Carnegie Mellon University

Tartan Scholars

The Tartan Scholars program is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of high-achieving student leaders with limited resource backgrounds. In 2019, the first Tartan Scholars cohort was welcomed by the University and to date we have had over 400 students join the Tartan Scholars family. There are several summer initiatives planned along with pre-fall programming and continued support throughout the academic year. Tartan Scholars will get an early peek at life at Carnegie Mellon, meet some of their classmates, begin to build meaningful relationships with staff and faculty mentors, and learn about the academic and co-curricular landscape.

Tartan Scholars have made significant impacts on our campus since their arrival. They are leaders within their colleges, within student organizations, and within student government. Some of the perks of Tartan Scholars include gaining early and direct access to the deans, faculty, and advisors from your college, having dedicated staff and peer mentors, opportunities to gain internship and research experiences, support with navigating your academic journey, and much more! Participation is by invitation only.

Tartan Scholars Mission

We believe in the transformative power of the CMU experience and in the university’s responsibility to ensure all students can benefit from this great institution and achieve their full potential. In order to create this opportunity for all students, we intentionally offer academic, financial, and social supports for students from limited resource backgrounds proven to amplify their success skills, facilitate strong community and university bonds, and create a critical sense of belonging. Through data-driven, curricular and co-curricular experiences, the Tartan Scholars program designs seamless pathways for each student to explore, grow, and develop toward their future goals, ultimately impacting society in transformative ways.

If you have any questions, please contact us at tartanscholars@andrew.cmu.edu .

The Tartan Scholars program strives to close the opportunity gap by providing a rich network of academic, social and financial support. This includes

  • Opportunities to meet and spend time with CMU leadership
  • Personalized academic coaching
  • Staff and peer mentorship
  • Common classes for the entire cohort to ensure they have academic support in foundational areas like writing
  • Professional development experiences like internships, research and study abroad that may otherwise be out of reach due to finances
  • Community meals throughout the semester
  • An introduction to campus programs that are available to help them succeed, such as tutoring, counseling and emergency resources

The Tartan Scholars program was created to provide support for limited resourced students through an intentional first year experience with the goals of enhancing the cohort’s skill and community building through a lens of self -authorship, growth mindset, and a sense of belonging. As part of the Student Academic Success Center, Tartan Scholars are invited to join the University and participate in summer initiatives and pre-orientation activities prior to their first year at the University.

There are opportunities for graduate students to serve as accountability, learning, or development partners, workshop facilitators, and presenters. Please contact us at tartanscholars@andrew.cmu.edu for more details.