Photo of stairsPhoto of peoplePhoto of building
Carnegie Mellon Heinz School Policy Management Information Technology
Photo of peoplePhoto of building

Applicant Profile 

Every applicant seeking admission to the Heinz School is reviewed as an individual. We appreciate the strengths each student brings to the Heinz community and the richness these diverse strengths create in the life of the school. Your record will be reviewed carefully and thoughtfully with special emphasis placed on your ability to succeed and on how well your goals match the school's mission. If you'd like to know how we approach the application review process, here are the aspects of the application we think are most important (in no particular order).

  • Focus. We want students who have clearly focused goals and who demonstrate that they understand the strengths of the Heinz School and how a Heinz School education will help them to achieve their career goals.
  • Essay. This is the place where you should tell us who you are, what your goals are, and why you want to join our program. We look for evidence of your commitment to the discipline, and we pay attention to how much thought and effort you put into writing your essay.
  • Resume. It helps us if your resume includes volunteer activities, honors and achievements, and computer skills. This is also a place where you can include information about yourself that might not fit anywhere else.
  • Work experience. We look favorably on any full-time work experience you have. We also value volunteer activities, leadership in student organizations, etc. If you're just graduating or have recently graduated, be sure to include this information on your resume.
  • Q.P.A. Your success in prior degree programs is important to us. We will pay close attention to your transcripts by examining individual courses you've taken, your progress over the course of your education and your academic record as a whole.
  • Standardized test scores. Test scores are the only application material that evaluates students based on a uniform scale, but we recognize that test scores do not necessarily reflect a student's potential for success in our programs. Some students are better test-takers than others; some have the advantage of expensive preparatory programs. We require either the GRE or the GMAT but we will use the scores above all as an indicator of your quantitative capacity - not as a primary factor in the admission decision.
  • Interviews. We do not require interviews. But we would welcome an opportunity to meet with you in person, over the phone or on email.