Carnegie Mellon University Top Questions

There are never racial problems because we have such a diversified campus, it's not really an issue, at least what I know of. The people who I would say have the most trouble fitting in are the shy ones... you have to get out there and make friends. Once you do, you will find a group... mostly everybody does. There's not a crazy social scene, but it is a lot of fun, if you make it fun for yourself. It's a pretty casual campus, mostly sweat pants and sweatshirts... the College of Fine Arts is definitely dressier because there are music majors and designers. It's definitely a richer school... tuition is so high, a lot of people have a lot of money, and if not it's the complete opposite- people who aren't so rich are putting everything they have into their education to make tuition, so it's pretty much split half and half. While most colleges are extremely liberal because younger students tend to be more to the left. CMU has it's balance, though. With the presidential campaign coming, we got both Obama and McCain to come and speak, so it's not like we're supporting one more over the other.

CMU is so diverse. You can find almost every race, religion, sexual orientation, ect. on campus. I don't believe that many people feel out of place at CMU because it is so diverse. There are religious groups on campus for Jews, Christians, Muslims and racial groups such as a Greek group and an African American group as well. There is also a very active Gay-Straight Aliance on campus. If you are looking for a certain group you will find it at CMU.

Everyone and everything, and that's cool. No "boundaries" per se, but like tends to congregate with like at least some of the time. Politically, only the student left is both energized and organized. The student right exists, but does not organize politically. Counting social and fiscal conservatives both as "right," then the left-right ratio is about 7:3. The university itself and non-political student organizations have a strong non-partisan obligation. In Spring 2008, Carnegie Mellon hosted Michelle Obama, Chelsea Clinton, and John McCain's big speech revealing his economic plan.

There is every kind of group you could imagine on campus. The LGBT group, Allies is very active and I don't think I've ever heard about any racial, religious etc. kinds of prejudice. Everyone has an outlet for them to connect with people of similar interests to themselves. A lot of Christian organizations can help students keep going to Church etc. Students wear comfortable clothing to class. Sometimes you'll see someone in a suit because they have an interview that day, but students can be seen wearing sweatpants after coming from the gym, etc. I believe all students interact, but they may not always see each other. I have friends in every major thanks mostly to my freshmen orientation, but since each major is in a different building almost, and they each have their own times of day for classes, it might be rare to see the art majors unless you're in an extracurricular group with them. There are a lot of CMU students from areas in Pittsburgh, but I know people from all over as well (including many international students). Financially I'd say some people are lower-middle class and are here on scholarship, a lot of people are upper middle class and a few are rich. Students this year became very politically aware with the presidential elections so many groups rallied for Clinton and Obama and they were seen at every public event before the Pennsylvania primary.

Coming from a very preppy and somewhat snobby area, I originally felt CMU and Pittsburgh in general to be very blue collar and very down to earth. For the most part, this is true. With time though you start realizing that the kid next to you in Bio class owns half of Samsung, and the prince of some obscure country in Africa lives down the hall from you. You'll start to notice that every international student is essentially loaded, and theres no shortage of nice cars driving around campus. This doesn't give a feeling of arrogance at all though. People have the money, but don't flaunt it in your face. At the same time though, everyone is clearly working hard here so they can be rolling in the money in the future. No one even tries to hide it, especially not the Tepper kids. For the most part the campus is apathetic to politics, and really to most issues in general. It seems everyone is always drowning in their work to care too much about the world outside of CMU. People generally don't dress up for class. IN the first year, it feels like the campus is really divided based on the colleges people are in (art, science, engineering, humanities). While this is true, you dont spend much time outside of your college during the week, over time its not hard to branch out and itneract with all sorts of people. Other than the drama kids- they stick to themselves and thats probably a good thing for all of us. This is where the stereoypes come into play. Yes, theres no shortage of ugly, fat, computer loving kids here. They mostly congregate in Wean Hall though, and are easy to avoid. The percentage of normal, attractive people is small, its true, but they ARE there and increasing in numbers each year.

CMU's student body is a rather unique student body. As far as race goes, CMU has just about every hue in the color spectrum colored (well naturally occurring skin tone colors, that is). As mentioned before, all of CMU students are intelligent -- in one area or another. Don't expect to be the know-it-all here, because someone else will surely know more than you on one topic, but you may know more than them on another. And CMU's student body is pretty diverse about everything...from race, gender, and sexuality to political opinions and finanical backgrounds.

CMU is a very accepting environment. Students come from all over the world and therefore race, religion, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status are basically a non-issue. There are social organizations for all types of people and interests, and if you happen to think of a group that doesn't exist, student senate will allocate money for the group to be created. I don't think any type of student would feel out of place at CMU, except maybe someone who doesn't care much about their school work. As far as what students wear to class, the range of clothing styles is wide. You will find some kids who just rolled out of bed in their sweatpants and others who are business students dressed in a suit and anywhere in between. CMU has a huge variety of people, from athletes to theater majors, from artists to computer scientists, engineers, writers, business majors, musicians and much more. While there is a tendancy for unity within the different colleges, students from across the disciplines interact in interdisciplinary programs and classes, as well as in extracurricular activities. Students at CMU are predominanty driven, and students do talk about how much they'll earn one day.

There seems to be a lot of diversity on campus, ive run into all sorts of these groups and they all convey their ideas in a polite way. They do not force anything on you. For example, I am an atheist and every day in the winter I go to the young christians table and get free hot chocolate. its a bond we share. So money... some kids have a lot of it and the other kids are on some kind of scholarship. There does not seem to be many people in between. Students are aware about politics and current events. If something is happening, you will see someone talking about it.

i dont feel that cmu is a particularly diverse student body. it has a huge number of international students, although the majority of them seem to be from the same few countries. there is a large number of students that do not wish to interact with people different from themselves, but there is also a good proportion who are open to everyone--you just need to find your niche. the great thing about cmu is that its easy to find all sorts of people to hang out with--even though there may be some people who arent necessarily open to everyone, you can always find someone else who is.

There isn't a lot of socio-economic diversity; most kids come from wealthy backgrounds and are from the suburbs. However, there are a lot of different religions and ethnicities (other than American minorities), and everyone seems to not only tolerate these differences, but to enjoy them. Some international students do tend to isolate themselves, however. Most students dress down for class, though some majors seem to have unwritten dress codes. Students are definitely not politically active, unfortunately. The discussions that I've had with people, however, reveal that students at CMU have lots of different political views (if they aren't apathetic). Students definitely discuss their salaries, especially business majors.

Very diverse student body- many more males than females due to computer science- still, alot of the males are very weird

This school is very, very diverse on all fields. Different types of students interact, but there are a few ethnic groups that "stick to themselves"

There is a tremendous variety of students at Carnegie Mellon. From the headstrong jock, to the middle-of-the-road college kid, to the CS major that never leaves his computer, they're all here. If you can't find someone like you at Carnegie Mellon, then you probably aren't looking that hard.

LOTS and LOTS of Asians. There are more people here from Seoul, Korea than there are from West of the Mississippi.

I am a gay, black, christian male. There are groups like Spirit (Black-awareness), ALLIES (Gay-Straight Alliance), SALSA (Spanish/Latin American), Mayur (Indian), ASA (Asian), etc. etc. Carnegie Mellon is a very open and welcoming environment. I am in a fraternity and all of my brothers know I'm gay. They knew while I was rushing that I was gay. None of them care; they actually try to set me up with guys. That's true for most of the fraternities and sororities on campus. Most people on campus are leaning left, though there are several who decline to comment. Like a lot of Generation Y, there are several students who are disinclined to put any amount of faith in the political system. CMU Students for Barack Obama has definitely changes things here recently on both sides of the fence. They have done so in a way that encourages dialogue and that demands knowledge on the issues. There has been a lot of talk about the presidential election and who people support and why.

CMU's student body is generally open, very intelligent, extremely hardworking, but less politically aware and more well-to-do. Many can be quiet and shy, but on the other hand the drama and voice majors from the College of Fine Arts are notorious for their loud, raucous actions.

CMU does not have an overly friendly student body. People are kind of reserved, and you get the feeling that a lot of people here were the unpopulars in high school. That is cool, because you never have that same feeling of I don't fit in and I want to as you did in high school. It's more a feeling of, I don't fit in, and I don't care. Although, I think a lot of people do find their niche and it's great for them. There is somewhat of a divide along racial lines...the asians with the asians, indians with indians (yes, I know that indians are asians, but you know what I mean), the african americans with the african americans..there is mixing, but there is also a lot of pride in "heritage" and a lot of events are geared towards celebrating a specific group of people. In the Chemical Engineering program, yes, we are excited to make big bucks coming out of this place.

CMU's student body is diverse. There are people here from all over the world, and yet I feel like we all mesh well together. However, I would say that the typical student comes from an upper middle class family from the Eastern United States or a country in Asia.

This is an extremely diverse campus. A lot of international students... mostly asian. Although it's so diverse though, these groups are definitley seperated. It's hard to think of a specific type of student that might feel out of place. Probably valley girls from the west coast with daddy's check card and bleach blonde hair wouldn't fit in great. Everyone here really fights for their own, and even the jocks are still pulling good grades in physics. This is definitley a college for extreme types of people: extreme geeks, extreme jocks, extreme artists, extremely cultured, etc. Anyone who's just average would probably want to go somewhere else.

There are a lot of students who come from wealthy families. Very few of them bring it up, but their spending habits sometimes give them away. Some students like to go out to eat all the time, and sometimes that puts strain on you if you can't afford the habit. Overall the campus is not very diverse when it comes to financial background. Ethnically, CMU is fairly diverse, but on campus you will see some ethnic groups keeping to themselves. Most students in engineering are in it for the money you can make coming out of CMU, not because they enjoy it. You'll find that students are either really involved with student activities/organizations or not involved at all.

There are lots of different supportive student groups on campus. There are lots of international students, although I definitely feel that not all minorities are represented equally. The African American population has been small, although I have noticed it's started to grow a lot. The same holds true for Latinos. I really do think CMU is accepting of all differences and the students are open to all types of races, religions, and preferences. There's no set style at Carnegie Mellon. Some people wear polos or heels, others wear t-shirts & sneakers. There's no since of segregation, although some of the "nerdier" students may stick together. Financial backgrounds vary, although I think most students are from the northeast, Pennsylvania, or northern California. Students have started to become politically active and have brought people to speak on campus. I would say most students are democrats, although those are just the ones that are more proactive. One of the perks about going to CMU & sticking with it is that we are generally paid more than graduates from other schools. Sometimes that's the driving force for some students.

Cliques....um, thats my favorite part about CMU. There are sooo many different kinds of people here. Theres weirdos, jocks, nerds, "normal" people. It's just a crazy mix. I definately think everyone can find a friend here. There's really no ONE kind. My friends are the partiers and crazy sorority/frat people since I am in Kappa Alpha Theta (best sorority ever!!!)

There is a wide range of ethnic and religious groups on campus. Asian, Asian-American, and Caucasian is definitely the majority but I never feel out of place because I'm not that ethnicity. I'm not really aware of socio-economic groups, it doesn't come up in conversation and usually isn't glaringly obvious. Student dress ranges from comfortable and casual to more dressy. I think upper middle class is most prevalent but I'm only guessing because I see a lot of Coach bags.

Very diverse - a good mix of all ethnic and racial backgrounds. Really makes you understand different cultures, which is obviously good for becoming a leader in the world going forward. If you're looking for people who drink and party every single night, go somewhere else. Students at CMU actually care about doing well, getting themselves a good start in life, and learning about things they're interested in. That said, there are plenty of social, outgoing, fun people. And it's much more intellectual than the average state school. I've got a ton of friends from high school at PSU, WVU, Pitt, and other places. They have more fun but are invariably not as well prepared for real life after 4 years of school.

lotz uv peepul

I think the majority of CMU students are very welcoming, or become very welcoming after attending CMU. There isnt many racial, religious, socio-economic, sexual orientation, etc. issues. There are some ignorant individuals but they in no way reflect the majority of the CMU student body. I honestly can say that I don't think there would be a single student who would feel out of place at CMU. To back this claim up, just look at the wide variety of majors available at CMU and how the majority of them are highly ranked. I see so many different type of people that im sure ANYONE could find a group of friends just like them if not, CMU allows the opportunity for people to step out of their usually type of friends and make new friends with people of all varieties. I can say that I have never seen a single person wear their PJs to class, but I'm pretty sure it happens. People wear all different types of clothes, so people dress up everyday, while others wardrobes consist of nothing but sweats. That is the best part of CMU, the fact that soooo many different type of people are able to interact. I have friends from all over the US some from Korea, Singapore, India, Cuba, Turkey, etc. The tables in Schatz (the ONLY dining hall we have): Table 1: Football players Table 2: Drama students Table 3: Freshmen guys from Hammerschlag Table 4: A group of friends catching up on new info in their lives that they've missed b/c they had a huge exam that week. Most students are from Maryland, New Jersey, India and Korea. You never really know peoples financial backgrounds b/c in college everyone is poor:)...however, I can guess that the majority come from wealthy families b/c all the international students get miniscule to no financial aid and their parents pay from pocket. I think most students are liberal, CMU has many LGBT individuals and its likely that you'll have at least one friend who is so I feel most people are liberal. However, Im pretty sure we have a Republican Party club, but not a democratic one. I'd say some students are politically aware but not active, there's just not enough time for that. People talk about that alll the time (i can only speak for engineers)...that is the reason why some students chose CMU b/c with a degree from CMU you're almost guaranteed to be successfully (financially)...I can assume the same for the business majors as well.

Carnegie Mellon's population is perhaps 45{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} Euro-American, 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} Asian/Asian-American, 15{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} Middle Eastern/Indian, and (10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} Latino/Hispanic, African/Afro-American, and Native American). There are several religious groups on campus, I have personally had good experiences with multiple Christian groups. Everyone is very different, there is a very broad range of personalities, economic classes, religions, and political beliefs. People generally know the people from their majors, which encourages less racial allegiance of more academic social allegiance.

There are a lot international students.

One downside of campus is that there is always somebody handing out flyers for some cause or another. The best story I heard was from a friend of my who was eating a cheesestake on his way to class when he unknowingly accepted a vegetarian/vegan "save the animals" flier and while trying to grab it accidently spilled steak on the volunteer's shoe. Similarly we have "Jews for Jesus" and anti-abortion groups handing out fliers and picketing on our campus fairly regularly during the summer and spring. We have every type of student at CMU, so nobody would feel out of place, as long as you could find the group you belong with. Students usually dress quite casual for classes, usually jeans and a t-shirt or polo, but occationally there are students who come in their pajamas, and on the other end of the spectrum, those who dress to the nines for lecture. It takes all kinds to make a campus like ours. Different students interact, but if there are four tables at the dining hall they go like this: athelets at one, korean students at another, girls at a third, and a lone awkward student nobody wants to sit with at the fourth. Most CMU students Ive found are from New Jersey, though we have a high percentage of international students, as well as students from all around the country.

Different majors usually have different groups of students. A large number of engineering students tend to be East-Asian international students who tend to stay together. Actually, there is a large East-Asian population in CMU in general. Other than that, the make up of students in CMU tends to be similar to that of other universities. There is however, a large Jewish population. There have been occasional pro-Israel and anti-Arab flyers which, as an Arab, makes me feel uneasy, however it seems to be at the same level of other universities. Being in a large city also, there is always opportunities to interact with students of other universities and from the city, therefore diversity does not become that large of an issue.

If you're korean you'll fit right in, international students are mostly from taiwan or korea and they roam in packs smoking marlboro ultra-lights and saying things about you in a language you don't understand. The only way to fight back is to speak pig-latin--they may know korean and english but they don't know pig latin---talk all the shit you want.

Too many people are smoking hookah in grass fields and on benches and stuff. Hookah's are inherently uncool, yet people at CMU gather with pride to smoke the stuff. It's like going to college in the year 2000. Permanently.

This school has about a million asians and very few black people. Most people here are rich or at least pretty well off. Also, almost everyone is Liberal. Most people expect to make a shit load (above 70k) after graduation.

very separate, not much interaction. none. jeans or sweatpants and a shirt. pittsburgh, or new jersey/new york. upper-middle class. yes.

Poor students feel out of place here. Asians are ballin', and the brown community is absolutely amazing. Students get dressed up to go to classes. A lot of the girls are rocking out heels at 7AM. Most students have made money.

CMU is a true melting pot of many different races, religions, and cultures. You will find an incredible mix of people with different backgrounds and experiences. There does tend to be a great deal of cliques and also a large number of spoiled "kids" who have no respect for anyone or anything but money. Money drives many of the students endeavors at CMU so creativity can sometimes fall to the wayside for pleasing a teacher for a grade. Students here whine about grades and the worklaod and it is a very cutthroat environment with everyone competing to be at the top of the class. But if you relax and do things your own way, you can find not only happiness at CMU, but friends that will be unlike any you've had before.

I dont think there is a single person who would feel out of place at Carnegie Mellon. It is one of the most diverse college campuses I have come across (and I say this by citing conversations with my high school friends). I can't imagine it being any different though. The greatest thing is that I have met amazing people from all over the world and now if I ever traveled to another country, chances are I would know someone who lives there! It's really exciting. People here are really really involved with all sorts of things outside school. Honestly, sometimes I dont know how people can make it from day to day but its inspiring what people can accomplish here.

The student body here is diverse, but you'll find like a lot of places the races don't mix. The Asian kids are in their corner often speaking a different language, and the black kids are in another corner and then the athletes all stick together too with their respective teams. The only time you really mix groups is in class when you'll work with anyone if they can make studying or your homework easier. The other thing about the kids here is that they are universally dorky -- there are some normal kids who play sports and don't play Dungeons and Dragons, but my friend here told me this and I think it is true -- whenever you are around a CMU kid who you think is cool, just remember where they go to school and give them some time and they'll do something to give themselves away. Students are not political at all. Financial backgrounds-no clue, mostly wealthy I assume but it's hard to tell. They always are talking about how much they will make, it is like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that students talk about to make all of the long nights studying and the lack of girls here all seem worth it.

CMU is a very open campus. There is tolerance of all races, religions, the LGBT, and socio-economic disparity. However there is a definite prep style here that isn't snobby. CMU students are from all over. Many students come from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York. But there are a huge minority of international students and people from the West Coast, Florida, and the

CMU is an extremely diverse campus with an extraordinarily accepting environment toward GLBT students, students of different races, and students of varying religions. I would not say that very many students come from "poor" backgrounds but there are a few and rarely will that ever come up in conversation. The drive of students is remarkable and it shows during junior and senior year when the contest to see who got the best internship or job creeps up. It's kind of cool to see the variety of interests in the student body: we have our friendly robotics people who wear their capes to class, the hippy crowd who don't wear shoes to class, the jocks (albeit few and far between) in their popped A&F shirt, and the vast majority of the rest who are your average Joe just like everyone else trying to get through one of the toughest academic schools in the country.