<p>I am a newly admitted student. I have a question for you Techers. When you first time were accepted at Caltech, when did you set your Caltech email account? Was it during the orientation (in mid September), or through the summer before the orientation begins?</p>
<p>In my admit package, it said that:
"IMSS will accept your email username choices at any time prior to the time they start creating accounts in August 17th. If you do not provide your username preferences, they will assign you a username based on your real name"
--> That means I have to make a long round trip to Pasadena, even before the September orientation begins, just to get my Caltech UID and Student ID Card, so I can set my email account username of my choice, on time. I think this does not make sense, and absurd. </p>
<p>Any advice or information regarding setting up this new email account for new students?</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your information current Techers.</p>
<p>If I remember correctly my son got his email account during orientation along with his Student ID Card. It was very simple and easy to do. No need to go to Pasadena before orientation to get your ID, etc. I believe if you want to try to pick an email user name that is something other than your last name you can do it on-line. (But I'm sure some Techers will respond with more info..I vaguely remember that no choice was allowed last year even though some people tried but I could be wrong about that).</p>
<p>
[quote]
Originally Posted by cghen
I just emailed them my preferences for a username by that date in August - that should save you a trip to Pasadena!
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<p>cghen, I think the IMSS won't let me chose my preferred email username unless I show them the Caltech Student ID. So, emailling them won't work, I think. Any corrections?</p>
<p>^^
Umm...I called the IMSS Help Desk, and they said I need to bring the Caltech Student Card before setting up an email account. They don't accept any other photo ID. So, I suppose they need to verify that's me indeed. Emailling won't pass their "verification" phase. </p>
<p>Any more opinions on how did Techers deal with this matter in previous years? Thanks.</p>
<p>^ very strange. In the student handbook that I got during the summer before coming, they listed an email address for us to send our choices for usernames. </p>
<p>Also, I think if you call them and explain that you're a prefrosh and you're just trying to let them know your preferences for when they set up the email account during orientation, they should really know where to direct you or be able to handle that.</p>
<p>You won't get your email until you come here. Also, they assign reasonable email usernames, so I wouldn't worry about submitting a preference. Sorry, you can't get your facebook account (or add yourself to the caltech network) until you get here.</p>
<p>I e-mailed them and it worked. I think I got some out of office response but I did get the e-mail I required. Caltech administration is largely incompetent, which is good for you because it means you get to do whatever you want.</p>
I e-mailed them and it worked. I think I got some out of office response but I did get the e-mail I required. Caltech administration is largely incompetent, which is good for you because it means you get to do whatever you want
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<p>It seems they were a little cooler for your class than for ours. They told us that we were allowed to submit username preferences, but I don't think we really were. At any rate, you can request aliases.</p>
<p>I just received a mail from IMSS. They tell us to reserve our preferred username online thorugh the link that they provide in the mail. Questions resolved, thank you Techers.</p>
If things are the same as when I was a prefrosh (3 years ago), you already have your UID. It was the UID given to you to check your admissions status, and was also the UID given to you to access the WAFT website.</p>