Why I Chose CMU

Hey all! I’m Rowan, I’m in my second semester at CMU, studying music and technology. A bit about me: I’m from Portland, OR (home of trees, rain, thrifting and no sales tax), and in high school, I loved it all: choir, theatre, dance, physics languages. But mainly, I had no idea how I was going to pick between my music classes and my academic interests when choosing a college program.

There are many factors that go into choosing a college, and I want to share with you a couple of the reasons that I decided to attend CMU. Make no mistake – this was not a decision taken lightly on my part. Junior summer, I developed a 14x21 cell spreadsheet detailing EVERY factor in making my college decision. One of the most important factors in choosing a college is undeniably your program of study, so we’ll start there. 

The Academics
There is a Fiske Guide to Colleges 2025 book on my dining room table at home, and the page for CMU reads something like “the only premier powerhouse that is equally strong in the arts and in technology.” When I read that sentence sometime in junior year, something in my brain clicked: at CMU, I wouldn’t have to choose between my passions. That’s held true every day since I arrived (I’m still waiting for the moment someone tells me I have to pick a side, but it hasn’t happened yet).

While my home college is the College of Fine Arts (CFA), I take coursework in the School of Computer Science (SCS) as well as the College of Engineering (CIT). My major (music and technology) is basically one third music, one third CS and one third electrical engineering. It allows me to take world-class courses in all of my interests… while combining them… all while graduating in four years. In choosing CMU, I felt confident that whatever I wanted to study, I would receive the best education in that field. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, CMU excels at combining arts and technology – but we also combine other, more academic subjects. Students in Information Systems take courses in computer science, business and psychology, while computational biology kids in SCS combine (surprise!) computer science and biology in a program unique to Carnegie Mellon. CMU students explore the ways ‘distinct’ fields are more related than we think.

At CMU, some of your classmates will be on Broadway the year after graduation. Others will use their experience building a lunar rover at CMU to go work at NASA. Some will do it all in ways that you never thought possible. But before that, they’ll be your floormates, your classmates your friends. And that brings me to my favorite part about CMU.

The People
Some context for this blog post: I’m writing this in the car back from Buffalo, NY, where I competed with the CMU Treblemakers in the ICCA Semifinals (like Pitch Perfect, if you’ve ever seen it). Whether we were rehearsing at midnight or driving through a New York snowstorm, two core things about the CMU community became clear to me. 

First, people at CMU are passionate. They are committed to what they do. They love to learn, whether that be mechanical engineering or vocal performance or physics or psychology – they are deeply interested in the world around them, and how they can contribute in one way or another. I haven’t met a single person here who isn’t passionate.

Second, people at CMU care. The most amazing things I’ve done at school so far have been opportunities that my friends and classmates have brought up to me – for example, I collaborated to code and sound design an original story game. Many of my most promising internship opportunities for the summer (wish me luck!) have come out of connections with upperclassmen and faculty members. I’ve found that my peers celebrate my accomplishments and actively share opportunities when they arise.

The Opportunities
The last thing I’d like to highlight about CMU is the wealth of opportunities available through the school. In my first year, I’ve already done so much I’m proud of: I landed a remote arts and technology gig, became a choreographer and sound designer for the Barkada Filipino Dance Team, learned to code, participated in my first hackathon and performed in the School of Drama’s Playground performance.

At CMU, it feels like you don’t have to LOOK for opportunities, sometimes they just fall into your lap spontaneously. There are so many great projects, I’ve found myself having to say no to cool things, like singing with the CMU Singers (the School of Music’s chamber choir), participating in undergraduate research or engaging in leadership professional development. It’s a great problem to have: the abundance of opportunities allow me to explore what I’m interested in, but at the same time, learn to prioritize what’s more important to me.  

The combination of academics, opportunities and wonderful people at CMU have made me confident I made the right choice. Whether you’re visiting for a day or staying for four years, I hope to see you on campus!