California Institute of Technology Admissions Information
California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, California (map)
Since its inception in 1891, Caltech has been dedicated to research and education in science, mathematics and engineering. In fact, the university’s mascot is a beaver, nature’s engineer. Located in Pasadena, just outside of Los Angeles, students experience both the comfort of residential college life and the fast pace of an urban environment. Unlike many universities, on-campus housing is guaranteed for all undergraduates and nearly 95% of students choose to stay on-campus for their entire time at Caltech. The campus even houses five Nobel Prize winning faculty members who live in the undergraduate residence halls. These houses serve as centers for intellectual and social engagement for students.
With fewer than 1000 undergraduates, the community at Caltech is close-knit, fostering intellectual engagement between students and world-renowned faculty. In fact, the student to faculty ratio is consistently lower than 3:1, one of the lowest of all universities. With such a heavy faculty presence, students can easily contact professors and work with them on research projects. The school’s academic rivalry with MIT serves as one of the nation’s oldest and, surely, most intellectual. As evidenced by Caltech’s mission statement, research is a fundamental aspect of the university. Over 80% of undergraduates get involved with research in some form. The most common ways include a senior honor’s thesis or independent work with a faculty member during the academic year, paid employment at on and off-campus facilities such as NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and the Palomar Observatory, or through the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships that Caltech offers students.
Basic Info
| Main Address: | 1200 East California Boulevard Pasadena, CA 91125 | |
| Phone Number: | (626) 395-6811 | |
| Website: | www.caltech.edu |
Characteristics
| Type of school: | Private, Four-year | |
| Type of school: | Coed | |
| Setting: | Suburban setting, Small city; Residential campus | |
| Athletics: | Division III, Intercollegiate, Club, Intramural | |
| Degrees offered: | Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral | |
| Size of undergraduate student body: | 951 | |
| Percent out-of-state: | 65% | |
| Percent international: | 11% | |
| Female to Male ratio: | 42:58 |
Academic Life
| Student to Professor ratio: | 2.7:1 | |
| Most popular majors: | Mathematics, General Mechanical Engineering Physics, General Physics, General | |
| Special study programs: | Cross-Registration Double Major ESL Independent Study Liberal Arts/Career Combination ROTC, Air Force ROTC, Army Student-Designed Major Study Abroad Visiting/Exchange Student Program |
Campus Life
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Fun Facts
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Admissions Information
Although academics at Caltech is science-based, the school's admissions website ensures that there are no formulas or cut-offs used to determine admission. Each application is read by the counselor assigned to that particular geographic region and is considered in the context of the applicant’s background and resources. These counselors evaluate academic ability (including transcripts and standardized test scores), extracurricular activities and recommendations. Once the admissions counselor determines whether or not a particular applicant is a competitive candidate, the application is passed on to a faculty member and (highly trained) current student for further review. Once each application has been fully assessed, discussion regarding the final decision begins.
Caltech is considered a very selective university with an acceptance rate of 15%. Furthermore, 98% of the current freshman class graduated in the top 10% of their high school class. For a prospective student to see the best chances for admission, it is important that he or she takes time to carefully construct a strong application, highlighting strengths, potential and abilities.
| Admissions address: | Admission Office 383 South Hill Avenue, Mail Code 10-90 Pasadena, CA 91125 | |
| Phone number: | (626) 395-6341 | |
| Fax number: | (626) 683-3026 | |
| Admissions Website: | admissions.caltech.edu | |
| Email: | ugadmissions@caltech.edu | |
| Contact Person: | Jarrid Whitney, Director of Admissions | |
| Number of first-year applications received: | 3,957 | |
| Percent of applicants admitted: | 15% |
Application Information
| Regular application deadline: | January 3 | |
| Early decision/action deadline: | November 1 (Early Action) | |
| Accepts the Common Application? | Yes | |
| Admission requirements: | Common Application with Supplemental Caltech Forms Standardized tests 2 Academic Teacher Evaluations School Report (with transcript) Mid Year Report Final Report |
Application Information
| Standardized test scores required? | SAT or ACT SAT II Subject Tests: Mathematics Level 2 and one of the following Subject Tests: Biology (Ecological), Biology (Molecular), Chemistry, or Physics If applicable: TOEFL | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Policy regarding SAT score-use: | Strongly recommends that students submit all SAT and SAT Subject test scores. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| College Board code: | 4034 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ACT code: | 0182 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Learn more about other Top Technology schools: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Worcester Polytechnic Institute Georgia Tech Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
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