When I select my intended major in Columbia Engineering on the CommonApp site, is my choice binding?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

My problem is that I know I want to study comp sci, but my extracurriculars point toward a different kind of engineering which I have lost interest in since investing a lot of time into in high school. I feel like my best chance of getting into engineering would be if I indicate that I want to study that original kind of engineering and not comp sci, and then I want to select comp sci as my major after i’m admitted.

I know that columbia is really strict about changing majors, so I was wondering if the choice that I select when I apply on the common app site is binding, or would I enter the school as engineering undeclared then choose later? If that’s the case, I am not concerned about switching majors after I declare comp sci as my major during my freshman year.

2

The major choice is not binding and I know many, many, many, many people who have changed their majors since getting to Columbia. In fact, practically everyone I know has changed plans for their majors at least once. It may be tougher for SEAS students because the major requirements are heavier and more difficult, but you choose your classes and you choose your major, and you don’t even do that until a year and a half after you get here.