Carnegie Mellon University Top Questions

The stereotype in Pittsburgh in the northeast is that everyone at CMU is a bookworm. In general, it is true. People study here a lot, but it's due to the fact that everyone is really invested in what they are studying.

That they are foreign, that they are asian or Indian, that they pay a lot to go here, that they are into tech, that they are spoiled. All of these are true.

SMU is often referred to as "Southern Millionaire University," a stereotype that stems from many students' affluence. While the conception is half-true in that many students' parents are wealthier than the average American, it's also misleading. People who don't know the kids at SMU assume they're elitist brats because of their parents' financial status; however, my experience has proved the opposite! Most of the student body that I know is disinterested by money and more excited about having a great college experience.

The stereotype of an SMU student is being unimaginably wealthy and that everyone thinks they are better than others. This is not true at all. Personally, I am at SMU because of the Hunt Leadership Scholarship, and without it I could not afford to go to this great school. I am in a fraternity and had no trouble feeling right at home even though my parents aren't CEO's or lawyers. Everyone is very friendly and extremely humble.

Most people think students at SMU come from wealthy, conservative families in the south. Many think that SMU students spend most of their time on extra-curricular activities. While there is a lot of wealth that surrounds the school, it is a very warm and happy environment. The students are very friendly and the student body is not as homogenous as most people presume. There is an emphasis on greek life, but about half the student body still does not partake in greek activities

The most prominent stereotype here at SMU is that all of the students are rich, snobby sorority/fraternity kids. While some of that is true, as SMU is an affluent college, it's not quite accurate. In actuality, a high percentage of students are more like me: studious, middle class, hard working with no Greek Life affilation. The SMU student body is very diverse, and offers a place for everyone.

A common CMU student stereotype is that we are nerdy, study-hard students that perpetually have homework piled high and deteriorating social lives. This is actually fairly accurate for certain reasons but is also a very one-dimensional viewpoint of Carnegie Mellon students. The majority of students at this school are probably some of the most dedicated and hardworking you will ever come across, spending endless hours computer programming, drawing, building, writing, acting, whatever it may be. However, CMU students are generally very involved outside of academics in active organizations such as Greek life, dance teams, a cappella groups, Buggy (a longstanding racing competition unique to CMU), and so much more. A CMU student's dedication to an organization/club is a fair equivalent to that of his or her academics that can be personified in the phrase coined by our founder, Andrew Carnegie, "my heart is in the work." Anyone who's looking to make friends and get involved outside of the classroom (and library) but is committed to making the most of the academic privilege of attending a quality university shouldn't have much difficulty finding a place at Carnegie Mellon.

In general, students at CMU have a reputation for being nerdy and intelligent, and very passionate about what they do. “Cross-discipline” is another buzzword tagged to CMU: students are known for looking outside their majors and diving into other, often very different areas. The college puts an emphasis on this, and its no false advertising: I know engineers minoring in art, and computer science and creative writing double majors, and it seems that almost everyone has a major and a minor or multiple majors. This isn’t a school that puts strong emphasis on jocks or drinking. More people seem to come to the football games for the kilt-wearing pep band than for the team, and we’re not really known for our sports. As for drinking, you can find it and there are frat parties, but it’s not a notable part of the college culture or of socializing, and there’s no pressure to drink. When you meet someone, it’s not too risky to guess they’re an engineer, and if not that, a computer science major. While you can find many dedicated arts and humanities students, the college has a very techy image (which you’ll notice at the job fairs full of employers looking for programmers). There’s also a notable geeky/nerdy culture: last year home-made Lord of the Ring style cloaks popped up across campus, and if you pull out your deck, you will be surprised to realize just how many people play Magic. One of the best examples of what Carnegie Mellon students get excited about is Buggy. This “sport” is unique to CMU, and refers to an annual race in which a tiny, 5 foot tall girl, lies encapsulated in a specially made car (or “buggy”) , and is pushed relay-race-style by her teammates up a hill and then let steer the buggy down, often at speeds reaching 30mphs. Engineers, artists, runners, and anyone else crazy enough to get up before dawn on weekends join together to design, manufacture, test, decorate, and race the buggies.

There's a saying that is regularly associated with students at Carnegie Mellon, both in sarcasm and a general honesty, that goes: "They say sex kills, so come to Carnegie Mellon and live forever." Although this may be exaggerated, it's not entirely incorrect. Students at CMU take themselves, and their work, extremely seriously. Whether you are talking about an art major or the next robotics whizz kid, they are bound to be a nerd, and in most cases love being called so.

The common stereotype for CMU is that all of its students are ridiculously smart; therefore all of its students are either nerds or hipsters. And to some extent, this is true. Carnegie Mellon offers highly-competitive and intensive programs in engineering, computer science, and the arts, so the majority of the students who get in are very intelligent and hardworking individuals. So, of course, there are going to be computer science nerds and hipster film students, but don't forget that Carnegie Mellon is a school! These types of students are going to exist at all schools, from Harvard to your local community college. An unique aspect about CMU, however, is that the university accepts, embraces, and even celebrates these characteristics in people. If you're a nerd at heart- be a nerd! That being said, Carnegie Mellon, perhaps better than most colleges, opens you to a world of new, unique individuals who are all different an can by no means be shoved into a stereotype. At school I've met a wide variety of students, all of them with different cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds. At CMU, over 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the campus participates in Greek life, 14{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students are international, and we have students from almost all 50 of the United States. So in reality, a stereotype is just a stereotype, and no matter what type of student you are, I'm sure there will be a groups of students you will fit in with.