Another Extraordinary Year

Dear Members of the CMU Community:

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Carnegie Mellon University’s 2024-25 academic year! Whether you are returning to our vibrant community or joining us for the first time, you are now part of a remarkable institution where innovation, creativity and a deep commitment to excellence thrive. We’re so glad you’re here!

Each August, from Pittsburgh to Doha, Silicon Valley to Kigali, our university comes alive with the energy and promise of a new beginning. This year, we are delighted to welcome more than 5,000 new undergraduate and graduate students from around the globe, who will join our dynamic network of returning students and dedicated, passionate faculty and staff.

And, as the new academic year kicks off, the demand for a Carnegie Mellon education continues to soar. We received nearly 34,000 applications from aspiring first-year students, and a record share of our accepted students — 47% — then committed to CMU. Our graduate programs are also highly regarded, with our graduate student body representing an impressive 115 countries worldwide.

Carnegie Mellon has always been a place where disciplines converge and Tartans succeed at redefining what’s possible. Our community of scholars, artists, innovators and leaders are uniquely skilled at dreaming up — and then building — a bold new future. In the days to come, I encourage you to seek out diverse viewpoints, ask earnest questions and look for common ties. This work, which helps to build bridges of understanding and promote civil discourse, is vital to any new beginning. It’s also foundational to our democracy and core to advancing Carnegie Mellon’s mission of creating and leveraging knowledge for society’s gain.

We have a lot to be proud of and an incredible foundation to work from. I invite you to visit our webpage dedicated to highlighting some of the many accomplishments earned by our CMU community over the previous academic year.

So, no matter where you’ve called home or how long you’ve been here: Welcome, again, to the new academic year! On behalf of the entire leadership team, we look forward to seeing you around campus and watching all the wonderful ways that our community will come together — and excel together — in the year ahead.

Warm Regards,

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair