Application Instructions & Timeline

There are two timelines for undergraduate applications: Regular Submission and Early Decision.

Regular Submission

With regular submission, most application materials are due January 4.  We highly recommend you submit the first part of your Common Application by December 1. The university will send the results of your application between mid-March and April 1.



Deadlines to Remember

  • All Admissions forms due: January 4
  • Examination scores and transcripts due: January 4
  • Teacher recommendations due: January 4
  • School of Design materials (digital portfolio, video, essay) uploaded to SlideRoom by: January 15
  • Financial aid in place: February 15
  • Registration for optional School of Design Experience (on campus): Mid-October
  • School of Design Info Session: October 19

Application Hints                          

  • Schedule examinations with the testing agency well in advance of your exam dates
  • Document your portfolio pieces well before January 15 to avoid a last minute rush and potential technical problems

You must arrange to have admissions materials mailed so that they arrive at Carnegie Mellon no later than the deadline. You may send your materials early, as long as you've submitted your application and application fee. You'll receive a confirmation notice, along with an identification code so that you can track your application progress.

Early Decision

Early decision is for applicants who want to declare Carnegie Mellon as their first choice and have highly competitive qualifications. To be considered for early decision, you must complete the application forms by November 1. We highly recommend you submit the first part of your Common Application by early October. You should know that our acceptance rate for Early Decision is low. For this reason many applicants choose to apply Regular Decision. 

Deadlines to Remember

  • All Admissions forms: November 1
  • Exam scores and transcripts: November 1
  • Teacher recommendations due: November 1
  • School of Design materials (digital portfolio, video, essay) uploaded to SlideRoom by: November 1
  • Financial aid in place: November 1
  • School of Design Info Session: October 19

You must arrange to have admissions materials mailed so that they arrive at Carnegie Mellon no later than the deadline. You may send your materials early, as long as we've already received your common application and have created a file for you. You'll receive a confirmation notice when your application has been received. 

International Applications

International students may apply for either regular submission or early decision, (as described above) but must comply with two additional requirements:

  • Contact the International Education Office as soon as possible. The office has information about visa and immigration requirements, student associations, and other concerns for international students.
  • For applicants whose native language is not English, submit TOEFL or IELT scores. We require a TOEFL score of 102 or higher or an IELT score of 7.5 or higher. Please arrange to have your scores arrive at the University Admissions Office no later than January 1 (or November 1 for Early Decision) along with your other (ACT/SAT I) test scores.

International applicants should follow the same portfolio guidelines as regular decision applicants.

Transfer Applications

Whether you are currently enrolled at Carnegie Mellon in another school/department, or are transferring from another university, you must file an application to the School of Design. Every applicant to our undergraduate program must submit digital materials (portfolio, video, essay) by uploading to the university’s secure SlideRoom portal. No physical portfolios will be accepted. Transfer applicants (external and internal) are not eligible for Early Decision application.

Note that Internal Transfer Applicants have a separate portal in SlideRoom. Other differences in requirements and deadlines are below:

External transfer applicants

An external transfer applicant must submit the Common Application through the university admissions office. Deadlines to Remember:

  • All Admissions forms due: January 4
  • Examination scores and transcripts due: January 4
  • Teacher recommendations due: January 4
  • School of Design materials (digital portfolio, video, essay) uploaded to SlideRoom by: January 15
  • Financial aid in place: February 15
  • School of Design Info Session: October 19; April 2021 (TBD)

Internal transfer applicants

  • Application to the School of Design (found in SlideRoom) due: January 15
  • School of Design materials (digital portfolio, video, essay) uploaded to SlideRoom by: January 15
  • Teacher recommendations uploaded to SlideRoom by: January 15
  • School of Design Info Session: October 19; April 2021 (TBD)

Transfer applicants (external and internal) are not eligible for early decision application. Although we welcome transfer applications, you should know that our acceptance rate is low. There are several reasons:

  • We accept transfers for the fall semester only – not spring or summer.
  • Due to our low attrition rate, our studio space is limited.
  • Transfer applications are processed with the general pool of applications. Even if you are accepted into another program in the College of Fine Arts or elsewhere in the university, there is no guarantee that you will be able to transfer into the School of Design. Each school in the College of Fine Arts sets its own acceptance criteria.

Regardless of your prior college experience, if you are accepted you are likely to be assigned First Year status for your first year in the School of Design.