How to Write the Carnegie-Mellon Supplemental Essays (with Examples!) [UPDATED FOR 2024-2025]
Let’s talk about how to write Carnegie-Mellon’s supplemental essays (with guide and examples!)....
How do you write the Carnegie-Mellon (CMU) supplemental essays, Lisa? The essays prompts are all over the place, and I don’t know where to start!
The supplemental essays for Carnegie-Mellon University (sometimes called, “CMU”) are out, and I’m already getting calls for how to start writing them!
It’s no surprise. Carnegie-Mellon is one of the prestigious and most selective engineering schools in the United States. Renowned for its interdisciplinary approach to education, CMU offers a unique blend of rigorous academic programs and innovative research opportunities. With world-class faculty, cutting-edge facilities, and a commitment to innovation, Carnegie-Mellon is at the forefront of technological advancements. As one of the institutions leading the technological revolution, Carnegie-Mellon attracts applications to its uber-prestigious programs in computer science, machine learning (AI), and engineering from every corner of the globe.
Interestingly, Carnegie Mellon University’s Fine Arts programs are also among the best in the country, The School of Drama, one of the oldest and most respected in the nation, offers immersive programs in acting, directing, and design, emphasizing both classical and contemporary techniques. The College of Fine Arts also houses distinguished programs in art, music, and architecture, each known for its interdisciplinary focus and close-knit community which offers intense personal attention to the lucky students who are admitted.
As result, Carnegie-Mellon’s overall acceptance rate is a highly-selective 11%.
On a personal note, Carnegie-Mellon is a school and dear to my heart because it’s where my own brother went to school. I had many fantastic times visiting him while he was there, and I have always been blown away by what CMU offers its students.
Also, if you do end up visiting CMU in Pittsburgh, DO NOT miss the pancakes at Pamela’s! ;)
But now, let’s take a look at Carnegie-Mellon’s supplemental essays. For this year (2024-2025), that Carnegie Mellon’s application includes three supplemental essay prompts…
What Are the Carnegie-Mellon’s Supplemental Essay Prompts for 2024-2025?
Here are Carnegie-Mellon’s supplemental essay prompts for first-year applicants:
The first of Carnegie-Mellon’s supplemental essay prompts is a “Why major?” essay…
Carnegie-Mellon Supplemental Essay #1: The “Why major?” Essay
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)
Carnegie-Mellon Supplemental Essay #2: Your Successful College Experience
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? (300 words)
Carnegie-Mellon Supplemental Essay #3: Highlight Something Important to You
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)
Let’s start unpacking these supplemental essays!
How to Write the Carnegie-Mellon Supplemental Essays: a Breakdown
So where to start with these Carnegie-Mellon supplemental essay prompts?
Well, as all my students know, I first like to take a step back and think about what the college trying to get at with a question before trying to put together an answer.
The reason is because Carnegie-Mellon receives tens of thousands of applications so if they’re asking a question, there has to be a good reason they want to read tens of thousands more essays. If Carnegie-Mellon is asking a question, there’s something specific they want to know about you, something important that’s going to help them say “yes” or “no” to your application.
College Essay Coach Pro Tip: Unlike personal statements prompts which are open to all kinds essays, supplemental essay prompts are asking you about something specific that they want to know about you. Supplemental essay prompts often ask you to tell the admissions committee something about your background, what you plan to do in college, or how you interact with people.
These are not theoretical questions. They actually want to know those specific things about you, so please don’t go off on tangents. You usually only have 150-300 words to answer the question!
Step #1 to acing any supplemental essay prompt is answering the question that the admissions committee is asking!
That being said, let’s look at these specific supplemental essays…
Let’s breakdown the Carnegie-Mellon “Why major"?” supplemental essay (with examples!)
How to Write the Carnegie-Mellon “Why major?” Essay (with an Example!)
As a reminder, here’s the first Carnegie-Mellon supplemental essay prompt:
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)
This is a pretty straightforward “Why this major?” kind of an essay. and a fairly short one at that. If you’re still relatively early in your college essay-writing process, you’ll probably be writing more than a few of these types of essays and if you’ve already been at, you may already have one that’s written that you’ll want to re-use.
Still, let’s take this apart for a minute…
Why Is Carnegie-Mellon Asking for in this Supplemental Essay?
Well, as I’ve said, this is a pretty common and straightforward supplemental essay prompt. In this question, Carnegie-Mellon wants to get an idea of why you’re interested in what you’re saying you want to study.
How did your interest in this subject come about? What are you intellectual motivations and aspirations in this area? What are you curious about? And do you already have an idea of how you’d like to pursue it in college?
How to Write Carnegie-Mellon’s Supplemental Essay #1: Your Passion or Inspiration (Why This Major?)
This is a pretty straightforward question that many colleges ask, and there are 3 key points that you need to make to write a successful essay…
Carnegie-Mellon “Why This Major?" Point #1: Origin of Your Interests
The first question that you need to answer for this supplemental essay is all about you: How did you get curious about this subject?
Tell the origin story of your interest in this topic. And to help you along with this (because the deadlines are approaching!), there are generally 2 ways for this to go:
The first likely possibility is this is something you’ve always been interested in. As long as you can remember, you’ve been interested in this topic. Think:
I’ve been bringing home sick puppies and kittens as long as I can remember. I would patch up their wounds and nurse them back to health and that’s why I want to become a veterinarian…
(Please don’t write that as an essay. It was for illustrative purposes only).
The second likely possibility is that there’s a specific moment in which you knew that this was what your interest was. Think:
… my grandfather suffered a heart attack, and as I was watching the doctors saving her life, I knew my calling in life was to become a cardiologist…
(Again, please don’t write that for your essay).
So, do think back. How did you become interested in this area? Were you the child always starting businesses in your neighborhood that now dreams of going to school to study finance? Was there a moment on a field trip to a NASA lab where you knew you wanted to study aerospace engineering?
What sparked this desire to study this particular subject?
Above all, Carnegie-Mellon needs to know that your curiosity comes from you as opposed to your parents, teachers, coaches, etc.!
Carngie-Mellon “Why This Major?” Point #2: How Have You Pursued the Interest?
Okay, now that you’ve established where your interest comes from and that it comes from you, how have you demonstrated that interest over time?
This could come in a variety of ways: taking college classes, doing research, shadowing professionals, interning and/or paid work, volunteering in the area, organizing a student conference, etc.
What’s important is that you can show that you can show that you’ve put in time developing the interest. It’s not something you thought sounded cool a week ago and/or you’re putting this down as your intended major because you heard it was less competitive.
The final point of answering this Carnegie-Mellon supplemental essay point is how CMU fits in!
Carngie-Mellon “Why This Major?” Point #3: Your Conclusion, The Big Picture vs. How CMU Fits In
After establishing where your interest comes from and how you’re pursued it this far, it’s time to finish off this supplemental essay, and you have two options:
The first way to conclude the essay is by giving he Big Picture: Can you put this into a framework of where this is going?
I often tell students that this is not a question of signing your life away for the next fifty years, but Carngie-Mellon does want to get some sense of how you think of this subject as a whole. For example, is your interest in mechanical engineering leading you to one day working on robotics to help the elderly continue to live in their own homes for longer periods of time?
Or are you interested in biomedical engineering because you think that this is an are that is going to revolutionize medicine?
Whatever it is, think about how your interest fits into the greater scheme of you!
The second option for the conclusion is give a concluding sentence or two of how CMU fits into your continued pursuit of this interest. Think: “CMU would be the ideal place for me to continue my studies because…”
If there something really specific and unique about why CMU is a good fit for your studies, this is the place to mention it! So if Carngie-Mellon is the only place that offers a specific study of natural language processing that you’re interested in or if CMU is one of the only places in the country that has a research lab in this topic that you want to work in one day, this is the place to say something!
Let’s look at an example of the Carnegie-Mellon “Why this major?” supplemental essays…
An Example of the Carnegie-Mellon “Why This Major?” Supplemental Essay:
Here’s an example from one of my students who is currently at Carnegie-Mellon:
I’ve always loved puzzles.
Ever since I was 3 years old, my parents had always bought me jigsaw puzzles. I cherished spending late nights with my mother, visualizing all possible combinations of the pieces until I found one that fit. Finishing a puzzle sparked joy within me; I felt a sense of accomplishment and enthusiasm once a puzzle was completed.
Later on, I expanded expressing my problem-solving side towards mathematics. As I took on more advanced math classes, I grew more fascinated by the subject. I grew fascinated to the point that my school could not satisfy my thirst for mathematics; I began to construct my own problems and attempt to solve them like “how do you find the distance between two points on Earth using only coordinates” and “what is the relationship between a shadow’s area and the position of a light source.”
As I grew older, I discovered the field of engineering: a field which uses mathematics and science to solve real-world issues. I took on engineering classes at my school, learning a variety of skills such as using CAD and creating design sketches. Whenever we had the opportunity to create our own designs, I always seized the opportunity create original solutions to the problems presented.
After my junior year, I jumped on the opportunity to work on a real-world problem with a professor at Cal State Fullerton, helping him design a wearable prosthetic which helps those with reduced leg mobility walk.
Holding the first models of the prosthetic was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and in the moment, I knew that my calling was to apply engineering to solve real-world problems improve the lives of people around me.
Here’s another example of a short “Why this major?” supplemental essay:
I have been passionate about history since childhood. Driving through the French countryside to visit my grandparents as a child, I would imagine what it had been like to be on the battlefield in 1940 or to fight alongside the French Resistance.
Eventually, my curiosity evolved into a deeper exploration of that war: its causes, consequences, and the figures involved. As I started studying history in school, my interest expanded beyond the borders of World War II to the Romans, the Aztecs, the Chinese Civil War, and others.
By the time I was in middle school, my passion for history was insatiable. If there was a book to read, a documentary to watch, or a museum to visit, I did.
When choosing the topic for my International Baccalaureate Extended Essay (EE), I made the decision to choose a lesser-known topic and provide the most comprehensive analysis possible.
I chose to write my EE on the internal domestic policies of Pakistan during the 1960s. Besides reading all available books and articles on the period, I was also able to reach out to individuals with firsthand knowledge of the period and people involved. Conducting these interviews was an invaluable experience, and I gained unfiltered insights into this period of Pakistan’s history that I would never have learned from any book or classroom.
It also introduced me to a deeper and more nuanced understanding of history which transcended what I had learned previously, and which I desire to continue to explore in college.
Now, let’s take a look at Carnegie-Mellon’s second supplemental essay…
The second Carnegie-Mellon supplemental essay prompt is about your learning process and what your successful college experience would look like!
How to Write the Carnegie-Mellon “Your Successful College Experience” Essay (with an Example!)
As a reminder, here is the second Carnegie-Mellon supplemental essay prompt:
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? (300 words)
This Carnegie-Mellon supplemental essay prompt is a bit off of the beaten path, and it’s definitely one that I work with students on a lot!
When I go over this supplemental essay prompt, a lot of students tell me that they know there’s something different about this question, but they can’t quite put their finger on what exactly is different or what Carnegie-Mellon is getting at.
Let’s break down this unusual question…
What is Carnegie-Mellon Asking For in this Supplemental Essay? Why Is CMU Asking this Question?
Now, as I mentioned this supplemental essay prompt is not a common one. I actually don’t know of another school that asks this question really. And so I find a lot of students end up missing the point of what Carnegie-Mellon is trying to get at.
What Is Carnegie-Mellon Really Trying to Get At with this Supplemental Essay?
Unlike a lot of supplemental essay prompt which either explicitly or implicitly ask “Why?” (i.e. “Why our school?”, “Why this major?”, etc.), Carnegie-Mellon’s supplemental essay prompt is asking you a “How?” question: How do you define a successful college experience?
And very clearly, Carnegie-Mellon is directing you not to think about defining your successful college experience in terms of outcome such as “I got a job at Google!” or “It helped me get into a graduate school at MIT!”, but instead, directs you to focus your answer around your process of learning.
How do you like to learn? Are you someone who learns through hands-on projects? Do you like to learn in multidisciplinary teams? Is working on innovative research something that’s really important to what you consider a successful college experience?
You may have never really thought about your learning process before, but this supplemental essay prompt is asking you to take a step back and think what kind of learning works best for you and, considering that, what your successful college experience might look like.
This Carnegie-Mellon supplemental essay wants to know about your leanring process and how it might align with a Carnegie-Mellon education.
Why Is Carnegie-Mellon Asking this Question? Why Does Your Learning Process Matter to CMU?
While this supplemental essay prompt is unusual, it actually makes a lot of sense!
This is an alignment question. A lot of times, students think about going to college in terms of what their desired outcome is (e.g. a job, grad school, etc.), but not so much about what those actual four years may look like. This question actually asks you to think about what you’d like your learning in those four years to look like, and of course, it’s a chance for Carnegie-Mellon to get an idea of whether that matches up with what a Carnegie-Mellon education offers.
College Essay Coach Pro Tip: Hopefully, if you’re applying to Carnegie-Mellon, you’ve actually done some research into what going to CMU is like, but if you haven’t (or if it’s a while), PLEASE take a look at what how Carnegie-Mellon thinks about learning and the learning experiences CMU offers.
All that being said, there are two main points that you need to hit with this supplemental essay:
Carnegie-Mellon “Your Successful College Experience” Essay Point #1: Your Learning Process
In a lot of ways, you can think about this supplemental essay as a “Why us?”, but instead of being based around your interests (e.g. electrical engineering, robotics, theatre design, etc.), this essay should be based around your learning process and how a Carnegie-Mellon education is the right fit for that process.
So like all “Why us?”, the first part of this supplemental essay should be talking about you and your learning process. Did you first discover your passion for civil engineering as a child building with legos and since then, you’ve found your greatest learning experiences have been in hands-on projects solving real-world problems? Have you thrived in labs and had a fantastic learning experience doing research with a professor at your local university? Maybe your DECA experience made business concepts come alive for you, so multi-disciplinary, team-based learning is really important?
Think about it! And come up with some examples of how one or more experiences really made a difference for you.
Carngie-Mellon “Your Successful College Experience” Essay Point #2: How CMU Fits In
Now, like with all “good fit”, alignment-type supplemental essays, here comes the part about the school. So, considering what you’ve just written about how you learn and your learning process, how does Carngie-Mellon fit into this picture.
Yes, this is going to take some legwork. Take a look at the Carnegie-Mellon website and specifically, the school and/or department that you’re interested in. How does Carnegie-Mellon describe itself? What are the things that CMU talks about that gets you excited? Their robotics teams? Opportunities for interdisciplinary learning?
I will give you a bit of a nudge. As you can see if you take a quick scan at the Carnegie-Mellon website, research is VERY IMPORTANT to the CMU. If you have any interests in research, this is a essay is definitely a place to highlight it!
What does this look like when it’s all put together?
Here’s an example of an answer to the Carnegie-Mellon supplemental essay prompt on '“Your Successful College Experience”!
An Example of the Carnegie-Mellon “Your Successful College Experience” Essay
To Come
The last Carnegie-Mellon supplemental essay prompt asks you to write about something you haven’t had a chance to share!
How to Write the Carnegie-Mellon “Something You Haven’t Had a Chance to Share” Essay (with an Example!)
As a reminder, here is the third Carnegie-Mellon supplemental essay prompt:
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)
Obviously, this question is wide, wide open, and you can approach this from any number of perspectives.
The main thing to ask yourself is: What would you like to highlight about yourself that you feel really hasn’t been captured anywhere else in your Carnegie-Mellon application?
Keep in mind, this supplemental essay prompt is giving you one last chance to distinguish yourself from a tough applicant pool. So think about what about you is something that can help you stand out from everybody else.
A lot of students’ knee jerk reaction is to want to say something about how they’re hard-working or conscientious, but frankly, most of Carnegie-Mellon’s applicants could describe themselves as hard-working and conscientious. Pick something that is going to help the admissions office see you as someone who can bring something unique to their campus.
That could be something about an interest you haven’t talked about, or a community you’re involved with. It could be something about your background. Or it could be about something else entirely.
College Essay Coach Pro Tip: As a practical, time-saving matter, take a look at the other essays you’ve written for colleges. Do any of them highlight an aspect of you that is noteworthy and you’d want to share with Carnegie-Mellon too? If so, now would be a perfect time to tweak and repurpose it for this prompt!
Let’s take a look at an example of a repurposed “Something You Haven’t Had a Chance to Share” Essay…
Here’s an example of an anser to the Carnegie-Mellon supplemental essay prompt on something you haven’t had a chance to share…
An Example of the Carnegie-Mellon “Something You Haven’t Had a Chance to Share” Supplemental Essay
Growing up, my racial identity was complicated. When asked about race on every job application, SAT, and now, every college application, I could only fill in one circle so it was just easier to say I was Asian.
However, when I interviewed my dad for a segment on my radio show, I asked him, “What’s your biggest regret?”
“Not teaching my kids enough of my culture,” he answered.
His answer made me stop. I had never really thought about the fact that my father may have felt like I wasn’t sharing in his culture. Sure, my name is “Javier,” but most of the time I felt like I was an “imposter” Mexican. And my father’s comment made me feel kind of guilty about that.
Since our conversation, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on my parents, our shared cultures, and my upbringing. I can now see how this blend of both cultures has shaped my entire life. It’s my love for dancing in the shower, venturing onstage in restaurants, and always being the first on the dance floor. It’s taking month-long trips to Jakarta and walking to the local fish market every morning with Grandpa. It’s my passion for soccer, which I owe my abuelito, who still sends me videos of him celebrating when Las Chivas wins.
I am continuing, every day, to learn more about what being a second-generation, multicultural American means to me. It means working my hardest while carrying on the cultures that I cherish whether it’s ripping open the red envelope at Lunar New Year or making mole from my abuelita’s recipe. It means respecting the sacrifices made by my parents and embracing both their cultures as my own. And it means proudly filling in both circles when asked about my race from now on.
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Are you applying to NYU? Check out my guide to How to Write the NYU Supplemental Essay (with an Example!).
Are you applying to the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)? Check out my guide: How to Write the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) Supplemental Essays (with Examples!)
Are you applying to the University of Southern California (USC)? Check out my guide: How to Write the University of Southern California (USC) Supplemental Essays (with Examples!)
Or How to Write the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (UNC) Supplemental Essays (with Examples!)
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