FAQ

1. I am an undergraduate doing research in X. May I join your group?
   that's great that you've done research.
   i encourage you to apply but usually don't answer questions about i would accept a student into my group until i have worked with them in person for several weeks or months and have some sense for whether their research strengths are commensurate with my research interests. Also, if the student is not funded by fellowship, i need to have some sense for whether resources are likely to be available to support the student for the next several years until completion of the PhD.
   i hope that you will apply for admission to Columbia university. I've taken students from several departments, including physics, BME, chemistry, neuroscience, electrical engineering, and of course my own department: the department of applied physics and applied mathematics. I've also had students work with me through the medical school's integrative program as part of the c2b2 track. i encourage you to apply to whichever programs you think have the most interesting or least uninteresting graduation requirements and whose subject areas are close to your research background.
   the following links should provide all the information you need on admission. good luck:
   
   1. graduate admission at SEAS: http://tinyurl.com/5v76nm (including my department as well as BME, electrical engineering)
   2. graduate admissions at GSAS: http://tinyurl.com/5q9tn2 (including physics, biology, chemistry, statistics)
   3. graduate admissions at the CUMC integrated program: http://tinyurl.com/5qzzz9 (including c2b2)
   4. graduate admissions at the CUMC coordinated program: http://tinyurl.com/56epyb
   
   please also investigate relevant graduate fellowships, including those listed under "fellowships" on my advising page, http://www.columbia.edu/~chw2/advising.html