Wasn’t even aware that CMU had a “main quad” LOL. Everything there is so spread out. I believe the new hub is actually Tepper Quad (just opened about six months ago) which is supposed to interconnect with all the other colleges and schools:
https://www.cmu.edu/tepper/tepper-quad/index.html
It’s actually refreshing to hear of a visit to a top school with mistakes and things going wrong. Most of these are so polished and where exactly is the useful information in that? If you see exactly what they want you to see, your visit might be as insightful as the “Haunted Mansion” ride at WDW. Far more interesting to witness how these smooth admissions people handle the unexpected events. Especially technology glitches at a school that specializes in tech. The asburdity of that situation sounds more hilarious than anything else.
My son happened to visit in January for the Turn Tarleton Overnight and really enjoyed his experience. He was one of only a few non-SCS/non-COE hopefuls and still had a great time. Perhaps they put more effort into those types of visits. He and my husband found the admissions people to be very informative and even witty. It’s kind of an offbeat place but academically intense. Lots of smart people, is what my son observed. There are many easons not to choose CMU - it’s not for everyone. But I wouldn’t judge on the admission visit, expect maybe to think it’s a good sign that they focus more on academics than on marketing.