DS and I will be heading off on a college tour this summer and would love any recommendations for must see / do / eat opportunities at the above listed schools. We have our hotels covered, but would really appreciate ideas for self-guided campus highlights (engineering) as well as surrounding area cafes, entertainment, etc… Thanks in advance to the CC community for your guidance!
I visited many colleges, including a few on your list, with my S a few years ago. However, college visits are probably very different these days due to COVID restrictions. My general advice is to prepare as much as you can before your trips. Create a list of areas (both academic and non-academic) that you and your son deem important. Research each school and find out as much as you can in each of these areas. On your tours/visits, try to get answers to your questions (or confirmations). Make sure to jot down some notes after each visit (and before the next one). For engineering, be sure to visit the engineering department and try to get those related questions answered.
Look up Daytripper University online - they have very detailed itineraries for many campuses plus surrounding areas. We have printed out and used many times for ideas. love they categorize restaurants as college budget and others as great when your parents are paying 
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Ga Tech has in person tours. I would register for one of those. Visit Georgia Tech | Undergraduate Admission
I can’t offer anything about the actual schools, but if you’re not from the Atlanta area, definitely go to the Georgia aquarium! It’s an absolutely incredible place and IIRC it’s only like a fifteen minute walk from Georgia tech. For MIT, go to Mike’s Pastry for dessert. It’s a touristy classic but their cannoli are amazing.
Thank you for the Daytripper rec! I have not seen that site before and it has tons of fantastic info. Will definitely be printing several itineraries to take with us.
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For Columbia, there are great places around campus but I always stop at Zabar’s at 80th and Broadway for a quintessential NY experience. The University is at 110th to around 120th.
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I believe Purdue is back to doing in person visits. Would recommend the general tour in the morning and the engineering specific tour in the afternoon. Eat lunch in the dining court.
You will see all the highlights between the two tours. Definitely worth spending the whole day.
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Thank you! Both Purdue and GT are now offering in-person guided tours, so we will 100% sign up for those, and any others that open up prior to our arrival. If they allow us to eat in the dining courts we will as it’s always great to see students in their natural habitat 
For Michigan, do not just visit North Campus (even though that’s the home of engineering). Your child is going to be spending a lot of time on both campuses, and probably living on/around Central or South Campus.
Some of my favorite campus hotspots that are also family friendly include Charley’s, Tio’s, Blue Tractor, and The Jolly Pumpkin.
Parts to visit on/around campus:
-The Big House
-The Diag
-The UGLi and Hatcher
-North Campus Diag
-Pierpont Commons and the Dude
-Whichever Engineering dept. buildings your daughter is interested in
-A residence hall and dining hall (probably part of the main campus tour)
-Kerrytown Area
-Main Street Area
-State Street Area (maybe start at North Quad and work your way down - you can do South U afterwards)
-South U (especially around the intersection of South U and Church)
-Law Quad (probably won’t spend much time here, but it’s nice looking and used for grad pics)
-Ross and maybe walk/drive through the areas around it, especially if interested in Greek Life (also check out Washtenaw) - don’t actually go into or up to houses though, it’s private property lol: “the Rock” is around here too
-Palmer Field (it is surrounded by residence halls and some academic buildings too)
Not really your question, but I found it really helpful to read the student newspaper and stop off at local coffee shops/taco/pizza places frequented by students to see what kinds of placards are posted around. After the school tour, info session, hanging out on campus (book store, library, student center), and seeing these local hangouts, we ran out of time to do much else.
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Near Zabar’s in NYC is Red Farm, my favorite restaurant the last time we were on the Upper West Side.
In Cambridge, I really like Flour Bakery + Cafe or one of several Indian restaurants.
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One of the more popular casual places to eat near the CMU campus is The Porch. Not right on campus, but easily accessible, the view from the Duquesne Incline is nice and there are several restaurants at the top. Some very formal, others more casual. On campus the Randy Pausch bridge is famous. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is another popular place to visit near CMU.
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As far as Northwestern, they are not yet doing official visits but hopefully that will change since the area has opened up with no restrictions.
Take some time to walk the lake fill, visit Shakespeare’s Garden, and the Observatory. Lots of good off campus dining options in Evanston if you can’t eat on campus - Next of Kin and Found are pretty close to campus. If you are willing to a walk a bit more, Five and Dime has an amazing roof deck and is fun.
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Wow! Thank you all so much. Your suggestions are immensely helpful and exactly what I was looking for - keep 'em coming!
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At Purdue, I recommend stopping by the Purdue Union Club Hotel which is connected to the main Memorial Union building. Since its recent multi-million dollar renovation, I’ve really enjoy its ambience in the main lobby areas, as well as its 8Eleven Bistro for an upscale and gourmet dining experience.
I also like stopping at Greyhouse Coffee and Vons (an interesting and unique shop) in the campus town area of West Lafayette.
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I would add a place that not many know its there but by the Hill area and it’s beautiful and a luxury on campus. The Arb. Nichols Arboretum | Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum
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Here is a link to the Union Club Hotel: https://www.purdueunionclubhotel.com/
It has recently been renovated.
There are some nice places in Lafayette for dining as well; BRU Burger Bar is pretty good.
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At MIT, try Zinekens Belgian Waffles http://zinnekenswaffles.com/ they’re just like what you’d get in Brussels!
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Booked the Union Club Hotel - looks fantastic and of course the location could not be better. One thing that surprised me as I was researching logistics was how many schools have hotels on campus. The Graduate collection houses several stopovers on our itinerary.