For Caltech, we had the opportunity to interview two students, Gabby and Amy. Both were so kind enough to provide great and specific responses for students interested in Caltech. I recommend you to check them out below! Thank you so much Gabby and Amy!
AMY
For CalTech, I was so fortunate to meet Amy!! She is so sweet and such a cutie and such a great mom and provides AMAZING responses and even pictures and videos to show the cool life at CalTech! Thank you so much Amy!!
How would you describe the weather at CalTech? Does it frequently snow? What would advise students to bring when coming to CalTech?
"It’s sunny California so always nice and beautiful and sunny! Warning though- when it’s nighttime and you’re going to turn in a set it’s reallyyyy cold since we’re in the desert. Bring a sweater! It’s really cool to live in California for college because Caltech has two big trips: a beach trip and a ski trip, two polar activities available in one state. Bring a bathing suit and a winter coat!"
What makes CalTech? So special to you? Was it your first choice and your dream school?
"Caltech was up there in my list of schools- Stanford, MIT, Princeton, etc. come to mind. It was when I actually went to the campus for admitted students day was I totally blown away. The campus is gorgeous and the turtle pond is a big draw. It’s a realllyyy small school — about 250 per class. Because of that we get events that aren’t possible at bigger colleges. From buying out movie theaters so we can all watch Frozen to having a big party for finals week ((i’ll send some pics)) Caltech is a really unique place with a great support system."
How would you describe the environment at CalTech?
"Another thing that makes Caltech unique is it’s house system— think Hogwarts! Each house has its own personality and I’m pretty sure we have a wiki page dedicated to it all. I’m a Pageboy, which I can’t exactly tell you what that means because Rotation Violations, but come visit and see ;). The House System provides a fun way to connect with your community outside of school work and also gives a great collaborative background for doing sets and giving advice, since collaboration is highly emphasized here. Everyone is super supportive and down for a good time- from doing sets together to playing Smash to competing against other houses together there’s always something to do."
Personally, would you recommend morning or night classes? How big are your classes, or does it depend on your major?
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"Personally I’m not a morning person, so night classes! Most Caltech classes are in the afternoon, other than some 9 am morning humanity classes. It’s really nice to be able to sleep in."
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"Class size definitely depends on major. Freshmen are generally in core classes which includes all the frosh, so expect about 200 students a class. Your récitations and major classes are about 20 students so it’s very personalized. However, as a CS major my classes are pretty full bc CS is such a popular major. It definitely varies!"
What is one message you want to share to students who are interested in CalTech?
"Caltech will give you a good education for sure. It’s intense and it’s a lot. If you’re looking for an easy A and prestige then go to an Ivy. But, if you’re looking for a true education with a fun time, Caltech is the place for you! I’ve had the joy of traveling to Stanford for Hackathons, would’ve been Chicago for a Bloomberg event and seen James Corden (but Corona :/), and been to Universal all within my (shortened) Freshman year. There’s always something to do here :D"
HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF THE BEAUTIFUL AMY AND LIFE AT CALTECH!!
gabby
This time round I had the pleasure of interviewing Gabby who has given us lots of information on the amazing CalTech, again thank you to Gabby! If you're interested in CalTech you should read on! -Lillian
What is your major and why did you choose this major?
"I am a physics major. I chose physics because those classes were the most interesting and because the research in physics at Caltech is amazing and groundbreaking."
How would you describe the workload? Do students study at home during the weekends or go out and relax with their friends?
"First year workload is definitely way more than high school but very manageable. Your first 2 terms at Caltech are Pass/Fail so they give you time to adjust to the heightened workload. I definitely had a great balance of working and relaxing with my friends."
Are your professors good teachers?
"All of my professors are amazing and very smart and well versed in their subjects."
Are they available for research with students? Is it hard to find internships or research projects?
"So CalTech actually has a summer research program called SURF where they pay you to do summer research. All the professors love having undergraduates in their lab and are very open to meeting with you. Also the career fair comes to Caltech 2/3 times a year where companies meet students and help them apply for jobs/internships yeah CalTech is great about research, also we have a 3:1 student to faculty ratio so there’s a bunch of profs always looking for more researchers."
What was your reaction when you opened your acceptance letter?
"I was at my friends house and I saw that they emailed me telling me the decision had been made so I told my friends “yeah no way i got in” and then i saw i did and was so happy! I immediately called my sister and told her and we were both screaming on the phone"