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The Waiting List
Aerial view of campus in the spring

Access & Equity

Striving for Access and Equity in the Waiting List Process

As Carnegie Mellon strives to make the admission process more equitable to all applicants, we're committed to access and inclusion in our Waiting List process. We've designed our Waiting List procedure to give everyone interested in remaining on the Waiting List the opportunity to do so with minimal additional work.

Like many other institutions, we often receive demonstrations of continued interest and additional recommendations, mostly from well-resourced or well-advised applicants. We don't request or consider any of these demonstrations. Students shouldn't feel compelled to write letters of continued interest, send us more recommendations, send projects or have anyone with any perceived influence make phone calls to advocate for them, as none of these interventions will impact an admission decision.

What Will Impact Admission Decisions: 

Students will have the opportunity to indicate their interest in the Waiting List by completing our Waiting List Reply Form in April. We will reach out when this form becomes available.

What Won't Impact Admission Decisions:

We won't consider any of the following perceived influences on your admission decision:

  • Additional supplementary materials, including portfolios, resumes, maker projects, etc.
  • Letters of continued interest
  • Lobbying from the student or any interested party on the student's behalf
  • Additional letters of recommendation