Stereotypes and Social Life at Carnegie Mellon University

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• published: 06 Nov 2009
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College campuses have personalities. These personalities are extensions of the sorts of students who are attracted to the educational and social priorities of the college or university. Thus they tend to be a bit self-reinforcing, sometimes. It's important, therefore, to investigate the social stereotypes of a college campus, and learn whether they are true or not, and thus whether you think you will be a good fit for that campus. I was recently on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which has a reputation as being a hard-core technical institute, where most of the students are propeller-heads and techno-geeks. By the same token, however, CMU has a great college of fine arts and a renowned drama program, so there is a strong contingent of artsy types. I asked one of our tour guides at CMU to explain the stereotype to me, and to tell me whether he thought it was true. His sense is that it isn't really true. However, given the academic focus of the university, as well as the fact that CMU does not have NCAA Division 1 sports, the campus is slightly more "geeky," shall we say, than many others. People are focused on their studies. This is not to say that students at CMU do not know how to have a good time, as the tour guide suggests. There is an active Greek life, and the activities board puts on many, many activities throughout the year. Mark is an independent educational planner and college counselor based in Denver, Colorado, with clients from all over the country and all over the world. He helps students determine which are the best colleges and universities that fit their needs, talents, and aspirations. Then he helps them with the entire admissions process, from filling out the applications to completing the essays. Part of what he does is visit colleges all over the country to get a good sense of the "feel," the "personality" of the campuses, so that he can best match his clients' needs, interests, and aspirations. Mark can also help students to make good course choices in high school, assist in making priorities for extracurricular activities, and ensure that students continue to make progress toward their goals. This includes plans for taking standardized tests (SAT, SAT2, ACT, TOEFL). Mark also offers advice on how to reduce the cost of college through a combination of scholarships and financial aid from the colleges themselves. Mark can help you find the right college for you---and get in! Give him a call at 720.275.7577, or visit his website at http://greatcollegeadvice.com.