Quick Guide to Applying to the INI Graduate Programs

This guide lists all the documents required in order for your application to be considered complete by the INI admissions office. If you are missing any of the documents listed below, your application cannot be reviewed for admission.

Application Guidelines

  1. A completed online application form (all sections filled out)
  2. Application fee (pay by credit card or check)
  3. Three letters of recommendation (online submission only) - Details
  4. Statement of Purpose (completed in the online application; uploading is not an option) - Details
  5. Resume (all applicants should submit one)
  6. Official transcripts (from all post secondary institutions attended whether a degree was obtained or not. Applicants who attended a university in India must provide mark sheets—copies attested and sealed by the registrar are acceptable) - Details
  7. Official GRE General Test score report*
    • ETS Report codes: institution code #2074 (Carnegie Mellon U), department code #0404 (Information Sciences)
  8. Official TOEFL score report* (required of all applicants for whom English is not their native language/mother tongue) - Details
    • ETS Report codes: institution code #8569 (CMU-Interdisciplinary Studies), department code #99 (department not listed)

* ETS reports must be sent to the INI using the codes provided above. Due to the volume of applications that need to be processed, the INI will no longer contact other departments to retrieve misdirected reports.

All supplemental documents including transcripts and financial information, should be sent to the following address:

Information Networking Institute
Carnegie Mellon University
Admissions Committee
4616 Henry St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

There are two rounds of reviews for the INI's Pittsburgh programs. The first round is conducted immediately following the application deadline, February 1 and all applications that are submitted and complete by this date will be included in the first round. All applications that have been submitted online by the February 1 deadline but that are still missing supplemental documents, such as transcripts, test scores and recommendation letters that are required to complete the application, will be reviewed in the second round in March on a space-available basis.

Note: International applicants must include financial support documentation as part of their application package. Documents can be in the form of bank statements or Affidavits of Support. (No specific amount or format is required. Applicants just need to demonstrate a general ability to cover costs). Any applicants who do not provide funding information as requested may not be considered for financial assistance.

Please note that you will need to send additional support documents if admitted, for processing of the I-20 or DS-2019 Certificates.

Details

Recommendations:

  1. Only the three recommenders identified online will be considered. Additional recommendations sent as hard copies or emailed to the INI admissions staff will not be considered.

Statement of Purpose (SOP):

1. The statement of purpose can no longer be uploaded; it must be completed online. Answers must be detailed; single-sentence responses or short responses will render the SOP incomplete and the application will not be reviewed.

Official Transcripts:

  1. The university registrar must seal official academic records. Unsealed documents will not be accepted. The university or the applicant may send the documents.
  2. If applicants have completed their undergraduate program, proof of graduation must be provided.
  3. If applicants are completing their undergraduate program, they may be considered for admission under the following conditions: international applicants must be finished by June to be considered for fall admission; and the final official transcripts/mark sheets and proof of graduation must be submitted by the start of classes in August.

TOEFL Scores:

  1. Applicants who are non-native English speakers may only be considered for a TOEFL waiver if they attended and completed a four-year undergraduate program at a U.S. university in the U.S.
  2. Applicants who are non-native English speakers who are attending a graduate program in the U.S. may submit old TOEFL reports (official or unofficial). The admissions committee will determine whether a new TOEFL is required based on the original score and consideration of the number of years the applicant has been studying in the U.S.

Unrequested Supplemental Documents:

  1. Applicants may only submit technical certificates in support of their application and summaries of research. Full research documents can not be reviewed. Certificates and awards not issued by established companies (e.g., Cisco, Microsoft, etc.) will not be considered.
  2. Awards and certificates for extracurricular activities not related to the intended field of study will not be considered.

Proving Programming Skills:

  1. Requested descriptions of C, C++ or Java programming experience must provide in-depth information about an applicant's skill with the relevant language. The description should identify a project or class and the solution used by the applicant. Short responses that provide no significant detail will be considered insufficient. The applicant will be marked as not having the necessary experience and will not be considered for admission.

Data Structures/Probability Theory Requirements:

  1. Applicants must identify required courses in data structures and probability theory in the application form where requested. Applicants who do not provide this information where requested will be marked as not having the necessary experience and will not be reviewed.
  2. Applicants who identify courses that are not specifically listed as "data structures" and "probability theory" on their transcripts must provide a university syllabus of the courses they are identifying as covering these two subjects. The course descriptions cannot be typed out by the applicant, but must be a hard- or soft-copy document that is produced and posted by the university or faculty member teaching the course.

An Important Note About Contacting the INI

Applicants awaiting review may not contact the INI faculty or staff other than the admissions staff managing the application submission. Applications may be removed from consideration if applicants make any attempt to discuss their application with INI/CMU personnel or faculty other than the admissions staff or submit additional documents or information after the application deadlines in order to gain an advantage in the review process. All documents and information to be considered in the review process must be submitted by the given deadlines.

The application form and supporting documents are all that are required to make a fair assessment of each applicant's qualifications. If additional information is required, the applicant will be notified.

Programs

Please see the individual program pages for details on each program:

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The INI is a department of the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and the educational partner of Carnegie Mellon Cylab.

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