Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar hosted 117 high school students for Experience CMU-Q, a day-long opportunity for students to explore their options for university.

Michael Trick, the dean of CMU-Q, welcomed the students as they began their day. “Today you will do two workshops, and that will give you a good idea about those programs. But it will also show you that at CMU-Q, you have flexibility to explore your interests and have a unique undergraduate experience.”

Last year was the first time CMU-Q offered the double-workshop format, where students can try out one program in the morning and a second field in the afternoon. Last year, 20 of the students who participated in Experience CMU-Q ended up enrolling as first year students in the university.

Damian Dourado, the director of pre-college programs at CMU-Q, noted that the program is a way for students to test-drive different academic programs: “I hope that students are able to better understand the majors we offer. We want them to understand what our programs are, to have fun, and to be excited about majoring in that area.”

Roughly 98% of those who attended CMU-Q are seniors who will be graduating from high school this year.

CMU-Q is now accepting applications for admission in the fall semester of 2020. The admission deadline is February 1.