Carnegie Mellon University
Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs  ›  Incoming Students  ›  Before You Arrive On Campus  ›  First Steps for Incoming Students

Now that you've decided to attend Carnegie Mellon, follow the steps below to prepare for your arrival on campus. You should be able to complete these steps from home. If you have any questions, contact us or consult the Deadlines for Incoming Students page.

Your Andrew User ID provides you with the ability to access the university's computing services such as Student Information Online, the computing clusters and your Andrew email account. You will also need your Andrew ID and password to submit your health history and immunization forms, enroll in student health insurance, register for classes, and apply for temporary or permanent university housing.

You should expect to receive an email from Computing Services. The email will contain a link for retrieving your Andrew userID and instructions for continuing the First Pass process to set your initial password.

Your Andrew email account is your source for official and important Carnegie Mellon communications. Please check it frequently before you arrive on campus and during your academic career. If you choose to use an alternate email address (i.e., Yahoo, Gmail, etc.), then you should forward your Andrew email to your preferred email address to ensure that you receive all official university communications.

**Tepper MBA Students please consult the Tepper Countdown Web site for more information about your Tepper Email Accounts.

University-wide Graduate Student Orientation
The Carnegie Mellon University-wide New Graduate Student Orientation takes place every fall and spring to provide an introduction to university-level services, programs, and resources for graduate students. Attendance is not mandatory, but highly recommended. All events and sessions are free of charge.  

International Graduate Student Orientation
International students are required to attend an additional orientation hosted by the Office of International Education (OIE). Contact OIE for details.

Departmental Graduate Student Orientation
Each department on campus hosts its own graduate student orientation. Dates vary, so watch for an email from your department about when your orientation will be held.

**Tepper MBA Students: please consult the Tepper Countdown Web site for more information about the Tepper Base Camp Program.

Health insurance is important because it protects you and increases your access to care. That's why having it is a requirement at CMU; each year, students must enroll in CMU's student medical insurance plan or apply to waive it. 

Enrollment and waiver forms, cost and benefit summaries, and information for enrolling dependents can be found on the University Health Services website.

All incoming students are required to submit health history and immunization forms as well as upload immunization records from health care providers.  Information for new students on the requirements and processes for completing this requirement can be found on the University Health Services website.

 

Employment Verification

To ensure compliance with federal law, Carnegie Mellon University maintains the Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) Policy [pdf] covering the university’s I-9 and E-Verify requirements:

  • Every individual receiving a stipend from CMU or employed by CMU must comply with the I-9 Policy by completing the Form I-9 within three business days following the first day of stipend start date/employment.
  • If you are receiving a stipend, you are going to be a TA or your are planning to have a position with CMU then Employment Eligibility Verification is required.
  • Individuals who expect to work on a federally funded project are further responsible for submitting an E-Verify Processing Request Form to the Office of Human Resources.

For more information, please see CMU’s Guidance for Completing the Form I-9 and E-Verify Requirements at CMU [pdf], or visit the Human Resources Service website to learn more about Form I-9 and E-Verify and to schedule an appointment to complete the Form I-9. Form I-9 must be completed within 3 business days of beginning work for any type of compensation (stipend or employment). 

Along with the offer of admission you will receive the required forms that all international students must complete in order to receive their Certificate of Eligibility (I-20 or DS-2019) from Carnegie Mellon.

U.S. government regulations require that in order to qualify for non-immigrant student status, you must prove the availability of sufficient funding to meet your expenses for your first year of study and have a reasonable expectation that the same level of support will be available in subsequent years. Therefore, you should consider how you will fund your studies for the entire length of your program.

For more information on supporting documentation and to access relevant forms, visit the Office of International Education.

Although we recommend waiting to sign a lease until you have had a chance to view an apartment in person, we realize that this is not always an option for incoming students, particularly if you are moving from another state or country.