Admission Home

Frequently Asked Questions

We get all sorts of questions from prospective students. Here are some of the most commonly asked, arranged by topic. If you don’t find the answer to your question here, feel free to contact us.

What kind of student is Carnegie Mellon Qatar looking for?
Why are some students offered admission and others not?
What does “holistic admission” mean?
What is the best way to prepare academically for Carnegie Mellon Qatar?
Does Carnegie Mellon Qatar offer conditional admission?
What are the admission requirements for students attending British stream schools?
What are the admission requirements for students attending Indian stream schools?
Are business courses in secondary school required for applicants to the Business Administration major?

What kind of student is Carnegie Mellon Qatar looking for?
Universities like Carnegie Mellon are looking for a well-rounded student body, and therefore well-rounded students. Start your research early and check with the schools you are potentially interested in applying to – What factors are considered in the admission process? What standardized tests are required? Is there a profile available as far as what a “typical” admission candidate looks like (test scores, GPA, activities, etc.)?
At Carnegie Mellon we take a holistic approach to the application review process. There are many factors that we consider. These factors could be divided up roughly into three areas: academic performance, standardized testing results, and non-academic performance.

Your secondary school performance will be the main factor in our admission decision because it’s the most meaningful indication of your abilities. We pay close attention to your curriculum level, the grades you’ve earned, and the work you’ve accomplished. We’re interested in seeing that you’ve challenged yourself within your secondary school.

Standardized test scores add to our knowledge of your ability, but we don’t make decisions simply on the basis of test scores. Your secondary school record and standardized test scores (SAT Reasoning Test or ACT and the TOEFL or IELTS) work together to make up the academic portion of your evaluation.

Your non-academic activities, including extracurricular accomplishments, part-time jobs or hobbies, and community service also play a very important part of the admission process. We also consider leadership, motivation, out-of-class recognition, community and volunteer service and other experiences when making admission decisions.

Our students make Carnegie Mellon Qatar an exciting campus. The positive qualities and diverse experiences you bring with you will enrich our community. By looking at this non-academic information, we develop a sense of your personality, motivation and sense of responsibility. Because we want to have a sense of who you are as a person, we look closely the personal statement you’re asked to write, your advisor or counselor’s evaluation, and your teachers’ recommendation letters.

Why are some students offered admission and others not?
Many factors influence the number of acceptances Carnegie Mellon Qatar can offer each year. Chief among these factors are the number of faculty, the number of courses to be offered, desired class size, and classroom space.

What does “holistic admission” mean?
Holistic admission means that all of your grades from years 10, 11, 12 (and year 13 in the British system), along with all of your test scores, your personal essay, recommendation letters, and extracurricular activities are reviewed before an admission decision is made. No single grade or test score determines whether a student is admitted; instead, a comprehensive review of your file is undertaken.

What is the best way to prepare academically for Carnegie Mellon Qatar?
Prospective applicants should take a broad range of courses during their secondary school years. At a minimum, coursework should include three years of English language and literature, three years of pure mathematics, two or three years of natural science, and two or three years of social sciences or history. Students are strongly encouraged to take the most challenging courses available to them. Business and economics are not required for students applying to the business administration major, although some background in economics is definitely helpful. Students applying for the CS and IS majors are strongly encouraged to take one or more programming courses if they are offered in your school.

Does Carnegie Mellon Qatar offer conditional admission?
No. Admission decisions are made using available information at the time the application is made and all decisions are final. Admitted students who enroll at Carnegie Mellon are still required to submit a final transcript including their current term’s final grades before they will be permitted to register for classes. Final grades must be consistent with the grades presented to the selection committee. In cases where a student’s grades have dropped after an admission offer has been made, the offer may be rescinded.

What are the admission requirements for students attending British stream schools?
A minimum of four AS subjects is required to be considered for Carnegie Mellon Qatar. However, students who go beyond the minimum will be given priority in the selection process, meaning that students who continue onward with A-Levels will be considered stronger applicants and are more likely to be offered admission. Grades should generally be A’s and B’s in order to be considered a competitive applicant. Students with only IGCSE’s or O-Levels will not be considered for admission. The SAT or ACT and the TOEFL or IELTS are still required for applicants from British stream schools, although the TOEFL or IELTS can be waived if you score 600 or higher on the SAT Critical Reading or Writing section or a 26 or higher on both the English and the Reading sections of the ACT.

What are the admission requirements for students attending Indian stream schools?
Students need to be enrolled in the science track, even for business administration, since Carnegie Mellon’s business major includes several semesters of calculus-based mathematics. Students in the commerce track should only apply if their coursework has included pure mathematics through pre-calculus (trigonometry and analytic geometry). Note that the selection committee for Carnegie Mellon evaluates both your Standard X and Standard XII (if available) board exam results AND your in-school performance. Admission decisions are not based on test results alone. The SAT or ACT and the TOEFL or IELTS are still required, although the TOEFL or IELTS can be waived if you score 600 or higher on the SAT Critical Reading or Writinsection or a 26 or higher on both the English and the Reading sections of the ACT.

Are business courses in secondary school required for applicants to the Business Administration major?
No. Business Administration applicants are not required to have taken business courses in their secondary schools. Secondary school coursework should include solid preparation in academically challenging courses including English composition and literature, pure mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, and foreign languages. A business studies class should not be taken as a replacement for classes in these other areas, although it is certainly fine to be taken in addition to these courses. Some background in economics is also helpful.

Applying for Admission

What are the application deadlines?
The deadlines are November 15 for spring semester (January) admission and March 1 for fall semester (August) admission. Note that only transfer applicants can apply for spring semester admission; first-year students can only be considered for fall admission due to the sequencing of first-year courses.

What documents are required for a complete application?
The following documents are required of all applicants, including transfer applicants:

Online Application Form - Your application to Carnegie Mellon Qatar begins by completing the online application form. Click here to access the online application form.
Personal Essay (part of the Online Application Form)
Personal Interview (highly recommended)
Official and complete academic transcripts from your secondary school and official standardized test results such as British IGCSE’s, AS, and A-Levels and Indian Standard X and Standrad XII board exam results, if applicable (or predicted grades if available). Transfer applicants should also include official transcripts from their current university.
One letter of recommendation from a college counselor, principal, or academic advisor
One letter of recommendation from a teacher or professor
Official SAT or ACT results (for score reports, use code 4246 for the SAT and 5269 for the ACT)
Official TOEFL or IELTS results (for score reports, use code 4246 for the TOEFL)
Application Fee of QAR 250 or 70 USD

Are admission interviews required?
Interviews are available to all applicants and they are strongly recommended, but not required. Interviews may be scheduled by calling +974 4454 8500 Sunday through Thursday during normal business hours (9:00 to 17:00). All interviews should be completed before the March 1 application deadline.

Are interviews done before or after the application deadline?
All interviews are done before the application deadline of March 1. Students are encouraged to interview earlier than later, as interview slots in the final month of February tend to fill quickly. As a result, not all applicants who waited until February were able to receive an interview in 2011.

Where should application documents be sent to?
All documents including letters of recommendation, transcripts, and test scores should be sent to the following address:

Carnegie Mellon Qatar
Office of Admission
P.O. Box 24866
Doha, Qatar

If sending by courier, address the documents to:

Carnegie Mellon Qatar
Office of Admission
Education City – Al Luqta Street
Doha, Qatar
+974 4454 8500

I’m having trouble logging into my online application. What should I do?
Please email ug-admission@qatar.cmu.edu and explain your problem. We will ask you to provide your name and birth date so that we can identify you and help you with your problem.

I forgot my password for my online application. How do I get my password?
Applicants can retrieve their password via this link: http://folderwave18.folderwave.com/OnlineFormsCMU/admin/forgot-password.aspx As a reminder, your user ID is the email you used to start the application. If you continue to have problems retrieving your password and logging in, please email ug-admission@qatar.cmu.edu and explain your problem. You will be asked to provide your name and birth date so that we can identify and assist you.

I accidentally submitted my essay (personal statement) in my online application before it was ready. What should I do?
Please email ug-admission@qatar.cmu.edu and explain your problem. We will resolve the issue to make sure that your desired essay is included in your application.

Is it okay to email scanned copies of my TOEFL, SAT, IELTS, or ACT scores?
Scanned copies of testing scores, recommendation letters and transcripts are not considered official. Testing scores, recommendation letters and transcripts must be hard-copy originals issued by the testing agency, school, or teacher.

Is it okay for my test results to come after the application deadline (March 1), so long as I submit the online application by March 1?
All required documents must be received by the application deadline (Mar 1) in order to be considered for admission. Please plan to take all tests at least 1 month before the application deadline to allow for the required turn-around time. Test results arriving in the Admission Office after the application deadline will not be used in the Admission process.

Is it possible to submit documents (i.e. school transcript, letters of recommendation) in a language other than English?
In order to be considered for the admission process, all documents must be in English. Please have all non-English documents translated by an official translation and certification agency.

Is it possible to apply for admission to both the Doha and Pittsburgh campuses?
Yes, students can apply for admission to both campuses, but separate applications are required. Admission decisions are made independently on each campus.

What is the acceptance rate at Carnegie Mellon Qatar?
For 2010-2011, the acceptance rate was 24.6%. There were 780 applicants, 192 were offered admission, and 98 first year students enrolled.

How many new students does Carnegie Mellon Qatar expect to enroll in 2012?
Carnegie Mellon Qatar plans to enroll up to 100-110 first year students in Fall 2012.

Can an offer of admission be rescinded?
Yes. In cases where a student’s grades drop after being admitted to Carnegie Mellon, an offer of admission may be rescinded. Every enrolling student’s final transcript must include final grades that are consistent with the grades presented to the selection committee at the time the offer of admission was made.

What are the costs of attendance?
Tuition for full-time attendance at Carnegie Mellon in 2011-2012 is USD 43,160 or QAR 157,534. Tuition at Carnegie Mellon Qatar is identical to that of Carnegie Mellon Pittsburgh. Room and board cost approximately an additional USD 6,300 or QAR 23,000 per year. For more information see the Tuition and Financial Aid page

Testing Requirements

Are standardized tests required of all applicants?
Yes, the ACT or SAT and the TOEFL or IELTS are required, no matter which type of school curriculum you come from. These tests are also required for transfer applicants.

What about the TOEFL and the IELTS requirements?
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) should be taken if your native language is not English.

To be certain that Carnegie Mellon receives your test scores, please make sure that the name you use for test registration is identical to your name as it is listed in your passport and in your admission application. Scores should be sent directly to Carnegie Mellon Qatar from the testing center.

Is there an exemption policy for the TOEFL and the IELTS?
Yes. The TOEFL or IELTS can be waived if you have a score of 600 or higher on the SAT Critical Reading or Writing Section, or a score of 26 or higher on both the English and Reading sections of the ACT.

Does Carnegie Mellon Qatar have minimum score requirements?
No. Standardized test scores are one factor considered in the admission decision and there are no absolute minimums. Because admission to Carnegie Mellon Qatar is highly selective, however, the higher your test scores, the more likely you are to be admitted.

Financial Aid

Does Carnegie Mellon Qatar offer financial aid?
Yes. Two types of aid are available. Need-based aid is available to students of any nationality through the Hamad bin Khalifa Financial Aid Program administered by Qatar Foundation. This source of aid requires a separate application which must be done entirely online. For more information see

Qatar Foundation financial aid page

Carnegie Mellon Qatar also awards a small number of merit scholarships each year. Typically these scholarships cover 50% of tuition. Usually between five and ten awards can be made each year in an entering class of 100, depending on budgetary circumstances. Selection is based on grades and test scores. Scholarship recipients during the past few years have been exceptionally well qualified, with 4.0 or near 4.0 grade point averages, SAT scores averaging 750 on the Math section and 650 on the Critical Reading and Writing sections and TOEFL scores averaging around 110 on the Internet-based exam.

Is there a separate process to apply for a merit scholarship?
No, students are evaluated for the merit scholarship based on their application for admission. No separate application is required. Students are notified if they received a merit scholarship at the time of admission.

When do I submit my financial aid application to Qatar Foundation?
Students should complete their financial aid application immediately after receiving their acceptance letter (on or around April 15, 2012) but they should start the application well in advance since there is a substantial amount of information to be entered and forms to be uploaded. We recommend starting the application in January or February. The process is done entirely online through the Qatar Foundation website. Starting the process early helps to ensure that the student and his or her family will be informed of their financial aid amount before Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s enrollment reply date (May 5, 2012). A timeline is available here: http://admission.qatar.cmu.edu/42/important-dates-and-events

Transfer Admission

Does Carnegie Mellon offer admission to transfer applicants?
Yes, students who wish to transfer from their present university are welcome to apply for either the fall or the spring semester. Note that SAT or ACT scores are still required.

How can I know how many credits will transfer from my present university?
Generally some credits transfer and some do not. A formal credit evaluation will be done at the time a transfer applicant is offered admission so you know exactly how many credits will transfer.

Can transfer students receive Financial Aid?
Transfer students can receive financial aid from Qatar Foundation. The Financial Aid Office, however, only considers applications prior to the fall semester. Transfer students entering in January (spring semester) will not be eligible for financial aid in their first semester.

Post-Graduate Programs and Distance Learning

Does Carnegie Mellon Qatar offer post-graduate programs?
Post-graduate programs are not offered in Qatar, but they are offered on the U.S. campus. Please see http://www.cmu.edu/graduate/ for more information.

Does Carnegie Mellon Qatar offer an MBA program?
No, Carnegie Mellon Qatar does not have an MBA program. The Pittsburgh campus in the U.S. does offer an MBA program. For more information please see: http://www.tepper.cmu.edu/mba/index.aspx

Does Carnegie Mellon Qatar plan to offer an MBA program or any other post-graduate program in the future?
Presently there are no plans to offer an MBA program or any other post-graduate program in Qatar.

Does Carnegie Mellon Qatar offer online, distance-learning, or part-time programs?
Online, distance-learning, or part-time programs are not offered in Qatar but are offered on the U.S. campus. Please see http://www.cmu.edu/academics/distance-learning.shtml for more information. Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s programs are all full-time undergraduate programs requiring residence in Qatar.

Carnegie Mellon Qatar Academics

What majors are offered?
Four undergraduate majors are offered by Carnegie Mellon Qatar: Biological Sciences, Business Administration, Computer Science, and Information Systems. All four majors require four years of full time study to earn a Bachelor of Science degree.

Does Carnegie Mellon Qatar offer minors?
Yes. In fact, minors are required for students majoring in Business Administration and Computer Science. Students can minor in any one of three major subjects offered, as well as history, English, and architecture. Self-designed minors are also possible with permission from your academic advisor.

Is it possible to study abroad or transfer to the main campus in the U.S. after beginning on the Qatar campus?
Students are encouraged to study abroad on the main campus for 1 or 2 semesters. (Note: Financial Aid from Qatar Foundation is given for 1 semester of study abroad). It is also possible for students to transfer to the main campus permanently. This, however, requires an internal transfer application. Transfer between campuses cannot be guaranteed. The transfer process between the campuses is similar to the transfer process of a U.S. campus student wishing to change their program of study within the university.

Prospective students who wish to study in the U.S. are strongly encouraged to apply directly to the Pittsburgh campus (http://my.cmu.edu/portal/site/admission/). It is possible to apply separately to both the Doha and the Pittsburgh campuses.

Is it possible to double major?
Yes, it is possible for students to double major within Carnegie Mellon Qatar but not within two different institutions in Education City. Carnegie Mellon students are currently able to double major in Computer Science and Information Systems, or Business Administration and Information Systems. Before deciding to double major, students should consider the added time, commitment, and cost that this path may incur. Students should expect at least 1 additional year of study in order to complete double major requirements. (Note: Financial Aid from Qatar Foundation is given for a maximum of 4 years of study.) Students must start with one major during their first year and then they can petition to double major. Petitions must receive approval from the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs.

What is the academic calendar at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar?
The academic calendar in Qatar is very similar the academic calendar used on the U.S. campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The first semester starts in late August and ends in mid-December. The second semester starts in mid-January and ends in mid-May. Qatar Campus holidays typically include Qatar Independence Day, Eid al Fater, and Eid al Adha.

Does Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar offer summer courses?
Yes, approximately seven to ten courses are offered each summer. Students from other universities are welcome to register for these courses. Contact Carnegie Mellon’s Enrollment Services Specialist, Bianca van Zundert on email at biancaz@qatar.cmu.edu or +974 4454 8433 for more information .

Does Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar offer courses for part-time students?
No. All four majors require full-time study for the Bachelor of Science degree.

Plan a Personal Visit

All prospective students are encouraged to schedule a visit to Carnegie Mellon in Education City and meet with a member of the admission staff.

Make an Informed Decision

Deciding to attend Carnegie Mellon in Qatar is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. Carnegie Mellon is home to 16 Nobel Prize laureates and ten Turing Award winners.