I’m visiting Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon in the next few days, but I won’t be able to attend the tours/information sessions. For now, I’ve planned out what parts of the campus I want to visit (ex. dining halls and the Cathedral of Learning), but does anyone have any tips on how to “enhance” my experience?
Much appreciated 
*I’m still kind of new to this site, so I’m not sure if I put this in the correct forum category…
I’d print out a campus map (can usually be found online) before you go.
If you can eat in the dining hall do that. Ask if you can sit in on a class. I’m always impressed with students who email professors ahead of time and talk to them when they are there. If you have extra time exploring the area around campus might be worth it. Nice parks, nice museums.
I don’t know about Pitt or CMU but some schools have apps that can help you tell what’s what when you’re doing a self guided tour.
Go to the admissions office. Even if you don’t do a guided tour, they will have information that can be useful to you, including maps. Also, it may be helpful to demonstrating your “interest” in the college if you sign in at the office there when you ask for information.
At Pitt, check out the William Pitt Union, the library, and any buildings that would be associated with the intended major. Pitt alumni here and I recently did the tour with my DAD.
Definitely start at admissions. Sign in and pick up materials. Ask if you can eat in a dining hall or if there is anything of note going on on campus that day. Occasionally, you’ll get lucky and find that something of interest coincides with your visit. We always found admissions offices to have good referrals for a restaurant if you’re not eating in a dining hall. They want you to like the area so won’t steer you wrong.
There are a few places you must visit: any dining halls, any libraries, the admissions offcie, the student union, if there is one. Agree with others too. Your are trying to get the vibe of a school, and the students provide the vibe. If you only do one thing, have a meal, or at least a coffee break in a busy cafe or dining hall.
If you’re the outgoing type, try to strike up a couple of conversations with students and/or professors if the situation allows - in one of the academic buildings or the student center, for instance.
If admissions will be closed when you attend, you can contact them in advance and ask for suggestions as to where to visit, see if they can provide you with anything in advance (perhaps tickets to eat in the dining hall) etc.
CMU’s info session didn’t do anything for me but make it clear that we wouldn’t be able to afford CMU because they only meet need for ED students…so you’re not missing much. The tour was actually pretty useless too, like 60 of us straining to hear a tour guide. The admissions office has brochures for each college that explains things better than the info speaker.
Go to the student center and check out the posters for clubs. Sit at a coffee shop and ask a few questions of the servers (if they’re not too busy) or people hanging out to try to get a feeling about student life.
Ask the admissions office if you can sit in on a class. They may be able to set that up without you taking the tour.
Attend a student performance if you are there during the evening.
@ohmomof2 Just correcting the CMU comment. S17 was accepted for this Fall. They met full need (merit scholarship + need based grant), and he was not ED.
Congratulations to your S @psycholing !
They CAN meet full need but they do so only when they want to, which is basically what they said in the presentation (they do not guarantee it). Not even for ED, actually, now, but we were there a few years ago.
http://admission.enrollment.cmu.edu/pages/financial-aid - I find the whole thing a bit defensive and edgy, like we felt at the info session. But kudos to them for being clear about what they will and will not do, even if they appear to blame the gov’t for their FA policies.
Apparently your S was one they wanted a lot, or his need wasn’t huge, or some combo. Again, congratulations. CMU is a great school.