students applied.

Keep reading to learn about acceptance rates for each round of applications, the GPA and standardized test scores that will make you competitive, tips for applying, and more.

It's a lot to keep track of. If you'd like some help navigating the application and admission process, I'd be delighted to work with your family! You can book a one-on-one consultation here and sign up for online classes here.

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Bottom line up front

In case you're here just to see the numbers, here they are:

• Overall acceptance rate: 11.3%

• Regular-decision acceptance rate: 11.12%

• Early-decision acceptance rate: 12.52%

• Transfer acceptance rate: 7.33%

• SAT composite: 1500-1560

• SAT EBRW: 720-770

• SAT Math: 770-800

• ACT composite: 34-35

• ACT Math: 33-36

• ACT English: 34-35

How hard is it to get admitted to Carnegie Mellon?

Pretty tough, candidly. Carnegie Mellon University's overall acceptance rate is about 11%, which means most students should consider it a "reach" school. To learn more about choosing safety, target, and reach schools, take Clarke College Insight's online course on "making the list." And read on for more specific admission statistics for men, women, early and regular decision rounds, and transfer applicants.

Carnegie Mellon admissions statistics

For first-year students entering in the fall of 2022, the overall acceptance rate was 11.3%. The overall acceptance rate for women was 14.73%, and the overall acceptance rate for men was 9%. Those acceptance rates include all rounds of admission, early and regular.

Carnegie Mellon regular decision acceptance rate

The regular decision acceptance rate, excluding applicants who applied in the early-decision round, was 11.12%.

Carnegie Mellon early decision acceptance rate

The early decision acceptance rate was 12.52%. Applying early decision means you commit to attend that college if admitted. Many colleges, including Carnegie Mellon, let in early-decision applicants at higher rates because they want to let in applicants who will go on to enroll.

The proportion of admitted applicants who go on to enroll is called "yield," and colleges try to boost it. Crucially, a higher yield number means colleges will tend to pay less to borrow money. You can see why early-decision applicants get a leg-up!

Carnegie Mellon transfer acceptance rate

For transfer students entering in the fall of 2022, the overall transfer acceptance rate was 7.33%. The transfer acceptance rate for women was 8.25%. The transfer acceptance rate for men was 6.81%.

How hard is it to get off the waitlist?

Here at Clarke College Insight, we advise students to consider getting off the waitlist in the same way they might think of winning the lottery. It would be nice if it happened, but it isn't something to count on.

Carnegie Mellon's waitlist admission statistics demonstrate the wisdom of this advice. Of the applicants who accepted places on the waitlist, 0.92% were admitted.

What is a good GPA for Carnegie Mellon University?

The average high school GPA of CMU freshmen in the fall of 2022 was 3.9. If your GPA is lower than that, applying to Carnegie Mellon can still be a prudent choice -- if your SAT score is on the higher end of the college's middle 50. This statistic is described below.

What is a good SAT/ACT score for Carnegie Mellon University?

Comparing your SAT or ACT scores against those of the "middle 50" of colleges you're interested is a crucial step in deciding whether it's worth your time to apply.

What is the middle 50? In statistics, another term for this range is the interquartile range: the range between the 25th and 75th percentiles. That may sound intimidating, but it's an easy concept to grasp once someone explains it to you.

The middle 50 range for test scores tells us what the middle half of enrolled students got on the test. That means a quarter of enrolled students got lower scores, and a quarter got higher scores.

Here are the middle 50 ranges for Carnegie Mellon.

• SAT composite: 1500-1560

• SAT EBRW: 720-770

• SAT Math: 770-800

• ACT composite: 34-35

• ACT Math: 33-36

• ACT English: 34-35

If your scores are in those ranges, Carnegie Mellon could be a good option for you. If your test scores fall below those ranges, it's probably best not to put Carnegie Mellon on your list, unless you're a recruited athlete or related to a major donor.

Tips for applying to Carnegie Mellon University

To get into Carnegie Mellon, you need to meet its academic threshold and stand out in a good way among other applicants.

1. Aim to have an appealing high school transcript ready before fall semester of senior year. Specifically, aim to take as many AP, IB, or community college classes as you can, within reason, and get good grades in them. To find out what "within reason" means and strategies to achieve that attractive transcript with minimal stress, take my online class on academics.

2. Send in ACT or SAT scores! Even at test-optional colleges like Carnegie Mellon, score-submitters generally get in at higher rates. At CMU, 70% of the last incoming class had submitted test scores--a statistic that reveals admissions officers' preferences. To find out the evidence-based way to achieve the highest score possible on standardized tests--with minimal stress and hassle and without taking time and attention away from schoolwork--take my online class.

3. Choose extracurriculars that are likely to fill a talent gap on campus and focus on just a few. Aim to be specialized rather than well-rounded. For the full checklist of traits that will let you choose extracurriculars that you AND admissions officers will like, take my online class on extracurriculars.

4. Visit campus if you can, ideally some time when classes are in session. Arrange your visit through the admission office, or at least mention it to them by email, and try to meet with a student group and a professor of interest. Take notes and use them to write a compelling essay about why you like Carnegie Mellon in particular. Those college-specific details are a great way for prospective students to show that they're likely to enroll if admitted.

5. Give your recommendation letter writers plenty of lead time, so no subconscious resentment about a last-minute hassle bleeds into their prose. The end of junior year is best. Equip them with brag sheets that do most of the work for them and show off your best traits.

6. If your family can afford to pay full tuition, and you love this college, consider applying early decision. If you need to consider financial aid offers before picking a college, it may be more prudent to wait until the regular decision round.

   For personalized guidance for your child's goals and strengths, you can book a one-on-one consultation here. I look forward to working with your family!