<p>sgiovinc1: Not sure if this link will work for you, but I put in (at the link in post No. 18) a hypothetical trip on the 61A route for around 10 a.m. on a Saturday. This result gave me the whole bus trip starting at downtown and going all the way to the end of the line (with all the stops in between). </p>
<p>Try the 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 61F, 69A, and 59U routes…There are a lot of buses that travel Forbes Avenue between Oakland and Squirrel Hill.</p>
<p>Note that if you look at the PDF schedules on the PAT site, the Saturday and Sunday schedules are listed apart from (and less prominently than) the weekday schedules. Also, the schedules only print selected time points; this doesn’t mean that there are no other stops between the time points. In other words, the buses still travel and stop in front of CMU on the weekends.</p>
<p>Hope this helps. Maybe your D is just lobbying for her own car ;-)</p>
<p>welcome back SVC1. Well this is our kid’s last year and almost time to move on. I’ve nearly said it all, heard most of it already, and looking for another blog.</p>
<p>Hmm, well I am going to depart from the topic of busing for a moment…</p>
<p>I have two friends who are currently at CMU, and I am applying. I have visited as well. The campus is nice, decent, and I can see myself there, but honestly, there was nothing spectacular or striking about CMU or the campus. But overall, I actually left with a very nice view of the place. I had a short interview with an admissions officer, and it was informal and he was very nice and helpful! I was able to talk to him in a friendly manner, and he answered all the questions I had. Overall, I like CMU, the wonderful business and computer science programs, the diversity and number of indian students there, the campus, and the fact that it has some amount of a city nearby. </p>
<p>However, the workload seems quite intense and I also feel like the social life is lacking there. One of my friends who is going there now seems to think it is all right, but says there is nothing to do. Every time she posts on her xanga or every time I ask her how its going, she says she is really bored. She says there’s nothing to do, and making friends hasnt been ALL that easy (she lived off campus). But she constantly seems bored and says that it’s mostly working. She remarks that there are few - to none parties and very little alcohol around campus. This is all alright with me because I don’t need alcohol to live or anything, lol, but I think this is the main thing keeping me from wanting to go to CMU, because I would really like a place with a lot going on on campus, rather than somewhere full of only work and boringness…and no parties…:(</p>
<p>Your friend obviously isn’t looking hard enough. There are hundreds of clubs that meet every week, twice a week and even every day. Partying is available every weekend if you want to go out. CMU is surrounded by the waterfront, squirrel hill, oakland and many other small towns that offer their own unique things.</p>
<p>I think you’re friend might think that things are supposed to come to her - and that isn’t the case at CMU (or any other university I’m aware of). </p>
<p>I leave at 10 AM and don’t come back till 930 or 10 to start work because I have so many activities going on - from research (yes, research as a freshman) to building a buggy for the carnival.</p>
<p>Hi, ITSTOOMUCH. My D in her sophomore year now. Just got back from Parent Weekend…YES…we did attend and my D was annoyed that we tried to spend so much time with her. SHE HAS PLACES TO GO…PEOPLE TO SEE…THINGS TO DO!!! We did make it to a JAZZ Evening at the Carnegie Music Hall sponsored by UPitt. My D made sure we had tickets…Of course, I fell asleep after the intermission and slept through the whole second half. I must have lost at least 5 lbs marching back and forth from the Holiday Inn to her dorm at MaryBelle apts to campus and beyond. I might add the MaryBelle apts look nothing like they sound…there’s nothing “merry” or “bell ringing” about them. They appear to resemble tenement housing in Brooklyn NY although I must admit that the impoverished in NY seem to live better than this. At any rate, she loves it. You wonder sometimes why you’ve spent so much money on fancy shmancy vacations at the Ritz Carlton, the Four Seasons, and dined in 5 star restaurants around the world when she thinks the MARYBELLE is a “PALACE” and a tuna casserole made with frozen peas, condensed soup, and rice is to die for. And for dessert? Frozen grapes. </p>
<p>By the way, she was a little dismayed at her midterm grades…although upon speaking to her Chem advisor KAren Stumpf ( isn’t Stumpf a perfect name for an advisor?) she is doing very well in spite of the fact that she is carrying two lab courses and pulling a B in Organic Chem…the great divider of those who will continue to advance in chemistry and those who move on to lesser majors…like Physics…chuckle, chuckle. </p>
<p>So I attempted to encourage her and assured her that a B and a C for that matter at CMU has no equal in any other rinky dink university. That feeble remark appeared to allay her concerns for about 5 minutes… when she realized that she had to complete an experiment on the iodine properties of various types of table salt…SOOOO we proceeded to head to Squirrel Hill where we purchased 5 different varieties of salt from the Giant Eagle…I didn’t even know there could be that many varieties…kosher, sea, iodized, regular table, and salt sense…to name but a few, the latter prolly not being salt at ALL!</p>
<p>Oh well…she might not be able to come home on Thksgvng as cannot afford the outrageous airfare to either Philly or NY. She will have to rely on the pity of FRIENDS she has made in the Pittsburgh area…</p>
<p>Great your D is doing well. Dear son graduated in May…I miss our treks (more like schleps) to the 'burg, but he’s living and working in Manhattan so he’s happy as a clam.</p>
<p>His gf is in her last year at CMU, so they’ve been flying back and forth as time and $ allow. Since airfare is ridiculous to NYC or Newark they’ve been flying back and forth out of Philly, then taking NJTransit trains from Philly Int’l to NY. Southwest fares are pretty cheap esp if you can book a little ahead…the train business is a hassle but they can swing it. I don’t think they’ve paid more than $89 each way, sometimes even like $59.</p>
<p>On another note buggy races have been mentioned in this thread. Make sure as a parent you go to at least one buggy race weekend, held during the Carnival weekend in the spring. We went to a couple in his 5 years (of course we cleared it with him first)…the amount of work they put into these things, and the booths they build, are amazing and worth the trip out.</p>
<p>Hi, 2331clk. Thanks for the advice on the Buggy Weekends. Needless to say our D has NOT invited us for one of thsoe weekends yet. But then again…this is only her second year there. She is finding it extremely difficult with her two LONGGGGG lab days. She’s lucky if she can pull a B. Why did you child take five years?? Seems to be my recurring nightmare. Do tell.</p>
<p>lol sgiovinc1, don’t worry, he took the fifth year for a master’s (plus he double majored). Practically all his friends made it out in 4, or 5 if they got their masters. </p>
<p>We went to buggy races (always in the spring during Carnival Weekend) his last 2 years when he was older and not embarassed by our presence. Of course we don’t actually sit with him…he was always busy in some capacity with the races. Honestly you’ll really be missing something if she graduates and you don’t go to one, it’s that good, you’ll be amazed…there’s a big crowd with plenty of “old” people like us…lots of alumni return (free coffee and donuts!), also professors and even people from the community.</p>
<p>Thanks again for the advice! I will write again later as now I need to see a student. I am a psychologist with a school system in NY…maybe that is why they say…“The shoemaker’s children always need shoes.”</p>
<p>“4. Dorms: Sadly, I wasn’t able to see a dorm due to security. I was told however, that the school has 4 types of dorms: quads, suites, on campus apartment housing and off campus apartment housing. Most students didn’t complain about the dorms so they may not be that bad.”</p>
<p>CMU built ONE new dorm - opened in 2004 I think, and currently named, oddly enough, New House (probably until someone donates a large sum and CMU changes the name to honor him/her!). I understand that it’s air conditioned (though that’s not mandatory in Pittsburgh - might need it the first 2 weeks of school and even then probably not at nights), and that the common areas are really great, but the rooms are extremely small and cramped - probably to encourage social gatherings in those nice common areas.</p>
<p>When I went for sleeping bag weekend, I stayed in New House. The rooms were smaller than those in some other dorms, but they had enough space on the floor for me to sleep comfortably. Neither of the guys I was staying with complained about its size. You are right, the common areas were very nice.</p>
<p>cmu is definitely academic oriented, but don’t think thats all we do guys. I came here with the impression that it would be hardcore studying 24/7 and the truth is, you’ll find people who are cramming at all hours for a test. most of us procrastinate, or actually do work when its assigned. As for the campus, it is beautiful, not amazing or overwhelming, just right. the dorms are perfectly sized, pretty big compared to some other schools. new house has some nice rooms. there not too small or anything, nothing at cmu is too small. our lounges are pretty big <em>i live in morewood E tower</em> and none of us complain about size. There’s always somewhere to study silently, and theres a work out room in morewood and new house, and the uc gym, and somewhere on margaret morrison ave i believe, by tepper. theres no lack of something to do on campus, or somewhere to eat, it just a matter of you’re tastes and preferences. warning: no home cooked meals here unless you cook them yourself! :)</p>
<p>One person said that they might have a hard time getting in. It depends on the school but I got into the school of fine arts (design major) with a GPA of only 3.3. However (and I hate to brag but) I had a knock out portfolio. So if art is your thing and you are really good at it… GO FOR IT! You never know.</p>
<p>CFA depends more on portfolios and auditions. HSS is also not so hard to get into though its selectivity is increasing with past years. </p>
<p>Juilliard doesn’t require 4.0 2400 students either. </p>
<p>Apply to the school you want rather than the one you think is the easiest to get in. It would suck to be stuck 4 years with say, design, when you wanted to do engineering.</p>
<p>OMG. I have been trying to not love CMU too much since the chances of me getting in are not very good, but after reading this thread i absolutely love the school and would freak out if i were accepted!</p>