How Your Application is Considered

In our admissions process, we give careful, individual attention to each applicant. We seek to identify students who show perseverance and growth and those who will enrich one another, their professors, and the culture at CIAM.  We seek individuals who will inspire those around them during their CIAM years and beyond.

Selection is based on a holistic review, both academic and personal information, that is presented in the application.  Holistic review refers to the process of evaluating applications where no one piece of information is weighted more heavily over another, but emphasis is placed on academic preparedness, perseverance and potential contribution to the campus and beyond. This is why it is so important to address each section of the application thoughtfully and thoroughly.

The goal of our selection process is to identify applicants who are most likely to contribute to the intellectual, cultural, and entrepreneurial community, and the world at large.

The following areas are considered in the review of the personal statement and the application:

Growth And Potential

• Professional and personal accomplishments 
• Initiative, motivation and inspiration
• Goals and interests
• Expected goals and contributions for the next 5,10 or 25 years
• Self-development goals
• Intentions for a graduate education

Interests And Activities

• Intellectual, professional and personal passions and interests 
• Learned experiences from successes and failures
• Commitment to leadership

Character And Personality

• Choices in life and their reasons
• Openness to new ideas and people
• Appearance and poise
• Communication and interpersonal skills 
• Grace under pressure
• Aspiration to contribute to CIAM community