Frequently Asked Questions

Applications to attend OurCS 2026 are due no later than Friday, May 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Decisions will be made by the end of June and you will receive an email confirming your acceptance to attend by Wednesday, July 1. You will be asked to pay a $50, non-refundable application fee at that time to secure you attendance.
  • A breakfast buffet is included at no cost for all attendees at the hotel Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
  • Lunch and Dinner will be provided for attendees Friday and Saturday. Lunch will be provided Sunday.

No. Accepted OurCS attendees will stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh University Place. Check in is Thursday, Oct. 15 after 3:00 p.m. Check out is Sunday, Oct. 18 before 11:00 a.m. We recommend checking out before coming to CMU campus Sunday morning, and bringing your luggage to campus. 

Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh University Place
3454 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 379-4034

We will have rooms reserved (and paid) for confirmed attendees for 3 nights: October 15, 16, and 17. We will send all confirmed attendees details for their hotel stays.

All attendees are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to Pittsburgh, PA.

If you will be flying: We recommend the Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), which is about 40 minutes from campus. Be sure to book your flights so that you will arrive in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Oct. 15 and depart on Sunday, Oct. 18. There will be a Meet & Greet on Thursday, October 15, from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. where you can meet other OurCS attendees. Light refreshments will be served. The last session on Sunday will end around 12:00 p.m. Return flights should be booked for after 3:00 p.m. in order to have enough time to get to the airport and through TSA before boarding your flight home.

If you will be driving: Please let us know if you will need parking at the hotel during the conference, and we will arrange parking for you at the hotel.

Transportation to hotel from airport
The 28X bus serves this route. You take the inbound route to Oakland and you can buy ConnectCards (bus passes) at the airport in the "landside terminal near Door 6". Check the 28X shedule for departure times from the airport.

You can also take an Uber or Lyft or a shuttle - each of these options is approximately $50-70 for a way-way trip to the airport.

Transportation from the hotel to Carnegie Mellon
Each morning (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) a shuttle will leave the hotel at two times: 
8:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. (approx). Drop off is on Forbes Ave. and Morewood Ave.

Transportation from Carnegie Mellon back to hotel
Shuttle will leave CMU, Forbes Ave. in front of Gates/Hillman Building at two times:
-- Friday, 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. (approx)
-- Saturday, 6:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. (approx)

Driving to campus? Visit the Carnegie Mellon University visitors page for more travel information, parking, and directions.