<p>Kakri, we too had a truly bad visit at CMU but… We felt the information session was poor because it covered too many areas (probably would be better if they specialized a bit more by school). Our tour guides really didn’t address much of anything having to do with the sciences (which is what interests my D) and they don’t include a tour of the dorms (which we still haven’t seen).</p>
<p>HOWEVER, we had made an appointment with a professor in the department D was interested in. And that appointment made all the difference. CMU is still near/at the top of D’s list although we suspect the money won’t be there.</p>
<p>I would strongly suggest visiting with faculty in the department you are interested in.</p>
<p>Do be aware that each school makes presentations at the accepted students weekends, so if you do the apply now and visit when we get in routine you’ll get a pretty good picture. There was also a general tour and a tour of the School of Computer Science, I don’t know if they had tours for the other schools, but I imagine at least some of them must have had them. </p>
<p>Also we did get to see a dorm (the new one with a green rating and suites). But the dorms and rooms have a huge variety. My son actually ended up in a huge one bedroom apartment with just one roommate. It was about a 10 minute walk from the main campus however. He liked it enough he stayed in the same room for the second year.</p>
<p>It is awesome that I see so many responses to my post from last night. Thanks to all those eager to share their experiences/opinions.</p>
<p>While I agree with bco09 that every school should flaunt what makes them great, I believe there is a difference between school pride and conceit.</p>
<p>Accepted students weekends are one thing, but prospective applicant (Junior) days should be different. This visit could make or break the decision even to apply or not. If their attitude is that the prospective student should be so awe-struck with their “name” that nothing else should matter and so anything goes, that is sad.</p>
<p>Last month we visited a 3rd tier university (per USNWR), having one of the strongest architecture programs in the country. Their approach is so different and so welcoming. We had presentations by Admissions, Financial Aid, a very detailed campus tour including the dorms and finally an hour long presentation in the department we were interested in. Now THAT’s what I call a college visit.</p>
<p>I really had quite the opposite experience when I visited CMU (October of senior year). I did a sleeping bag weekend, and my mom and I split up – she did her thingy with admissions and financial aid, and I did mine. I loved staying overnight in the dorm, and my hosts were great. It was a great way to experience what life would be like here.</p>
<p>A lot of schools we visited didn’t have anything close to this, some wouldn’t even allow me to stay in a dorm.</p>
<p>That said, a one-day visit is nothing like being there. Anywhere. I have friends who are not happy where they landed, even though the tour may have been great. You need to accept it for what it is.</p>
<p>Oh, and I am changing my major. Happens a lot.</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon is really one of the cooler tech schools in my opinion because of its awesome drama and arts programs as well as its amazing CS/Engineering program.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh is also a pretty awesome city, kind of a university town with a good sorrounding atmosphere with UPitt and CMU… kind of hard to be bored.</p>
<p>As for sports, I am a Patriots fan, although the Pirates and the Steelers are good too…</p>
<p>On the minus side, it is tough to change majors, although it is neat that you can take whatever courses you want generally without huge waitlists -> if I get in, I can major in ECE or CS and do fun courses in Psychology etc to boost my gpa lol</p>
<p>My D is waiting to hear if she gets accepted for next year so I don’t know if she will be attending next year or not. We visited the campus last May. Classes were already finished but I felt like we had a good tour and visit on campus. The staff were really nice and friendly. Four students gave us a tour and answered all of our many questions. As a parent I was most impressed with the career center and the career counselor we met. My D is interested in playing the harp and working on a literary journal as well as math and economics so CMU seemed like a place where she could pursue all of her different interests.</p>
<p>I kinda like the idea of a nerd school…my high school is definitely one of those schools where the jocks rule the roost. Right now I’m between Carnegie or Penn State the college equivalent of my high school.</p>
<p>One of my good buddies in HS wound up going to PSU for Aerospace Engineering. He had an absolutely fantastic time there. I know he wound up living in the engineering special interest housing and made tons of friends. He’d brag to me about how they’d have Battlefield Vietnam LAN parties every night (I was stuck with my friends liking Unreal Tournament ).</p>
<p>Ahh this thread is so exciting to read I’m loving the feedback from college visits and current students!</p>
<p>So I’m a high school senior hoping to apply to HSS and I’ve heard that professors put this section at the bottom compared to other schools? Is this really that evident on the campus?</p>
<p>And this question is very specific but…I’m interested in going to med school and getting becoming a Psychiatrist. I was told that Med Schools often reject the typical Bio Major with the perfect GPA and research work/experience, and that I should do the major I feel I would be most enlightened by. I know if I could do any major I wanted to, I would study Philosophy, Sociology, etc. Would it be a good idea to not do a typical major b4 med school like Psychology, Bio, or Neuroscience? (btw…if i had to choose between the three i mentioned it would be psychology for sure )</p>
<p>I think as long as you take the pre-reqs required of med school they won’t care what you majored in. Just get a really good GPA and solid MCATs.</p>
<p>I would love to go to a college with Carnegie Mellons academic program but i am a very social person who, quite honestly, will want to party with hot college girls at a frat house and get totally wasted. Im being very blunt but im having a hard time finding any colleges other than USC that could provide that… are there any others?</p>
<p>I agree man. And everyone I talked to at CMU who is in a frat says that you can most definitly do that at CMU. TBH there are people like that at every single college in America (except maybe BYU…) And Carnegie Mellon is no exception (at least from what I have heard from current students)</p>
<p>There would be some debate as to whether (most of) the girls you will be partying with at CMU are hot… it pretty much depends entirely on how bad a case of CMU goggles you have</p>
<p>Not so nice bco09! As the mom of CMU female-- she and her friends are IMHO rather “hot”…</p>
<p>Not sure where you’re looking…googles or no googles-- but the young women I see while on campus look absolutely fine…I take this opportunity to refer to a well known phrase:</p>
<p>– “Odds are good but goods are odd” …which was in fact written about the men of cmu… </p>
<p>hahaha i guess we’ll drop it there. I will say, though, that i think guys’ and girls’ looks alike would greatly benefit if CMU improved on its non-varsity athletic and fitness facilities…</p>
).</p>
I’m loving the feedback from college visits and current students!</p>