Credentials Verification Process

Heinz College is committed to ensuring the integrity of our admission process and the reputation of our educational programs. We also want to protect and enhance the value of the degrees that we confer.

Because of this commitment, we partner with a third-party provider, ProVerify, Powered by Application Verification, Inc., to verify the information provided in applications for admission. Heinz College reserves the right to require all admitted students to successfully complete the Credentials Verification Process to be eligible to enroll. 

The purpose of this verification process is to protect all stakeholders of the program (including students, faculty, staff and alumni) from those who would falsify their backgrounds to gain an unfair advantage in the admission process.

We view this process as a partnership with our incoming students in maintaining the high ethical and professional standards of Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College. 

  • Our verification process includes validating academic information, professional work experience including duration/title (we do not verify salary data), and recommendation information. 
  • Students required to complete a verification will be notified by the Heinz College Office of Admission.
     

Steps to Complete the Credentials Verification Process (If Required)

An email message from "Carnegie Mellon University - Heinz College" <automation@instascreen.net> with the subject line “Credential Verification Disclosure and Authorization Form” will be sent to your CMU Andrew email address. 

This email will include a link to an electronic Disclosure and Authorization Form. 

Please complete this form within 14 days after receiving the email, as the link will expire after a short period of time.

Students are expected to receive the release form after the 10th day of classes.

ProVerify will contact your recent employers and application recommenders shortly after you submit the Disclosure and Authorization Form. We recommend that you make your recent employers and recommenders aware in advance.

After receiving your release form, ProVerify will begin verifying information that was provided on the application for admission. It is expected that ProVerify will contact you directly if they need assistance in completing portions of the verification.

If ProVerify is unable to verify the completion of your bachelor’s degree and/or Heinz College’s Office of Admission does not receive an official copy of your final transcript from your bachelor’s degree granting institution by the end of your first semester as a Heinz College student, you will be placed on suspension for the next semester.

ProVerify will complete the verification and report your status back to Heinz College. 

  • Upon receiving the results of your verification report, Heinz College will inform you of your completion status via email. 
  • All verification reports remain active and open, until you are otherwise notified by the Heinz Admissions office.

You will not have to pay ProVerify for this verification to be performed. The cost of performing the credential verification process is billed to Heinz College Admissions and will not appear on your student account invoice from the university.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need to send the release? I thought the university already had the right to verify my application?

Heinz College does have the right to verify the information in your application. The release protects you and the Heinz College by ensuring that our vendor, ProVerify, complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Will my employer(s) be contacted by ProVerify? I haven't yet told them about my graduate school plans.

Please contact ProVerify with an approximate timeline and they will make every effort to accommodate your request. Please note that ProVerify is required to contact your employers before they submit the final report to Heinz College. The completion of this step is essential for us to start enrolling you as a graduate student.

Is my student status affected by the pending verification?

No. You are an accepted student at the Heinz College.

Will my Visa application status be affected by the pending verification?

No. You are an accepted student at the Heinz College.

I tried to be as accurate as possible on the application. However, I just realized that some of my dates may be a little bit off. Is this a problem?

Probably not. While all the information on the application should be accurate, we do understand that minor discrepancies sometimes occur. Heinz College will review all the findings and give you an opportunity to explain the discrepancy.

About ProVerify

ProVerify respects your privacy by operating in full compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FRCA). To learn more about ProVerify, visit https://applicationverification.com/.

If required to complete a verification, in most cases, you will not need to do anything other than submitting your release. However, in some cases, you may be asked to provide supporting documentation (such as updated contact information, your SSN, diploma/degree, or a past pay slip) to facilitate the verifications process. All requests for supporting documentation will come via email directly from ProVerify representatives (via phone or an email address ending in '@applicationverification.com' and will only be asked if the originating materials submitted cannot be used to complete the process. 

If you wish to verify the authenticity of any request you receive, you may contact ProVerify's customer service directly at 412-349-6001 or info@applicationverification.com or reach out to the Office of Admissions at Heinz College directly at 412-268-2164 or hnzadmit@andrew.cmu.edu.

Please know that all inquiries may not be completed via email. You may be required to email, call, or fax additional information as needed during the verification process, including a second release form with a "wet signature." We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If ProVerify or Heinz College contacts you to request additional information, please understand we are working to complete your verification as quickly as possible.

Your timely response is appreciated. Carnegie Mellon University and the Heinz College reserve the right to revoke the admission or terminate enrollment of any student who does not successfully complete the Credentials Verification Process.