Are students unhappy at CMU?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just dont get why parents send their kids to places like Cornell, CMU.

all downside.. weather, hard academics, no life

because a lot of people are brand whores.

I thought the School of Drama is supposed to be legitimately top-notch?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just dont get why parents send their kids to places like Cornell, CMU.

all downside.. weather, hard academics, no life

People get attached to the brand name, and don't consider that 4 years is a big chunk of your life (and at schools that difficult, maybe 5-6 years).

I am from Europe and I somehow ended up at CMU as an undergrad without really knowing anything about. I loved it. I had the greatest time. The education was top notch, so many interesting classes and amazing professors. I thought all American schools were like this because they this is what college is supposed to be like. It's certainly like that, except much less fun, where I came from.

Later I realized Americans expect some kind of intense social experience from college. Fine. But, this being a very large and diverse country, I am sure there are others like me who have no problem with "bad weather, no life" etc so they are choosing CMU because of it and not (only) because of the brand name. My oldest is like that, for sure, and I would definitively send her there, but it's quite pricey. But reading here how terrible CMU is because it is focused on academics, it's starting to look like a good deal.

+100
1 relative and 1 coworker graduated in the last 8 yrs (EE, CS)and they loved it but would be the first to say they worked their tails off. It was hard, absolutely, but they each thrived there and met friends/spouse. One went on to grad school at cornell and thought it was great too! Part of this depends on the individual.

Yeah, it's a great school for the right type of student.
But it's not for everyone, particularly those who weigh social life > academics in their decision process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just dont get why parents send their kids to places like Cornell, CMU.

all downside.. weather, hard academics, no life

because a lot of people are brand whores.

I thought the School of Drama is supposed to be legitimately top-notch?

Safe to say nobody commenting here had a kid that was at CMU for the Drama/Theatre program. I would imagine a 100% different experience.

The program is top-notch. Grads include Ethan Hawke, Ted Danson and a gazillion others. I believe Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes kid is now there in the Arts program.

The hardest admit for the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just dont get why parents send their kids to places like Cornell, CMU.

all downside.. weather, hard academics, no life

because a lot of people are brand whores.

I thought the School of Drama is supposed to be legitimately top-notch?

Safe to say nobody commenting here had a kid that was at CMU for the Drama/Theatre program. I would imagine a 100% different experience.

The program is top-notch. Grads include Ethan Hawke, Ted Danson and a gazillion others. I believe Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes kid is now there in the Arts program.

The hardest admit for the school.

My DD graduated from CMU school of drama in 2017. She is currently a struggling actress, and we (DW and I) are supporting her financially.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just dont get why parents send their kids to places like Cornell, CMU.

all downside.. weather, hard academics, no life

because a lot of people are brand whores.

I thought the School of Drama is supposed to be legitimately top-notch?

Safe to say nobody commenting here had a kid that was at CMU for the Drama/Theatre program. I would imagine a 100% different experience.

The program is top-notch. Grads include Ethan Hawke, Ted Danson and a gazillion others. I believe Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes kid is now there in the Arts program.

The hardest admit for the school.

My DD graduated from CMU school of drama in 2017. She is currently a struggling actress, and we (DW and I) are supporting her financially.

That's 99% of actors and actresses even those graduating from Julliard, as well as musicians graduating from Berklee. That's just the business your kid picked.

Many of the most famous stars (Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Amy Adams, etc.) never attended college at all, the same as many famous musicians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any thoughts on whether kids are more miserable at CMU than Hopkins or Chicago?

Similar.

Disagree, CMU is in a class by itself. The kids I know at Chicago and Hopkins are happy.

Chicago has improved dramatically over the years, but I have to wonder how many Hopkins students you know. From what I gather CMU, JHU and URoch are the unholy trinity of misery.

More than you since I am an Hopkins alum and currently mentor a Hopkins club I was a member of while an undergrad. I also know a few current undergrads from my kids’ high schools.

I smoked pot with Johnny Hopkins

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just ran into a third freshman from CMU home for fall break and each one separately said it’s okay/meh/so-so. This really surprised me. One turned 3 ivies down for cmu’s CS program, one is a recruited athlete who really wanted to go there, and one had it as her first choice.

Is this typical or atypical and just a coincidence?

It’s known to be a pressure cooker and not a very happy place.

+1

It's been like that for years. Did grad school there 30+ years ago (a specialized Masters program and not your typical EE/CS MS/PHD program). The undergrads were rarely smiling (then again I wasn't smiling in Distributed Systems either) It's always been a pressure cooker and quite frankly the campus is not that "pretty/nice" like many other campuses are. Pittsburgh is much improved now, but not the campus really

+2. Literally was told that on tour there and didn't even apply after everyone basically spent my entire visit going on and on about how people disliked it. I mean...when the students running the tour are making gallows humor jokes about the place instead of doing the typical bubbly "I love my school!" thing, you know it's a place for just a certain type of student. And that student wasn't me.

But my co-workers who are CMU alumni loved it.

you have to be a certain type to enjoy it. If you like to have fun (at all), look elsewhere. I know 2 realizes who went there recently (STEM/CS) and both hated it and just stuck it out to get the degree, but did not have a happy undergrad.

And I went to a "pressure cooker" undergrad (T10), but it was just very different and people had fun (both with parties and non-partier/drinkers ) At CMU only the people in our grad program and the MBA program looked like they were happy. Not many undergrads did

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:just dont get why parents send their kids to places like Cornell, CMU.

all downside.. weather, hard academics, no life

We toured Cornell summer before senior year. My kid hated it. COuldn't arrange a tour (they don't give them). just had you a map at the admissions office and send you on your way. The town was okay, but not very exciting and the fact you are surrounded by nothing was depressing---it was only slightly better than RPI (and my kid took one look at that campus/area and said "really we can skip the tour no way in hell I'm spending a day on this campus, let alone 4 years" and I agreed.

The weather isn't the complete big issue---my kid is only a few hours away in an similar weather situation. But the kids at the school seemed much nicer, the campus is much nicer and it's a city of 200K+, so while it's not the "best city" it's a city. The airport is 5-10 mins from campus (and it's only 2 flights to get home), not a shuttle ride plus 2 flights or 3+ flights to get home. We just were not impressed with Cornell, and their lack of seeming to care about prospective students tells me that once you get in you might be treated the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just dont get why parents send their kids to places like Cornell, CMU.

all downside.. weather, hard academics, no life

We toured Cornell summer before senior year. My kid hated it. COuldn't arrange a tour (they don't give them). just had you a map at the admissions office and send you on your way. The town was okay, but not very exciting and the fact you are surrounded by nothing was depressing---it was only slightly better than RPI (and my kid took one look at that campus/area and said "really we can skip the tour no way in hell I'm spending a day on this campus, let alone 4 years" and I agreed.

The weather isn't the complete big issue---my kid is only a few hours away in an similar weather situation. But the kids at the school seemed much nicer, the campus is much nicer and it's a city of 200K+, so while it's not the "best city" it's a city. The airport is 5-10 mins from campus (and it's only 2 flights to get home), not a shuttle ride plus 2 flights or 3+ flights to get home. We just were not impressed with Cornell, and their lack of seeming to care about prospective students tells me that once you get in you might be treated the same.

Which school did your kid attend that's "much nicer" and in a city of 200k+?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any thoughts on whether kids are more miserable at CMU than Hopkins or Chicago?

Similar.

Disagree, CMU is in a class by itself. The kids I know at Chicago and Hopkins are happy.

Chicago has improved dramatically over the years, but I have to wonder how many Hopkins students you know. From what I gather CMU, JHU and URoch are the unholy trinity of misery.

More than you since I am an Hopkins alum and currently mentor a Hopkins club I was a member of while an undergrad. I also know a few current undergrads from my kids’ high schools.

I smoked pot with Johnny Hopkins

And Sloan Kettering too.

[Anonymous]

DC's good friend is a freshman there.....and not thrilled. Was pressured to apply ED by an alum parent and was shocked to get in even though they good stats, grades, rigor (full IB diploma). They feel guilty spending family money on a less-than-expected venture. We won't be shocked if there's a transfer in their future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just dont get why parents send their kids to places like Cornell, CMU.

all downside.. weather, hard academics, no life

We toured Cornell summer before senior year. My kid hated it. COuldn't arrange a tour (they don't give them). just had you a map at the admissions office and send you on your way. The town was okay, but not very exciting and the fact you are surrounded by nothing was depressing---it was only slightly better than RPI (and my kid took one look at that campus/area and said "really we can skip the tour no way in hell I'm spending a day on this campus, let alone 4 years" and I agreed.

The weather isn't the complete big issue---my kid is only a few hours away in an similar weather situation. But the kids at the school seemed much nicer, the campus is much nicer and it's a city of 200K+, so while it's not the "best city" it's a city. The airport is 5-10 mins from campus (and it's only 2 flights to get home), not a shuttle ride plus 2 flights or 3+ flights to get home. We just were not impressed with Cornell, and their lack of seeming to care about prospective students tells me that once you get in you might be treated the same.

Which school did your kid attend that's "much nicer" and in a city of 200k+?

Different poster: my two kids disliked Cornell. We walked the campus on our own but attended an admissions presentation beforehand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just dont get why parents send their kids to places like Cornell, CMU.

all downside.. weather, hard academics, no life

We toured Cornell summer before senior year. My kid hated it. COuldn't arrange a tour (they don't give them). just had you a map at the admissions office and send you on your way. The town was okay, but not very exciting and the fact you are surrounded by nothing was depressing---it was only slightly better than RPI (and my kid took one look at that campus/area and said "really we can skip the tour no way in hell I'm spending a day on this campus, let alone 4 years" and I agreed.

The weather isn't the complete big issue---my kid is only a few hours away in an similar weather situation. But the kids at the school seemed much nicer, the campus is much nicer and it's a city of 200K+, so while it's not the "best city" it's a city. The airport is 5-10 mins from campus (and it's only 2 flights to get home), not a shuttle ride plus 2 flights or 3+ flights to get home. We just were not impressed with Cornell, and their lack of seeming to care about prospective students tells me that once you get in you might be treated the same.

Which school did your kid attend that's "much nicer" and in a city of 200k+?

Different poster: my two kids disliked Cornell. We walked the campus on our own but attended an admissions presentation beforehand.

DP, unfortunately, my kid also didn’t like Cornell. She didn’t even bother applying.
She ended up going to a school in Boston and really enjoys it. Different schools appeal to different kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Glad my kid was rejected (CS) because seems so many kids miserable.

+1 DS even said he doesn't think he would've been happy there.

[Anonymous]

Engineering schools are challenging for virtually all students. So maybe it should not be a complete surprise if CMU's engineering students are not having the best time of their life.