California Institute of Technology Admissions Information

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.

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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.

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