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Carnegie Mellon Summer: Pre-College Architecture
Overview
An intensive 5-week residential and commuter program for high school students combining architectural design studio with digital media, analog drawing, history/theory seminars, and field trips to architectural sites and museums. Students develop foundational skills in 2D, 3D, digital, and analog design techniques through daily studio work and critique.
At a glance
Deadline
Mar 1110 days
Sessions
Jun5 wk sessions
Formats
Residential / Commuter
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Cost
$7,000+from $8,253
Entering grades
10th, 11th, 12th
Acceptance
Competitive admissions with fixed decision dates (March 15 for early deadline applicants, April 15 for final deadline applicants)
Application requirements
Completed online application
Required
Unofficial transcript
Required
Standardized test scores
Optional
Letter of recommendation
One letter required
Essay responses
Two essays of 300–500 words each: (1) What do you hope to gain from Pre-College Programs? (2) Why are you interested in studying architecture?
Video submission
30 seconds maximum, no staging or post-production required; submit as YouTube/Vimeo link or file format (.m4v, .mov, .mp4, .wmv, .flv, .asf, .mpeg, .mpg, .mkv), under 10MB
Artwork samples
Optional but highly recommended: 5–10 images of original work in single PDF; video/audio artwork links may be included
Age requirement
Must be at least 16 years old by program start date (June 20, 2026)
Grade requirement
Must be entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grade
Cost & sessions
Commuter: $8,253; Residential: $10,744. Tuition, housing (residential), dining, CMU ID Card with Arts Pass, and free Pittsburgh Regional Transit included. Materials and tools for design studio and media work provided. $50 non-refundable application fee; $800 non-refundable enrollment deposit (scholarship recipients pay $100). Full scholarships covering tuition, housing, and dining available for students demonstrating financial need; must apply by February 1 deadline. International students ineligible for scholarships.
Financial aid
Full scholarships covering tuition, housing, and dining available for students demonstrating financial need; early deadline (February 1) required for scholarship applications.
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