luofernando

ok, so i was admitted to columbia SEAS w/o an interview. Then today i got an email from Steven Nowick (chair of the Computer Engineering program, apparently), saying he is interested in talking to me on the phone b/c of my "potential interest"???.

I am guessing this is a good thing? but i m just wondering did anyone else get similar emails/calls from other professors? Is this more or less an interview? I just don't want to be seen as an idiot.

thnx

admissionsgeek

this is probably a really good thing, and not an interview but more him trying to welcome you to columbia and encourage that you come. potential interest could be your potential interest in computer engineering. hot stuff luo. congrats. hope you join the columbia family.

lolcats4

It's not an interview since you were already admitted. Now they're trying to recruit you.

I've gotten emails from professors, students, and a letter from my admissions officer with a handwritten note all trying to convince me to go :P your phone call probably falls under this category

admissionsgeek

hey lolcats, are they effective? have they got you convinced to come to cu? let me know if you need any more info, advice or questions.

as you can read through my posts - i am an unequivocal columbia lover.

Shraf

computer engineering is a very small department and they are probably excited about the prospect of having you on board. if you are on the fence about columbia i would suggest you come up with some good questions that will help you decide before you make the phone call. if you are already certain you will be going to columbia then use the phone call as an opportunity to make a contact with an influential prof in your potential department and use it as the first step to securing a research opportunity (or whatever computer engineering people do that is equivalent to research) or getting an idea of what the department is like. It is never too early to start off on the right foot with the faculty.

congrats

i think that goes for all the current students and alums on this board (yes, even C02 loves columbia, he's just [relatively] old and cranky) ...i think the fact that there are so many active students and alums on this forum shows that columbia leaves a great impression on you that you want to get the word out about it. also it shows you will find alot of awesome down to earth people at columbia.

Columbia2002

What Shraf said. The prof is being nice and taking time out of his day to call some high school kids (when he could have blown off the admissions office when they probably asked him if he could do this), so although it isn't an interview and he is recruiting you, be respectful/deferential to him and try to make a good impression. Like, don't ask him if the chicks in Data Structures are hot.

luofernando

thank you all for clearing it up with me. Just talked to him this afternoon, it was very helpful in terms of showing what the Computer Science program has to offer. I even get to see him next weekend on the Days on Campus.

Anyways, thnx again