<p>Our son is currently and Junior and CMU is one of the schools that seems like it might be a good fit for him and might be interested in visiting. We live in the Midwest, so is a little bit of a trip to get out there, but we do already have a daughter attending a different college in PA. I will be out there to visit her in a few weeks and was thinking of making a side trip to Pittsburg and checking out CMU.</p>
<p>My son will not be with me on the trip, so it will be just me. However, I thought it would be helpful for me to see the campus to get a feel of what it is like, as it might help decide if it is worth him making a trip or not.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the day I would be there CMU does not have any information session, only the campus tour. I would most likely take the tour, but wanted to get some thoughts on what else I should make sure and see or do while I am there. He is interested in Engineering, but not sure which area of engineering. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>The tour guides are, of course, from all different majors. So make sure that if your tour doesn’t go to the engineering and Gates computer science buildings, that you go on your own. Walk around inside these amazing buildings and get a coffee down at the bottom floor of Gates in the cafe there. A building I just saw recently, and I’ve been to campus a number of times, is The collaborative innovation center – where Disney, Intel and Apple have research centers. So there can be a lot that the tour just can’t cover. Have fun and enjoy CMU. Its a terrific place.</p>
<p>CMU has grown and is more spread out than when I went there. In addition to the recommendations above, drive down towards Pitt on Forbes Ave and turn down Craig Street to see some of the entrepeneurial activity there then left onto 5th avenue so you can see the Software Institute then Mellon Institute which is right accross the street from the Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning. When you get to Mellon Institute you will be in the part of the Oakland section of Pittsburgh called the cultural district. It’s pretty nice. [If you’re hungry and if you can find parking, stop by Primanti Brothers in the heart of Oakland :)]</p>
<p>Returning to center campus, drive down Morewood to get a feel for a lot of the housing at CMU (another big block is on the other side of campus). Behind Morewood Gardens you will be able to visualize where the new business school building and campus gateway is going to be built. Maybe continue on Morewood into Shadyside to get a feel for the residential areas surrounding the University. Come back to Forbes Avenue and travel East towards the center of Squirrel Hill to get a feel for the other major residential area surrounding the center of campus. Maybe turn into Schenley Park and travel back towards campus. If you do these things you will get a good feel for where CMU is set and the fact that the campus is in the City, but adjoining some pretty nice areas.</p>
<p>Another thing to see if you have time is the Entertainment Technology Center which is located right on the Monongahela River on the site of what used to be (when I started) J&L Steel. </p>