FAQs

The Coulter Welcome Center is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day of the week, excluding Wednesdays. While we offer weekend visits, which include tours and information sessions, admission counseling is not available for one-on-one sessions on Saturdays and Sundays. If the Welcome Center is not available during your planned visit, you can pick up a map for a self-guided campus tour in the Welcome Center or on the first floor of Warner Hall.

The Welcome Center is located at 4765 Forbes Avenue on the ground level of the Tepper Quad Building, which is across the street from the main quad and the Walking to the Sky sculpture.

Many departments offer prospective students the chance to tour facilities, attend department-specific information sessions or meet with a member of the faculty or staff. Learn more and register. 

We offer tours and visit opportunities to groups of high school students, counselors and CMU community members with capacities of 10-100 throughout the year. We can plan a visit day including in-person touring, admission counseling sessions or virtual opportunities for your group. These specialized group visits must be requested at least seven business days in advance. Learn more and request this kind of experience.

We offer tours and visit opportunities to groups of high school students, high school counselors, community based organizations and CMU community members with capacities of 10 to 100 throughout the year. We can plan a visit day including in-person touring, admission counseling sessions or virtual opportunities for your group. These specialized group visits must be requested at least seven business days in advance. Learn more and request this kind of experience.

Currently, we do not maintain a waitlist for in-person campus tours. We encourage you to check back on the tour registration page periodically to see if additional availability opens up. Please note that registration closes 48 hours prior to each tour.

While we do accommodate walk-ins when possible, we highly recommend scheduling your tour in advance to secure your spot. If you're unable to join a scheduled tour, feel free to stop by the Coulter Welcome Center to gather more information about the university, explore the Welcome Center, and pick up a campus map for a self-guided tour. 

Yes, the in-person tour includes a stop in Stever House, where you will see an example of a typical first-year room assignment. We also offer live streamed online residence hall tours at various times throughout the year. If you are unable to make it to campus or register for a guided online residence hall tour, you can explore virtual room tours of all the residence halls and apartments available. 

We offer online information sessions, live-streamed student-led campus and residence hall tours, Tartan Talk student panels, remote admission counseling sessions and more to allow you to get a feel for CMU from wherever you are in the world. Learn more and register. 

While our Virtual Student-Led Campus Tours offer a live connection with a current student walking around on-campus, our specialized Virtual 360° Tours provide a distinct, on-demand look at key areas of campus. You can use these immersive maps to independently navigate and learn about CMU. We have one 360° Tour focusing on the academic component of campus and another to share the student experience—feel free to navigate through one or both of them at your leisure!

You can find a link to change or cancel your visit in your registration confirmation email, or you can alert the admission office at admission@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-2082. If you need to cancel a group visit or other event scheduled through the Coulter Welcome Center, you can do so by emailing welcomcenter@andrew.cmu.edu. 

No — due to security guidelines and space limitations, the Office of Admission and Coulter Welcome Center are unable to store or hold any luggage, suitcases or personal belongings during your campus visit. For safety and logistical reasons, we cannot offer any oversight if you leave your items at the desk and they may be removed if left unattended. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and kindly ask that you plan accordingly.

For a standard campus visit day, you may bring up to five guests with you. For larger events, such as open houses, we may limit the number of guests to three in order to allow more visitors the opportunity to register. 

In the event of severe weather conditions, such as high winds, extreme heat or cold, or other hazardous conditions, we will contact you to make any necessary adjustments to your visit. This may include rescheduling, delaying, or, if needed, canceling the tour.

We recommend checking the weather forecast in advance and dressing accordingly, as tours will proceed rain or shine unless conditions are unsafe. Please note that we do not provide inclement weather gear, so we encourage you to come prepared for the weather.

If the university is closed due to inclement weather, the Welcome Center and all scheduled events will be canceled. Please be sure to check your email for any updates or important information leading up to your visit. 

Once you've scheduled your visit, you can plan for your travel, lodging, parking, dining, accessibility accommodations and more by consulting our visitor information page. 

You are welcome to explore our campus for as long as you would like! However most visit days, including the tour and information session, will take roughly two and a half hours. 

Certified service animals are permitted in the Welcome Center and on tours. All other animals and pets are not permitted in university buildings. 

Yes, the Office of Admission accommodates walk-in visitors with questions whenever possible. You can visit the Office of Admission on the second floor of Warner Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you are visiting on a Saturday or Sunday, you can reach out to the Admission Office with your questions at admission@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-2082.

No matter which visit events you are scheduled for, virtual or in-person, you will have the opportunity to ask questions. For a deeper discussion, schedule a one-on-one admission counseling session, or contact the Office of Admission to connect with a counselor. 

You are free to dine at any of our 30+ campus eateries or explore the surrounding neighborhoods, which feature a variety of restaurants and dining optinos within walking distance of campus. 

Yes, the University Store has daily operating hours, where you'll find clothing, gifts, books and supplies to commemorate your visit to campus. If the store is not open during your visit, you can also order online. Learn more about the university store. 

With so much to explore in our great city, we couldn't hope to capture it all in an FAQ. We recommend browsing Visit Pittsburgh for recommendations on how to spend your time in The Steel City. 

Unfortunately, we do not offer parking validation. We recommend checking parking options in advance to ensure a smooth arrival to campus.