Should you apply to Carnegie Mellon?

travelinspace
Thu, 03 Aug 2017 17:23:33 +0000

Hello friends! I just talked to someone irl about if they should apply to Carnegie Mellon and I thought my experiences might be helpful to the rest of you as well. For reference, I am a rising junior in mechanical engineering.

I think college should be not just about your education, but about your personal development as well. There’s a lot of academic material out there that you can teach yourself for free, so why even go to college? My answer to that is to find a school that not only teaches you the concepts, but a school that teaches you how to think. I think Carnegie Mellon is one of the best places for personal and academic development. To explain, let me tell you about my journey.

In high school, I just skated by on minimal effort. I did really well in high school without even trying, but I always felt like a fraud. I felt guilty all the time because I felt like if I had the motivation to push myself, I could have achieved much more. I loved learning; I just hated school. So I decided to attend Carnegie Mellon.

There were a lot of reasons of “why Carnegie Mellon.” The culture is amazing, the people are interesting and passionate about what they do, we have really quirky traditions, and it’s ranked very highly for almost every program. These all played a role in my decision to enroll. However, the #1 reason why I decided to come to Carnegie Mellon is because I wanted to push myself to my limits. I wanted to see what I was capable of achieving when I was pushed by the school and by my peers. I didn’t want to skate by and be mediocre. I wanted to give myself my absolute best effort, so that I would always be able to say I tried my best and to look back with no regrets. I came to Carnegie Mellon to be the best version of myself that I could possibly be.

Carnegie Mellon has absolutely transformed who I am. It has given me a huge amount of confidence in myself and my abilities. I know how to tackle problems. I know what I’m capable of. I know I can handle anything because of the ten thousand things I juggle at school, but I also know my limits. I’ve learned so much, in and out of the classroom. The phenomenal people I have met here have helped me find what I’m really passionate about. I would not be the person I am today without the guidance and inspiration that I have received at Carnegie Mellon and I’m so grateful for the chance to go here.

So, should you apply to Carnegie Mellon? Definitely check out the school and see the culture and environment for yourself. But I think a fundamental question that you should ask yourself before applying here is: “What do I want to achieve?” I’ve talked to a couple prospective students that want to just coast through college, and Carnegie Mellon is not the right place for that. If you want to take a break after high school, don’t apply to Carnegie Mellon. However, if you want to grow and become the best you absolutely can be, I think Carnegie Mellon is one of the best places possible to do that.

Thank you for taking the time to read this; I hope it was helpful!!! I think this captures the spirit of the school but of course there are a lot more factors that go into a college decision. If you have any questions about student life, the programs, the application process, or anything about the school at all really, please feel free to send me a message and I’m happy to talk to you! Good luck to you all because I know college admissions can be a challenging time.