<p>I am a 30 year old industrial designer. I went to design school; I have no formal engineering education. However, I am absolutely, positively, convinced that I want to pursue a career in computer science, and my ideal would be Columbia. I am well aware of how competitive it is to apply for admission to Columbia, but more importantly, I am aware that I am competing against a younger generation. I have lots of other questions (naturally), but truth be told, I am a bit stumped by the fact that I am a bit older than the average applicant, and I am not sure if Columbia would even consider someone like myself. Ever since I earned my bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design back in '03, I have worked in my field in various capacities, and I have accumulated a broad knowledge of product design. I have been exposed to lots of different manufacturing and computer technologies which I think may be somewhat applicable to my desire to pursue CS. I realize that this is kind of vague, but is there anyone who might be able to give me some feedback and/or advice based on my situation? If so, I’d greatly appreciate it!</p>
<p>You can only apply to the School of General Studies, which is the undergraduate school dedicated to “non-traditional students” (ie, people who have been out of school for 2+ years). So no worries - you won’t be competing against a younger generation. </p>
<p>Seems like you’d be a great applicant. Good luck!</p>
<p>i would do some research on the website of the school of general studies. you should be able to find all the info you need on there. go for it.</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback guys! Much appreciated.</p>
<p>Actually, as you already have a bachelor’s degree, it seems to me that you might want to simply apply for a graduate program. You may have to make up some undergrad courses, but in general I think it would make more sense to pursue a master’s. Here’s some pages with more info:
[Admissions</a> | The Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science - Columbia University](<a href=“http://www.engineering.columbia.edu/admissions-0]Admissions”>http://www.engineering.columbia.edu/admissions-0)
[Department</a> of Computer Science, Columbia University | M.S.](<a href=“http://www.cs.columbia.edu/education/ms]Department”>M.S. | Department of Computer Science, Columbia University)</p>