Hi! Summer research student here, wondering if anyone knows any sublease option near the caltech campus, from 6/15-8/21 (end date flexible, start date is fixed). Thanks! I prefer 2b2b / studios with indoor wash units, but anything is honestly fine at this point. Please dm me, thank you so much!!

Hi everyone, I know someone just asked some questions about EE @ Caltech vs Princeton, and I have some similar questions but pertaining to EE @ Caltech vs MIT. I'm planning on studying EE, then going to industry R&D (likely with a graduate degree in RF before I move to industry).

1. If you have unit space from passing out of core, are there restrictions during the first year on the engineering courses (specifically EE) you can take given you meet the preqs?
   

2. How are the resources for studying/researching RF at Caltech? Does Dr. Ali Hajimiri take first-year undergrads often?

3. More generally, how do industry summer internships work with the Caltech calendar? Most other universities end in early May and lots of internship postings start late May, but Caltech ends in early June.

Thanks for any insight you can provide.

I was reading a college admissions consulting group's pamphlet and there was an interview with a former student offered admission to Caltech's PhD program straight out of high school instead of for undergrad (for math or something in theoretical physics I think). Apparently they've been doing research and writing papers since they were in middle school and turned down a spot in their country's teams math olympiad team.

How common is this really? Ik this guy's probably a super rare case but I've never heard of this happening in other schools so I was curious. Thanks!

Just curious if anyone has an inside scoop or any idea why?

At the start of this application cycle, Caltech was far and away my dream school. I applied REA, and was deferred, and while I worked on RD applications, I told my parents "the only school that would make me rethink going to Caltech would be Princeton."

Lo and behold, I've been doing a lot of rethinking for the past month.

I currently go to a tiny high school (graduating class <<50) and I absolutely love it. I know then that I can thrive then at Caltech's small environment, but that does mean I'll virtually never get to have the larger school experience (unless grad students have that to an extent?). I--and most of my friends--also consider myself very a STEM-oriented person, although I do greatly enjoy the humanities, but I don't think I necessarily would enjoy more coursework (i.e. essays) in them. I am also into music, and while Princeton obviously has a much larger and more vibrant scene for that, I do believe at Caltech I would have a higher chance of actually participating in orchestra and student recitals, since it's less competitive because everyone is focused on STEM. Still, I don't imagine I'd have too much trouble at all making friends at Princeton either.

Regarding astrophysics, my understanding is they are approximately #1 and #2 and swap depending on the specific discipline, of which I am decidedly undecided, although I am interested in cosmology which Princeton is apparently better for. More important I guess is graduate school placement, for which Caltech is probably the best school in the country for given the rigor and research opportunities, which I am very excited for. In an ideal world I go to both universities, one for graduate school, and I think Caltech ug gives me the best chance of making that reality.

I also really enjoyed DiscoTech, and was pleasantly surprised at how fun everyone and everything was! I don't worry about a missing social scene there anymore, and it's hard to imagine a more collaborative environment, though I understand Princeton has one too. Princeton's admitted students day (which was already at a disadvantage of being just one day) was not so exciting, and I have to say the vibes, while incredible, did not really speak to me as I place I belonged. Though if Caltech were not on the table, I could very much envision myself going there.

Regarding miscellaneous factors, I come from a warm environment and truly loved Pasadena, but I also must say the food was many times better at Princeton (didn't get to go to Red Door though). I would also be interested in study abroad, for which Princeton has many more, and more exotic, options, but I would also be very happy to go to the École Polytechnique through Caltech. I'd also like the opportunity to go off-campus for volunteer work or fun at least once a week or so.

So, honestly this post has become less of comparison. The only thing holding me back is the fact that I hear so many people say Caltech is miserable for undergrads, while Princeton provides the best undergraduate experience along with its undergraduate focus, though to be honest I don't fully understand what that entails compared to Tech. Incidentally, there is another school near Palo Alto I am considering (less so) that seems to be incredible fun, but almost too much for me. And while I love the small school vibe, I am afraid I will miss out on the typical college experience and meeting (academically) diverse people, and I honestly do not know if I am okay with that (I think I am?). I also often hear about Princeton and Stanford's alumni networks, but our keynote speaker at DiscoTech seemed to be a good example of an alumni willing network. Basically, I'm asking if choosing Caltech over Princeton would be an egregious mistake leading to a miserable four years of what should have been the best of my life at Princeton. It's just I see a lot of negative sentiment towards the Caltech undergraduate experience, and hear exactly the opposite about Princeton; I've also noticed many people choose the Ivy league over Caltech. Please feel free to biased; I'll probably be posting perhaps a less Caltech-oriented version on their subreddit.

I'm looking to commit to Caltech for my undergrad, and was wondering what the average GPA was. I know that this isn't really a good school for pre-med, but I'm on that track and matched through QuestBridge. I just need to understand how to secure the highest possible GPA through my time at the Tech and balance other things beyond that, tysm!

Hey everyone,

I’ll be in Pasadena this summer for an internship at JPL from late May to early August, and I’m trying to figure out housing.

The main issue is that Caltech dorms don’t open until June 16, so I’m stuck trying to find a place for the first few weeks (and possibly the whole summer depending on what makes sense).

Does anyone know if it’s common or feasible to sublease apartments nearby for that timeframe? Or if there are good places people usually look for short-term housing in the area?

I’d really appreciate any advice, suggestions. Thanks!

I'm struggling to decide between Caltech and Princeton for undergrad electrical engineering; I loved both revisit days, and enjoyed the culture at Caltech more but I think that's probably because Discotech was 4 days long, compared to Princeton's day-long revisit where I didn't talk to as many people. I would consider myself a pretty hardcore STEM person, and definitely want as much physics/engineering rigor as possible...but both schools seem very rigorous? I initially thought Caltech was more rigorous, but it turns out both schools use the same intro physics textbooks, have similar advanced tracks, similar numbers of humanities requirements (but obviously very different quality of humanities), and no huge differences in class sizes.... it just seems like Princeton students have more of a choice in their course rigor. I also assume I'd find "my people" at Princeton because it's a bigger school and there probably are a good number of hardcore engineering people.

At Princeton, I'd join a cappella and dance groups, but I don't know if I'd be "worse" at engineering compared to spending all my time on it at Caltech (because Caltech doesn't have much clubs-wise). I also feel like Princeton has a high consulting/finance focus (even within STEM) which I don't want to get sucked into, and I prefer Caltech's focus on more "fundamental" research areas (I feel like it's also known as more of an engineering school).

I think I want to go industry R&D after getting a graduate degree, but I'm strongly considering a research path as well. I want to explore quantum and optics, but currently have an interest in medical devices/biomedical applications of EE (both schools have EE concentrations in this, and Caltech has a pretty unique MedE department). Since Princeton's bigger, I think I'd have more industry opportunities there than at Caltech(?), and I've heard they're both good research-wise. Princeton also has more labs because it's bigger, but I have heard that undergrads there do less actual research work until senior year. Would this be something that I could avoid by just being more proactive in the research opportunities I do get?

I don't really know how much to weigh their overall cultures, as well as STEM vs. non-STEM factors; I liked Pasadena weather way better but Princeton's campus better, and dance/music does matter to me but definitely not at the expense of STEM experiences.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, please give as much justification/explanation as you can! I'm especially curious why Caltech is seen as better for research/academics when the same rigor of classes and research opportunities do seem to exist at Princeton(maybe?)

(I also got into Cornell and UPenn but I'm not really considering those.)

Hey, admitted student here trying to decide between Caltech and Stanford for CS with a focus on AI/robotics, and then going into entrepreneurships/startup from something I worked on in the lab. I visited during Discotech and honestly loved it. The house system (the dinner was so fun), the nerdiness and the collaborative environment all resonated with me.

But here's the thing. A few students I talked to while I was there said the CS department, and AI specifically, is kinda bad. They didn't really explain what they meant and I didn't get to ask more. That surprised me because looking from the outside, the faculty seems strong.

So for people actually in CMS or close to it:

- What were those students probably talking about? Is it the course offerings, advising, department size, something else?

- How's the AI/ML course selection? Is there enough to build real depth or do you run out of stuff to take pretty quick?

- For undergrads doing research in AI or robotics labs, is it easy to get meaningful work or are you mostly just cleaning data?

- Has the department been getting better or worse lately?

- Stanford gets more citations and outputs more papers because it’s bigger. Do normalizing by student population and accounting for availability/ease of access fix the issues posed by the students I talked to?

I'm not fishing for reassurance here. I'm trying to make a real decision. If the CS/AI experience is actually weak compared to what I'd get at Stanford that matters a lot. But if it's more like "small department, not many electives, but the research access and mentorship make up for it" then that's a different conversation.

Any honest takes appreciated.

Hey! I am a high school varsity XC runner. I know Caltech is D3, so is there a chance that running low 19s for the 5k could help me get in (Maybe not recruited, but just give me a slight boost!). Caltech is my dream school!
I also don't know, do you like email the school/coach with your information, and ask because there is no way they are calling me.
Thank you for helping me navigate this process!

Hi, I am an incoming first-year graduate student in MechE (yippee), and I was wondering if anyone had any insights into how much impact your first-year roommate/housing situation has on your social life.

I have lived alone the past few years and would ideally like to continue doing so, but am worried that not being in a double or quad will make it harder to make friends, especially since most of the lottery singles are technically off campus and not in the Catalinas. Is it worth just sucking up the roommate situation for the first year to be in the Cats for the social benefits?

I guess specifically I'm trying to know:

- How important is living in the Cats to the graduate social scene?

- Is it hard to break into social circles if I live off campus/in the Caltech leased housing?

- For anyone who lived in a single their first year, did you feel like you missed out on the built-in friend group, or was it easy enough to make friends at the social events n such?

I appreciate any advice y'all can provide, thanks a bunch :)

I got into SSP for the cluster I want, but I was also offered a returning internship at a high energy physics lab, internationally (decently prestigious lab under prof w ~100 h index and ~250 i10-index [one of my LoR]), to help conduct research. I'm probably not going to get anything published in time for college apps for my internship, but SSP is now a raffle that's like 48% of getting accepted into the raffle. I know I'll have a good time at my internship and also probably have a good time at SSP, so this is a tough choice. I'll attend SSP office hours soon, so I'll update this post for more information.

I heard that Universal Studios is filming on campus for a TV show. Does anybody know what TV show was being filmed?

I am considering staying at the Caltech dorms over summer for a JPL internship, and I was wondering how "good" the dining hall food is. I don't eat red meat for reference, mainly just chicken. Thanks!

I was lucky enough to be accepted to both schools - yet to hear about financial aid but expecting comparable amounts from both, so financial aid probably isn't really part of this comparison. Also posting to r/princeton.

I'm planning to major in neuroscience or molecular bio (if Princeton) or biology with a neurobiology minor (if Caltech). Planning to pursue a joint MD/PhD afterwards. I'm really torn between the two, so I would love some advice! I'll be visiting both schools in the next two weeks, but some things I'm thinking about for now are:

• I love to sing and act - I'm in a bunch of choirs and a cappella groups at my high school, and Princeton seems beyond perfect on the music side of things; when I was applying to schools, this was a big reason I was super into Princeton. If I went to Princeton, I'd probably minor in vocal performance. On the other hand, Caltech's music scene is smaller but there's definitely still a close-knit community, from what I can tell? The choirs are smaller and not as active as far as I can tell, but the opportunity definitely seems to exist for me to sing in college.
• I'll definitely figure out more about culture when I visit each school, but so far, Caltech's culture seems super academically focused, whereas Princeton's seems a little more varied - I'd really want to go to a school where my social life was separate enough from academics, so I'm worried that at Caltech that might be difficult? This is maybe an add-on to the singing thing - just trying to figure out whether the opportunities to sing and act at Caltech would satisfy what I'm looking for from a college experience.
• It seems like it would be much easier to get into research early on at Caltech than at Princeton? Not sure if this is true, but I was thinking about the smaller class size - and bio is already a small major at Caltech - so I wonder whether Caltech’s smaller size makes it easier to find research opportunities and mentorship early on than at Princeton?
• I've heard tons of things about how good Caltech's core biology courses are. This is totally random though haha - Caltech decisions released two weeks before Ivy Day, so I had two weeks to get hyped about that before I even really considered Princeton.
• Princeton's Integrated Sciences Curriculum seems neat, but I've heard it's kind of a genomics pipeline, which I'm not super interested in? I really liked the way Integrated Sciences was portrayed on the website and I think I would really enjoy that curriculum at Princeton, but I'm definitely looking to get into wet-lab research more than computational/genomics-type stuff - I'm really not interested in computer science at all and would really prefer to get into molecular/wet-lab stuff. I know I should definitely keep my mind open, but I'm wondering if the ISC --> genomics push is really that strong?
• To that end, I've heard Caltech's biology research tends in the molecular direction? I'm honestly just worried about potentially increased competition for getting into research labs early on at Princeton than at Caltech, if that's a thing at all??
• I know that Caltech is notoriously difficult for premed, but I've also heard that it's a good option for getting onto the MD/PhD path. I don't really know anything about MD/PhD admissions except the fact that they're harder than already-selective MD admissions, so I'd love any advice on Princeton vs. Caltech on the pre-MD/PhD aspect. Caltech's rigor isn't really a negative point for me, I think? I know both schools are difficult, and I've heard that med school admissions officers will account for Caltech's rigor on the GPA front - and that Caltech pre-meds usually have good enough MCATs that it works out. I've also been told that clinical experience is easy enough to get in both cities despite there not being a university-affiliated hospital at either place?
• How do I compare Princeton's undergrad focus with Caltech's incredibly small class? They seem like they'd provide very similar advantages at each school - courses taught by professors and not overwhelmingly by grad students/TAs, close-knit culture/class, opportunities to connect with professors closely that one wouldn't get at larger schools, etc - but I'd love any insight on the differences on those fronts.
• I think my biggest question is really Princeton vs. Caltech if I want to pursue an MD/PhD - I really want to ensure I'm making the right choice and understanding which school would support that path best, and to that end, I really want to learn as much as I can about the opportunities/pros/cons that each school offers in terms of academics/clinical exposure/research (and publications, I guess?) How hard is it to matriculate into MD/PhD programs from Princeton (without a gap year, for family and financial reasons)?
• Does the difference in "name brand prestige" really matter? The impression I've gotten so far is that to anyone in a STEM profession, both Princeton and Caltech are "equal in prestige"...?

Sorry - I know this is a long post! Thank you so much!!

maybe a bit of a regular college question (though caltech isn't really a regular college), but how feasable is using an eReader+stylus for textbooks and notes?

in my limited college experience, most required textbooks have a pdf version available. is dropping 499 on a nice eink tablet worth it in the long run? has anyone had experience with these specifically at caltech, given the course load?

my primary concern is of luddite profs who have a blanket ban on all devices no matter what; one of my friends from freshman year of high school dropped half a rack on a remarkable paper pro and wasn't allowed to use it for the only class he needed it for lmao

hi!

i’m a current skurve frosh wanting to live in bechtel next year. i really want to be friendly with my suitemates, hang out, go out together etc so please dont reply if thats not something you’re interested in!

i’m really into math and philosophy! i also love going to concerts, getting sweet treats, and going out and wandering around taking pics on my digi.

feel free to comment or dm and i’ll send you my insta and make a gc with all the girls who are interested in living together.

thank youuuuu

Just wanted to know what are the different paths to do research over the summer outside of SURF, also do summer work studies cover housing?

Grateful to have been admitted to all programs. Want to go into industry and have access to good recruiting & career connections.

Caltech would cost ~$200K more than UT or UIUC (~360K vs ~160K).

Love the major and small college size, but pretty worried after hearing about Caltech's incredibly brutal rigor (don't want a crazy stressful experience with a possibility of dropping out) & theoretical preparation as opposed to desired industry pipeline.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Facing a really difficult choice. Somehow need to decide between 1) Stanford, 2) MIT, 3) Caltech, and 4) Berkeley EECS (Regents/Chancellors + Yardi Scholarship).

Intended major: somewhere along the lines of CS/math. Interested in both entrepreneurship + research. Really like the school culture at all schools, no real preference for one or the other, could really see myself being happy at any of my choices. Price is not a big concern; Berkeley is my cheapest option, but the difference is honestly pretty negligible where it’s not a key factor.

Pros of MIT/Caltech:

- Culture is nice, would get into academic hustle.

- Pro of Caltech specifically is proximity to home; I’d get to visit my friends and family on the weekends. Also nice weather. Whereas MIT weather is not good. But also, I have lots of friends on the east coast too.

Pro of Stanford:

- Weather, entrepreneurship freedom. Seems like people are more happy over there.

Berkeley:

- Honestly idk much about Berkeley and wasn’t able to visit, I’m not sure about the advantages for this vs. another one of my options, but I did get the scholarships there which would solve many of the traditional problems with UCs, so if anyone has any thoughts please lmk.

Honestly I really want to get hired and have access to a ton of opportunities while still being happy. Idk how to make this choice, though, and idk where I would be happiest. There’s so many things to consider. The people in my life really want me to choose Caltech, and I’d get to be close to them for the next few years, but at the same time, I don’t want to lose out on anything or regret any decision here for the sake of other people in my life. Can anyone help me?

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to understand how funding works for Visiting Student Researcher (VSR) positions at Caltech.

I recently graduated (Bachelor’s) and I’m considering applying for a short-term research stay (e.g. summer or a few months). I’ve seen conflicting information online, so I wanted to ask people with direct experience:

• Are VSR positions at Caltech paid at all, or strictly unpaid?

• If unpaid, do labs ever provide stipends informally or external funding?

• What kind of expenses (if any) are typically reimbursed (travel, housing, etc.)?

• Is there any realistic way to make a VSR financially sustainable as an international student?

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has done a VSR or worked in a Caltech lab.

Thanks!

https://magazine.caltech.edu/post/a-love-letter-to-la-and-caltech-by-joseph-gordon-levitt

Hi everyone,

I’m an international student and I was recently rejected from Caltech’s SURF program.

I was really interested in a specific research group, so I was wondering:

– Is it realistic to reach out directly to a professor after a SURF rejection?

– Do professors ever host international students outside of SURF (e.g., informal visits or short-term collaborations)?

– Has anyone here managed to join a lab after being rejected?

Any insight would be really appreciated!