California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (2023-2024)

[dark fjord]

swe

well acutally i guess the prestige helps

but most of what ur learning probably isnt too relavant to swe lololol

[halcyon stone]

LETS GOOOOO

ik one of them ;)

[halcyon stone]

good

swe shit sounds so boring ngl

[dark fjord]

🤝

ive done enough swe to hate it

[halcyon stone]

internship?

or personal project

or startup

[dark fjord]

personal projects + FOSS dev

if i stay up another night fixing bugs im going to stop existing

its just

look a documentation

[halcyon stone]

rip

[dark fjord]

bot some code

repeat x100

debug

lose part of soul

[halcyon stone]

bugs shouldnt have to exist 😉

[dark fjord]

so real

[halcyon stone]

le type theory moment

[dark fjord]

😭

[halcyon stone]

quantum hoopers 💀

[dark fjord]

ever see haskell

funny language

[halcyon stone]

i breathe haskell

[dark fjord]

me when i learn category theory from haskell

[halcyon stone]

im learning lean and coq rn

[dark fjord]

fun

[halcyon stone]

haskell is in like the limbo of "sorta practical enough for real use" and "sorta expressive enough for TT"

[dark fjord]

lol

[jagged stirrup]

hmm

[wraith flower]

it'll probably be way more theoretical/research orientated than most ppl probably want

i have some friends who love that but most don't care for it since they're wanting to do more practical stuff

[halcyon stone]

lets gooooo

[wraith flower]

nice :) glad you like that kind of thing

ngl i don't think most of the CS ppl here carefor it 🤧

[blazing fjord]

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE

[jagged stirrup]

💀 their decisions already came out

[median blade]

Lmao

[fallow mesa]

friend got deferred

which is terrifying to think about

because he's pretty goated imo, and it makes me question my chances

[floral warren]

hii, did anyone get in REA here?

i’m an international student planning on applying and wanted to talk to someone. thanks

[dark fjord]

caltech only does REA

[floral warren]

oh okay

my bad

edited

[dark fjord]

Np its confusing 😂

[floral warren]

right 😂

[median blade]

fr, frick that school (caltech please accept me)

[jagged stirrup]

caltech behavior

[dark fjord]

YEOLEUMORZ

[limber solar]

hi yeoleumorz!

[cursive sierra]

The Caltech has the greatest combined essay word count out of all the schools im applying to

[dark fjord]

fun

[mint kestrel]

hey are there any statistics on how many people applied and were admitted to caltech rea this year? couldn't find anything online

[dawn ridge]

expect to wait a while tbh

[hearty saddle]

how long would that be

[dawn ridge]

expect after break tbh since caltech restarts jan 3rd

realistically from what ik u should expect it to be similar to last year, probably lower acceptance

[hearty saddle]

oh would they like publish stats then

[dawn ridge]

yh

[jagged stirrup]

@dark fjord :D become an admission officer

[dark fjord]

i wish man

[reef swift]

wait you're in this server?

[dark fjord]

DIEGO

ur here too??

[clear herald]

hey

[reef swift]

uh

[clear herald]

any internationals?

[reef swift]

I didn't expect you to be in here Frank

[dark fjord]

LOL

im from the bay how would i not be on a2c

[reef swift]

true!

we live like 20 minutes away

[clear herald]

@reef swift I want to apply to caltech but not sure if my profile is good enough

can you have a look that

I dont want to write those essays for nothing 😄

I wont seek financial aid too (big factor for caltech ig)

[reef swift]

they don't look at your financial need

[clear herald]

they are need aware

I'm international

¯_(ツ)_/¯

[reef swift]

ooh

[clear herald]

so? 🥹

[limber solar]

omg hi frank's friend

did you know frank is a furry

[reef swift]

oh no, more ventis

[reef swift]

yeah i didnt do much in hs tbh

[limber solar]

HAHAHHAH

[dark fjord]

not this again

[clear herald]

ummh, I was asking if you could check my profile 😦

not sure if it's worth applying

[reef swift]

oh

[reef swift]

sure you can send it to me

[clear herald]

thx sending in

[limber solar]

take a real good, long look at your pfp

[dark fjord]

i am in fact

NOT

a furry

[reef swift]

really?

[dark fjord]

do not listen to moon their the furry

[reef swift]

weehoo

[scenic wind]

Caltech must be where all the rich IT and aerospace furries come from

[dawn ridge]

im intl i can look at ur profile

[carmine minnow]

They also have infinite funding

So... Unless you're that one too many person seeking 105% aid, idt it'll hurt you

[clear herald]

dmed

[halcyon stone]

hey does caltech let you apply for financial aid if your immigrastion status changes?

[dawn ridge]

Lemme dm a friend who I think was in that situation. I would email admissions office in the meantime

But expect them to reply on Jan 3rd they’re on vacation rn ☠️☠️

How did ur immigration status change?

[halcyon stone]

If my I-485 gets approved and I get my green card (already filed)

[dawn ridge]

yeah u can still apply for financial aid

[jagged stirrup]

Millions in debt

[grave ruin]

caltech common app crashed today?

[dark fjord]

[astral fog]

Bro what you up to

[sage star]

should i write abot my reserach for this one

i feel like this is basically begging me to write about any one of my research papers/projects

[median blade]

Yeah definitely

[hearty saddle]

i mean theres also the research supplement

but it would definitely be an apt topic

[sage star]

did you do research

in high school

[hearty saddle]

somewhat yea

its ongoing and im not really sure if im producing a paper lol

[astral fog]

But would research papers fit into the framework of ‘creator, inventor, innovator’?

[sage star]

yes

because my paper was on an engineering project

that i did

[astral fog]

Nice

[sage star]

even if you aren't doing engineering

there's a case to be made for innovating

[astral fog]

I thought this was an essay on the applicants general mindset

[sage star]

i thought it was an example

e.g. "new ways to design solar cells to how to 3D print dorm decor"

although designing an efficient solar cell ain't a simple task lmao

[astral fog]

Hmm

[astral fog]

Oh youre right

[hearty saddle]

in retrospect maybe i shoulda talked abt my research here lol

[bronze peak]

Actually no

Just something that’s inspired you in that field/aspect

They’re trying to see what learner you are here

Caltech is surprisingly holistic here

[sage star]

can i not talk about one of my projects

that i did

[bronze peak]

You can

but like discuss the impact it had on you and how it like fed your desire/interest to learn

[grave ruin]

Ma bad it was my internet 💀

[urban berry]

caltech engineering at its finest

[wraith flower]

relevant:

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1023337768010645514/1187848304118210653/image0.jpg?ex=659860f0&is=6585ebf0&hm=2d14cd5f9e10e223f2ee57256bdb608121e10e61561e7d65669c13b7ff5219ea& ** **

damn i don't have perms so

basically we did this on the MIT Minecraft server a while ago

[urban berry]

I found this on an MIT server

[wraith flower]

probably accurate

[fathom dirge]

for caltech can maker portfolios be a website or does it have to be a video?

[mint path]

did anyone here get in rea

[bronze peak]

Liek one person

[languid heart]

for the "values" essay is that in reference to the innovation essay?

[median blade]

no the values is the 4th one

where you get to choose between 3 things to write about

[languid heart]

oh for some reason the 3 values didn't show up

😂

ty

[covert sky]

what are the limits of what u can submit in the portfolio

like can it be absolutely anything creative?

[dry gorge]

am i fucked if i dont have a humanities rec

[astral fog]

Is anybody from calt even in this serv

[halcyon stone]

eah

a few ppl

@wraith flower

[wraith flower]

well i think its still a required one right?
I'm assuming you're applying this year. idk your situation but you might try emailing the admissions officers especially if you had one lined up but something happened.

[jagged stirrup]

definitely :P

[covert sky]

how many pieces is too much to submit in the portfolio

will they look at anything more than 25?

[dark fjord]

Iirc someone who got in last year submitted a lip sync music video on a playground

Or smtg like that

[jagged stirrup]

W

[covert sky]

fun

[abstract needle]

portfolios are due a week after jan 3 right

[clear herald]

guys I really wonder if I should even apply for fin aid

should I? as an international

[dawn ridge]

yh u deffo should if you can't afford it

[clear herald]

heyy hello again

[clear herald]

yup ik, but I feel like I can get some scholarships from rich people in my country

also it's my dream school too

[dawn ridge]

You should apply for financial aid if you can't afford caltech

Otherwise, don't

[clear herald]

but it kills my chances

[dawn ridge]

It's better than getting in and not going because you can't afford it

[sudden carbon]

oh

[desert nacelle]

Guys is it fine if my one teacher reccommendation comes in afteer the Caltech submission deadline?

[wraith flower]

you can really only contact the officers to know for sure

[desert nacelle]

Ohh okay

[deep hawk]

There is a grace period tho

So ur likely fine

[carmine minnow]

Erm same question. Did you find out ab this yet?

[abstract needle]

nope

[carmine minnow]

Wait you're also a CUCer 💀 Thought the pfp looked familiar.

[abstract needle]

ya

[median blade]

chads

i wrote the worst essays in existance for cuc lmao

[carmine minnow]

I looked back and all of my fly-in essays were so bad... 🥲

Can someone help me edit my essays (through trading/current/REA admitted/deferred students)? Thanks.

[median blade]

i can look at em

[proud vortex]

Hey! Does anyone know the exact time the application is due in?

[carmine minnow]

your timezone at 1159 Jan 3rd.

[proud vortex]

thank you!!

[clear herald]

yo

do we have anyone online?

[sudden carbon]

yes

what’s up

[clear herald]

is this descp good for my maker portfolio?

this literally it, nothing more nothing less, but I've been rereading it for 30 minutes now lol

[carmine minnow]

it's not rlly clear what your project does to the energy consumption stuff mentioned in the first part.

[clear herald]

well, it'sa bout electric motors

I shouldnt explain it, since it'll look silly

professors already know electirc motors

and how they work

[clear herald]

I did a driver

[carmine minnow]

"In this rapidly growing trend" is not rlly clear.

[clear herald]

how come

50% of the energy consumption

[carmine minnow]

just remove "in this rapidly growing trend"

... electric motors, aiming to offer affordable...

[clear herald]

I c thx

[covert sky]

due 10th

i submitted a few days back and they sent an email with the breakroom saying its 10th

[rocky cypress]

YOO GUYS, I NEED SOME HELP

i said no to financial aid in commonapp accidentally

who do I email if I want to change my application a bit?

bc i already submitted it

[astral fog]

how to refer to a scientist in the supps? for ex: Isaac Newton, Mr Newton, Dr Newton, Prof Newton...

[covert sky]

hey, so i get this space in my caltech portal, is it the same space for creative and maker portfolios?

[carmine minnow]

yes.

[wraith flower]

https://www.admissions.caltech.edu/visit/contact-us

[wraith flower]

Prof(essor) if they actually hold a professorship,
Dr if they hold a PhD
Mr otherwise

[halcyon stone]

the professor im talking to prefers just first name lol

[wraith flower]

to note this isn't to say you cant, it's just the formal way to do it

[halcyon stone]

Yeah yeah

[sudden carbon]

wait so does everyone application get reviewed by faculty at caltech

or just the ones that passed the initial admissions officers review

[languid heart]

fuck

the only interesting thing about me

[halcyon stone]

huh caltech has a moratorium on test scores???

[languid heart]

yes

they've had it for a few years now

💀

and it'll still be here when u apply fr

[carmine minnow]

only top 10-15%

[languid heart]

it would be kinda lit if they would give you your faculty review even if you get rejected ultimately

[sudden carbon]

f

[astral fog]

i wasted a free score send on this saw their policy later

[languid heart]

😩

[astral fog]

is the essay on reflection on values supposed to contain personal accounts?

[median blade]

i mean college essays in general should contain specific stuff from ur life

[astral fog]

hm then the 400 word limit makes sense

[grave ruin]

is this purely on grade?

[clear herald]

guys

how many vlaues should I choose

at least 2?

for the essay

[median blade]

1 is fine as well

[clear herald]

u sure?

[jagged stirrup]

as long as u demonstrate that one value well, u should be good :P

.-. i think if u waste more words on trying to show more values, u might not be able to show any depth

[median blade]

yes. i did 1 and i got deferred

[clear herald]

what is the percentage of students who got in REA

is it more than %50?

[median blade]

less than 50%

because caltech has a housing crisis cuz in the last few years, they have overenrolled

[abstract needle]

^

[clear herald]

guys

what is the grace period

[halcyon stone]

Probably far less lol

[median blade]

i think he meant what percent of the class of 28 were accepted

[dry gorge]

i emailed and they said all supplemental materials need to be in by jan 10

[clear herald]

damn

good shi.

submitted the dream school

lesgo

[grave ruin]

guys... what should be applicable to send here?

[clear herald]

anything

[grave ruin]

so like is it okay to include like a video file?

[clear herald]

not sure about that one

did u choose to submit a maker portflio?

[clear herald]

.

[grave ruin]

yeah

[wraith flower]

it's probably fine if it let you

[wraith flower]

admittedly they've done this several times even though theirs a housing crisis

so who knows

[median blade]

i saw someone say there counselors got an email

sa ying what i said

[grave ruin]

no 😦

[halcyon stone]

i mean caltech is pretty small as a school

[clear herald]

only 260+ students

realllly small

but best

[carmine minnow]

work our way up through the waitlist

[astral fog]

Ive submitted my caltech app but they’re still emailing me about today’s deadline??

[median blade]

i guess the mailing list is not in sync with people that submitted or smth

[wraith flower]

yeah as a heads up just because "technology" is in the name, does not mean they're good at using it

[rocky cypress]

i emailed to their fin aid email, that should be fine right?

[wraith flower]

No because they don't make the decisions. they do base the decision off the finaid iirc if you're international

however if you're domestic i don't think it should matter (from an application standpoint) as Caltech's need blind

however

it might be important logistically that they know you're needing aid at the beginning.

Odds are finaid will just forward you to Caltech admissions though.

So maybe give them a day, and if they don't respond, email the admissions office

[rocky cypress]

i am international

let me email their official email too

[wraith flower]

gotcha, yeah I would contact the admissions office then

[dawn ridge]

yh cuz lowk ct is need aware for intl students

[grave ruin]

do I need a 'research recommendation' when I submit the makers portoflio?

[dawn ridge]

I'd recommend one yh

[grave ruin]

can it be one I've already included as my teacher in common app?

[clear herald]

hmmm

[dawn ridge]

Well no

Only if that same prof

Can comment on your research experience; either way if you can find another prof it'd be better so as to not be redundant in app (it's important for ct to get as many perspectives as possible on who they're gonna admit)

Hi I believe that is a doxx

[grave ruin]

alright thanks for your insight

[clear herald]

not important 😄

so why it's awaiting?

[halcyon stone]

school will send i think

[clear herald]

she did

my counselor uploaded it

[dawn ridge]

It is against server policy to expose information like that, so for your own security I have deleted the message

[halcyon stone]

tfw i can get sm1 from caltech on there maybe

[clear herald]

so guys why they didnt get my stuff

[dawn ridge]

They take a while

Don't worry

[clear herald]

althougn my counselor uploaded it like 1-2 months ago to my CA

[dawn ridge]

I'd wait another month and then email

They might be processing those later on

[clear herald]

ok bet, thx

[dawn ridge]

That'd be cool ngl

[clear herald]

@dawn ridge I also got a question

[dawn ridge]

Yeah go for it

[clear herald]

at thime of applying I didnt have re letter for social science/humnatieis

I just invited my teacher, and without waiting for the rec letter, I submitted my app

[dawn ridge]

Oh yeah you're fine

Just make sure it's done asap

[clear herald]

so it wasnt submitted

I just dont understand the fact that Caltech check marks it

[dawn ridge]

Ik that there is a grace period

[dawn ridge]

So two reasons I see:

1. Your prof already submitted the rec letter without your knowledge (cuz ferpa and all so you can't see)
2. They acknowledged the fact you invited your teacher to submit rec, and you're in line with protocol for their grace period

[clear herald]

1 didnt happen

seems like 2

[dawn ridge]

Yeah

If you're worried, I would email admissions office

[clear herald]

but I'm fine right? like recommenders can submit after I submit my app?

[dawn ridge]

Absolutely

I think you should not worry

[clear herald]

caltech please gimme my ticket to california

isnt caltech rich af btw?

[dawn ridge]

you'll find out 🤗 (yes)

[clear herald]

ok, they better gimme my fin aid lmfao

[dawn ridge]

gl!

[clear herald]

also I really dont understand the fact that caltech is not popular

literally

[halcyon stone]

230 ppl

it became a bit popuklar bc of big bang theory

[clear herald]

@dawn ridge what is the average salary aftrer graduation?

and where do you guys go to work

[dawn ridge]

median is like 120k

[clear herald]

and how people see stanford compared to caltech

[dawn ridge]

it depends

caltech is known for bringing the best out of ppl for future phds and research

but there are deffo some ppl that go work in industry

[dawn ridge]

the beef is with mit fr

& tbh idt ppl rlly think abt it like that. no one rlly spends time comparing stanford to caltech imho

[clear herald]

hahahahaa of course

[wraith flower]

I was just about to ask if people actually compared stanford to caltech

[near thorn]

there aren't really many commonalities outside of the fact that they are both top schools in california. Culture and focus is completely different between the institutes

[dawn ridge]

yh 100%

[halcyon stone]

And Harvey mudd

I think

[midnight steppe]

has caltech not extended the deadline guys?

[midnight steppe]

just wondering

how many awards did you guuys mention in this question?

Some Caltech applicants engage in STEM competitions locally, nationally, or internationally (e.g., AIME, Science Olympiad, International Science Olympiads). If you have received any STEM honors or awards, list them here (with scores, if applicable).

[red fjord]

i had around 7

[median blade]

I just had AIME

[scenic wind]

0 💀

[elder maple]

same

[midnight steppe]

so I should just apply right

i got barely 2

not a stem girlie anyway

but hoping to become one lol

[median blade]

Yeah just apply

[clear herald]

I did 0, they can already see my honors in my awards section lol

they are all stem awards too

[midnight steppe]

yeah I was confused if I should reiterate

[clear herald]

it's not that important

you're chilling

[clear herald]

but what about deadline?

it was jan 3rd

can you still submit it

[midnight steppe]

ik I mean im not sure

had a sudden urge to apply today

[clear herald]

submit ur app if you can

I submitted half of my apps after the deadline, and they all got downloaded

[midnight steppe]

hmm oki thanks

[rocky cypress]

how do i know that my maker portfolio is sent btw?

[round pumice]

can we still submit lol

[clear herald]

submit

if commonapp allows

[round pumice]

nvm it has too many supps

[clear herald]

HAHSADHASHAHAHAHAHAAHA

lol

[languid heart]

i thought they were pretty free ngl

[bronze peak]

guys

question

about uwutech

i was reading online

and read it’s very holistic

is this true?

[wraith flower]

yea. there's still some requirements you need to meet though, so that way they know "you can handle it"

e.g. some way of showing you know calculus

etc

[halcyon stone]

They allow khan acad qualification

[sudden carbon]

uwutech..

[astral fog]

are you trying to awaken new things in people

[desert nacelle]

Guys I have done a research project about analyzing the potholes in my city and the impact they have on commute, in which I conducted surveys, spoke with government officials, took interviews etc and produced a 30 page report, so should I includee that as a research project in my application?

Or should the research just be related to your major?

[halcyon stone]

Ofc include that

Are you tripping

[clear herald]

areu going to report 30 pages?

[desert nacelle]

Alright thankss

[desert nacelle]

Yeahh like a pdf

[desert nacelle]

Guys for international applicants requiring financial aid do we need to submit any additional things apart from CSS?

[desert nacelle]

SImilar question for scholarships as well

[dawn ridge]

No

[dawn ridge]

Caltech does not do merit based scholarships

All of it is need/grant based

[desert nacelle]

Ohhh alright thank you so much!! @dawn ridge

[native seal]

i got deferred from Caltech, any tips? Does anyone know how likely getting from Deferral -> acceptance may be?

[carmine minnow]

Hi, sorry for ping but can you help me read my "internship description" as an app supplement? I don't have a paper yet so I'm submitting this instead, but I'm worried it's a bit long (200 words). Thank you very much.

[carmine minnow]

There's still hope. Caltech is rlly selective about who they defers.

Just write a banger LOCI lol I don't have any other tips.

[native seal]

I know.. gives me good confidence abt other schools too

[native seal]

I have an update to my application in terms of a new award, but what else do you think I should include?

[carmine minnow]

can you help me w/ this? I want at least a 2nd set of eyes lol 🥲.

[native seal]

I did some astrophotography and stuff, is that a decent candidate to include for fun?

[native seal]

Uh sure?

[carmine minnow]

this is the tips I got from Northwestern (also defers ~5%) but idk if Caltech is the same.

[carmine minnow]

I dm'ed you. Thanks.

[dawn ridge]

What caltech looks for in deferred applicants is an update on how you’ve continued to excel, while also potentially hitting new strides. Your LOCI must convey that. Mentioning awards is a good first step, but be sure to highlight an improvement/important event since applying, and how caltech can help you catalyze your new/continued interests

[native seal]

Bro i have literally just been working on applications 💀

[dawn ridge]

Your award is a good place to start

[native seal]

I didn’t apply for STS or anything like that, does that screw me over?

[dawn ridge]

No lol

[light elk]

Also where is everyone submitting their LOCI for Caltech? Should I email admissions it or submit it in the “updates” area

[native seal]

Im putting it in updates

[light elk]

Where do you submit this “internship description? Under updates?

[dawn ridge]

I think they’re trying to include it within their portfolio (which I would not recommend)

As a deferred applicant, you should be focusing your efforts on the ‘updates’ section

Include anything you may find relevant but don’t overkill either with irrelevant aspects - be clear and concise

[native seal]

If I only have a few updates, is that fine?

[dawn ridge]

If it’s what you have, it’s what you have

[native seal]

What is typical? Could I DM you?

[dawn ridge]

I couldn’t tell you whether it’s fine or not - I don’t want to give you a false sense of security. I also don’t know what a typical amount is

The tip I can give you though is to make your updates clear

& how they can be impactful

[native seal]

Ok, np

[dawn ridge]

Tbh you’ll also never find out the ideal formula; you’d have to ask your ao for that and that’s illegal

So just try your best and I’m sure you’ll be ok

[native seal]

Yeah

Stressful though

[dawn ridge]

Of course. I wish you luck

[wraith flower]

I unfortunately will not be
What I can give you are some general tips

• Explain what the project is
• explain your role on it (intimately) and it's challenges
• Why you enjoy it/why you did it/why it interesting to you
• Be yourself (You're more likely to write something that reflects your interests if it's not forcefully written)
• why you want to continue/what are looking forward to/what do you forsee

[dawn ridge]

I’ll be so real I wouldn’t include it as an extra to a portfolio tho

[carmine minnow]

I mean they have this...

[dawn ridge]

The thing is I’m sure you explained it in your ecs

[carmine minnow]

Also should I send a 2-min video of me singing in a choir? ("creative endeavor") I put in that they can feel free to skip it (or part of it).

[carmine minnow]

Common app has 150 characters, and idk if my STEM experience essay on it says enough... But ok. I'll hold on submitting for now.

[wraith flower]

i doubt it'd hurt you, but i don't think it'll help you much.

it's up to you man. you need to sell your own personality for heuristic admissions like these

and the only one who can really know how to do that is yourself

[dawn ridge]

Yeah I agree w thom

[grave prism]

@light elk

[light elk]

Got it thx

[halcyon stone]

we're so back

also damn caltech fell off

[elder maple]

8 days is insane

[median blade]

Caltech sucks

please accept me RD tho

[scenic wind]

i'm getting in guys dw

[halcyon stone]

imagine how OP caltech would be if it were larger

its already rly good

[near thorn]

i would argue part of the appeal of caltech is that it is smaller

[halcyon stone]

that might be true but personally thats my biggest problem with it

other than that its an awesome school

[near thorn]

I completely agree and it was one of my main reasons for ultimately not going

[halcyon stone]

though i see why others might disagree and may like the small school vibe

[near thorn]

to quite a large degree I felt that it was too small

but if you are fine with the size of the school and the stem-centric environment then I would argue that there may not be many better places to attend in the grand scheme of things

[dawn ridge]

The reason why caltech is OP is bc it's small

[dawn ridge]

Why

If you're worried about the social that's not a problem

UCLA is like 40 mins away

[lone apex]

I feel like Caltech is such a prestigious college but has one of the easiest apps

Meaning the process is just easy you don't have to send standardized scores, there isn't an interview, it's just essays, ecs, and stats (minus standardized testing)

[light elk]

I feel like that’s why they have so many essays lol

I’m honestly thankful tho bc I got to reuse so many from my rea app

[marble tartan]

caltech is soooo underrated among applicants

but i can see why honestly idk how i'd feel about a 250 person class

[astral fog]

why not

barely anybody knows me outside of my classroom of about 30 students 💀

[marble tartan]

lol feels too small

[wraith flower]

while it is smol, you also have to remember theres 250 new ppl every year and even then you're not gonna meet everyone

it does mean that if you wanna find some niche thing it might have some difficulty tho

clubs can also be pretty dead sometimes too

[lone apex]

@wraith flower You go to Caltech I assume?

Do you have any insight in to like how they look at your application? I feel like it's so very different from every other college like they don't look at your standardized testing scores, they don't look at any interview it's bascailly all essays and your extracurriculars. Is it really just them comparing people's essays and their ECs

[light elk]

Don’t forget about course rigor and performance among peers (GPA/class rank) and context bc it is holistic

[lone apex]

true

but I mean I have a 4.68 W and 4.0 UW with 18 APs and 1/155 but I don't think that makes me Caltech's #1 candidate

[light elk]

Yeah bc those are just your stats. That’s what basically gets you into the maybe pile but your ec and essays are what gets you in

And context

[lone apex]

wdym by context

[light elk]

Like if you were from a super rich private school or something your app would be looked at different from a low income/ first gen student who takes care of their sick grandparents on the weekends or something

Just as an example

Not exactly but the whole idea of holistic is how well did you do given the resources and opportunities you had

If my school only offers 5 aps and I did 5 I would be maximizing opportunities in a sense I wouldn’t be compared to someone who took 20

[lone apex]

my school offers 1 AP I went before the school board and did a petition to allow me to take APs through a virtual school lmao

[light elk]

Yeah same I’m also first gen. Also I’m sure region gets taken into consideration at the end of the day they’re trying to bring in a diverse class not one where everyone is from Bay Area or NYC or something

[light elk]

That’s solid

[lone apex]

i didn't say that tho unfortunately

probably should've

[lone apex]

Though still I'm just wondering like I think it would be easier for Harvard/MIT/Stanford to make a decision than Caltech

like how do you decide two applicaionts
A: Great ECs, Great Course Rigor, Great Class Rank, Great GPA
B: Great Ecs, Great Course Rigor, Great Class Rank, Great GPA

I guess solely based upon context

[median blade]

I know someone that looked at their admission profile and he told me 6 specific things or smth that they look for

If anyone wants to see em ping me in a few hours

[lone apex]

@median blade

Oh few horus

whoops

[light elk]

I feel like the thing you’re missing is the only quantitative aspect of the application are the stats (which we agreed were only the initial phase of admission). Everything else is much more subjective than that it’s in a good or bad type of rating they would do for stats

There’s no such thing as two equal candidates unless they have the exact same stats (which is 100% possible) exact same ec (somewhat possible) and exact same essays (impossible)

[light elk]

And yes context plays a role bc it’s holistic everything you can think of plays a role

[lone apex]

Yeah I agree; but, if you think about it, how could such a quantitative university be so subjective in admissions?

I guess waht I'm saying is I don't quite understand how they pick out the best researchers/physicists/whatever with what they've asked for

or maybe it's simply that they can't and they just pick the best possible people for their environment and make them into the best researchers/physcists/wathever

[sudden carbon]

wtf

[lone apex]

?

[sudden carbon]

that's insane

gj

[lone apex]

yet still not enough for MIT

lol

[sudden carbon]

dude idk what they want

youll get in rd trust

[lone apex]

thank u

[light elk]

Or maybe that’s not exactly what Caltech is looking for when choosing a student body. We don’t really know. Maybe the appreciate students more who have more breadth in their applications aside from sheer research and Olympiads

[lone apex]

oh u right they can see olympiads cant they

[light elk]

Yeah they can

[lone apex]

yeah nvm i see my rejection in sight now

[light elk]

Basically even tho Caltech is the most competitive stem research school we’re not sure if they also prefer more well rounded students if that makes sense

Adding some diversity into the crowd

Students that of course are also super amazing at those things but are also good/are interested in different things

[wraith flower]

no student really knows much more other than what they did on their app and what they got. so in general I try to avoid saying stuff about the application process. however,
what you guys talked about tho is pretty accurate. they try to consider as many details as possible.
they even get background information on your HS.

noone here can really tell you what makes an application a "Caltech application" and not just a possible one though.

and if you want advice then I'll give you the same advice I heard from an AO right before I decided to rewrite all of my essays. which was just be yourself. but I'll provide a reason:
the best essay you're going to write, is probably going to be the essay you're interested in. so enjoy writing the essay and write about something close to you. Hopefully it'll come naturally and you'll write a great app.

[lone apex]

you right you right

tho no changing my essays now, but I thikn i did a pretty good job of being myself

[median blade]

additionally, my friend said when he took a tour that the AOs told him they hate people that pad their resumes with APs that they dont care about

[lone apex]

i wouldn't say i didnt care about all the APs 😦

[median blade]

ok i shouldnt say hate thats probably too strong of a word

but dislike

[median blade]

as long as you werent just taking those classes to pad your resume

you shouldnt worry about it

[lone apex]

i mean

i took them for the gpa boost and the resume i guess

[median blade]

were there unweighted classes you were more interested in

also im sure its like

not gonna be a negative lmfao

i guess im saying its just like not really a big boost

to have a billion aps

[lone apex]

nah we don't

have any unweighted classes

that are even remotely diffcult or interesting

i could've had a really easy 4 years tho

[median blade]

alr then yeah no problem

and i assume thats true for most public schools (like mine lol)

[astral kestrel]

How do I submit things through the beaver breakroom? I submitted my common app application but the beaver breakroom says my application is still incomplete because I am missing "Evaluation: Humanities/Social Science". What is this and how can I add it?

Please do not tell me this is a recommendation letter 😭

It is

[lone apex]

It is indeed!

I'd begin by emailing admissions
From that point, they will tell you that you can get your teacher to email your recommendatio nletter to [email protected] with your full name and DOB.

That's what I had to do.

CommonApp (for some unbeknownst reason) doesn't tell you that a huamnities/social science is required for Caltech

[astral kestrel]

Yeah I emailed my teacher

Can’t I just add it on common app still

[lone apex]

No

They won’t download it

[astral kestrel]

[lone apex]

Is not bad process or anything they just email their rec as a PDF and include ur full name and DOB and they will (hopefully) match it

[astral kestrel]

yeah shame my english teacher said no to the letter of recommendation 🐔

real talk though its not like my shabby application is going anywhere but the bin, do I even bother at this moint

no but fr though how does one of the most common application portals not mention anywhere a key requirement for admission? Maybe this is how they filter out people like me before the application even begins but this cant be real

[clear herald]

bratha, you cant assign to the school once you submit it thru CommonApp. Gotta go with email

just email it, there's bunch of time it should be feb 26th for rec letters

[hasty meadow]

is this true????

[clear herald]

check the website

for rec letter deadlnes

[astral kestrel]

I dont think it says anywhere that the deadline is any different

[clear herald]

brother in law

!biggreen

[vagrant cape]

https://i.imgur.com/v0Wc3XA.png

[hasty meadow]

hm

[astral kestrel]

and yet this is not for the first-year applicants

https://sfp.caltech.edu/undergraduate-research/programs/surf/application_information

this is for somethingcalled surf which I do not believe I am part of

https://sfp.caltech.edu/undergraduate-research/programs/surf a quick glance tells me this is something to do with research, i am was trying to get in at all

[lone apex]

@astral kestrel Find someone to write ur LoR, or maybe another college needed a humanities LOR get that same teacher, and contact admissions and tell them that your humanities evaluation was emailed by a Mr(s) (teacher name) to their documents email

[dawn ridge]

SURF is a super cool research program

Highly recommend

[astral kestrel]

I have no doubt its great, its just not what I'm applying to which makes the deadline the other person doubting my googling proficiency provided invalid

[lone apex]

What day does Caltech release?

!caltech

[median blade]

last year i believe it was on the 11th

[lone apex]

of

march or april

[median blade]

March

[lone apex]

ooo a early one

nice

[sudden carbon]

fafsdfadjsflksdfjadslfkjasdflajsdflajsdlfkf

[scenic wind]

caltech probably can release earlier because they don't get as many applications than many other schools

[median blade]

they also have less admission officers

[scenic wind]

iirc they were one of the earliest to release rea decisions too

[scenic wind]

yeah that's true

[median blade]

it was on the 9th

[scenic wind]

yeah that was pretty early compared to a lot of other schools that released in december

but i'm ready to have my hopes crushed on the 11th only to have my dreams fulfilled on the 14th 😊

[wraith flower]

i mean we have a handful + professors read too

[sharp birch]

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (2023-2024)

Added full name for easier search

[mild warren]

meow

[lone apex]

Honestly I don't understand why Caltech doesn't get more applicants

[dark fjord]

very niche school

[jagged stirrup]

.-. why are you a prefrosh

[hybrid marsh]

For the portfolio section, I uploaded one of my passions

its a non profit related to stem, does that work?

[jagged stirrup]

i think so.

[median blade]

for the change of course schedule form, is it fine if i just write stuff on a google doc and submit that

[dawn ridge]

yuh

[grave prawn]

if there are any questbridge people that werent matched but had caltech on their list before the national college match, there is nothing to do but wait until the regular decision time, correctl?

[dawn ridge]

Mhm

[grave prawn]

ty

[dark fjord]

i am a prefrosh

[median blade]

What a shocker

[median blade]

anyone wanna read my LOCI

[dark fjord]

you should send them "pls let me in uwu"

[median blade]

i will definitely do this

please let me in ❤️

in all seriousness tho would u be down to read it or nah

[dark fjord]

i have no experience w/ LOCIs so idt my advice will be much help

[median blade]

its alr just lemme know (if u wanna read it) if the stuff im saying is actually true

like im pretty sure it is

but yeah

(the stuff abt caltech that is)

[dawn ridge]

Okay

[median blade]

ill dm it, thanks in advance

[dawn ridge]

But in one hour I will be tremendously busy so if u don't reply before then my okay will change to not okay

Oh wonderful

[dark fjord]

OK I can do that

[median blade]

its ok im changing a bunch of stuff now lmao

[dark fjord]

Lol ok

[clear herald]

my stupid ass humanities teacher submitted their rec letter today?

WTF

and he didnt inform me about this until today lol

I emailed to caltech, saying it wasnt my fault man wtf, is it over for me?

[dawn ridge]

No

[scenic wind]

!caltech

womp womp

does anyone know if they've confirmed a date yet

[halcyon stone]

its prolly in march ngl

thats when most colleges release RD anyway

[coral grail]

anyone knows when they will start sending the css waivers?

[lone apex]

Wdym?

[daring tiger]

from source: trust me bro, i've heard caltech releases their decisions ahead of mit (3/14) b/c rivalry and pettiness so it can range from 3/10-3/13

[median blade]

LOL

Last year was 3/11

This year it better be 3/1 fr fr

[native seal]

predicting 3/9

[low holly]

As someone who isn’t American it took me a second to realise you were talking about the 9th of march 😭

[lament tangle]

Maybe 3/8 or 3/9?

[median blade]

guys we only have 3 weeks + a tiny bit more left till decisions

[proud basin]

How do i update my application with an award and an EC

[peak fiber]

pretty sure caltech doesnt accept updates

[daring tiger]

there is an option to add an award if u have the certificate for it in the optional material upload form under optional application materials; for the ec, ya it's too late unless you submit a whole resumé through the said form

"For Restrictive Early Action and Regular Decision, we release decisions on Saturdays. " quote from caltech portal and since they always release before mit(3/14-pi day), they should release 3/9 ?????

[marble tartan]

tbh caltech needs to release 3/14 like mit

[median blade]

No

They need to release rn

That way they will truly be different

[daring tiger]

they gotta beat mit at something

[halcyon stone]

fr

caltech gotta release b4 the caltechrejects

[forest plaza]

Go to your beaver breakroom and then scroll to find this

Optional Application materials

there's a click here to upload

click there

[halcyon stone]

hey does anyone know if Caltech considers H4 visa holders to be international?

I just checked their website and it says that it considers you international if you are not a USC/LPR AND you are attending school outside of the US

Racial/ethnic destinations are requested only for United States citizens, residents, and other eligible non-citizens.Eligible non-citizens include all students who completed high school or a GED equivalency within the United States (including DACA and undocumented students) and who were not an F-1 non-immigrant student visa at the time of high school graduation

yooo

does this mean h4 counts??

[daring tiger]

according to my h4 friend, everyone considered her international so ya

[halcyon stone]

Even Caltech?

Because according to their CDS, H4 is an eligible non citizen

[wild needle]

did anyone else get a request for your ap scores?

isn’t caltech test blind lmao

[median blade]

that refers to the SAT

[daring tiger]

yes even caltech specifically considered her international

[halcyon stone]

oh damn

ill email adcom

[wild needle]

but like…if you try to self report ap scores they intentionally don’t put them on the report they get

[median blade]

Idk what that’s about they are supposed to get them

[night agate]

is caltech guaranteed coming out 9th?

[low holly]

!caltech

!caltech

The bot doesn’t work

[median blade]

I hope

lol

[wild needle]

they haven’t released the cipher yet so no? but it has to be before march 15th

[night agate]

and apparently I remember seeing they release on saturdays only

im pretty sure

so gotta be 9

[lone apex]

Could be the second oOoOOOOooooOO

Nah jk they did it on 3/11 last year so probably the 9th yeah lol

[lime juniper]

on reddit it says that CalTech always releases decisions a day before MIT

[median blade]

that’s wrong

last year it was on the 11th

MIT was on the 14th

[silk quiver]

checklist has disappeared but I doubt decisions will come so soon

it will probably be 9th

[median blade]

what if it comes tomorrow 💀

[stark wharf]

probs just gonna be the 9th y'all chill

[median blade]

yeah ik

im joking

[night agate]

they remove checklist one week

before

so prolly 9th

[wraith flower]

honestly im just surprised ppl want to know when it comes out

I find it easier to deal with and kind of decision announcement when idk when the result is going to be

[limber warren]

LETS GOOOOOO

[stark wharf]

what

[stark wharf]

what happened

[limber warren]

Also do I put my research paper in the maker portfolio?

[stark wharf]

blud its too late for that 💀

[limber warren]

.

Am I disadvantaged if I don’t submit a research paper?…

Well rip rejection in my belt

[cursive sierra]

2.7% acceptance rate 💀

[cursive sierra]

When do they usually release the math problem for rd time?

[median blade]

Not sure about RD but for REA it was a few days before

[silk quiver]

no

they mention that less than half of their admitted students do research

besides, submitting a research paper for the sake of showing research will probably hurt your application

unless it's actually meaningful and is clear that someone didn't just pay or use connections to do research

[steep ferry]

dead chat

why do they release on a Saturday

[limber warren]

Which Saturday?

[steep ferry]

We're thinking March 9 right

[limber warren]

What if it’s meaningful but the research paper is somewhat wrong?

[low holly]

WAIT CALTECH ON Saturday

[steep ferry]

sPecUlAtEd*

[low holly]

hopefully

but also im scared

but also im excited

idk

aaaaa

Caltech is my dream cuz it'll be a top one and I can live with my aunt since she's in LA

but we'll see

probably won't get in cuz of the small pool of accepted applicants

[limber warren]

Stats?

[proud basin]

Im intl so im gonna get auto rejected

[limber warren]

I’ll be the judge of that smh

Y’all are downplaying yourselves

[low holly]

Im intl

[proud basin]

U need to have IMO gold or smthing to get in 😭

[low holly]

nah

[proud basin]

Do u do IB?

[low holly]

Ik a guy on linkedin who used to go to another school in my country

[steep ferry]

y'all shut up im the only one getting in (i didn't apply )

[limber warren]

My nasa internship will make up for that

[low holly]

he had solid grades but no spectacular ECs

he probably got in with his athletics though

[proud basin]

Casually has NASA internship

[proud basin]

He probably had some other spike

[limber warren]

But I doubt it’s enough

[low holly]

he has superb athletic record

[proud basin]

Everyone who applies to caltech most likely has a really really good academic record

[low holly]

one of the best in the country

[limber warren]

Me who has a below average 4.16 GPA

[low holly]

yeah but he's really good at basketball

[proud basin]

Yh probably got in as a recruited athlete

What curriculum do u do?

[low holly]

like he had a bunch of other rlly good acceptances cuz of his olympic stance

[low holly]

I do A levels he does AP/ American school curriculum

[proud basin]

Ohhh

I do a levels too

[low holly]

he is in another school completely

[proud basin]

U from uk?

[low holly]

nice

[low holly]

no IALs

[proud basin]

Ahh kk

How many a levels did u do

[low holly]

5

[proud basin]

Bro is him

[low holly]

4 A * and an A

[low holly]

fr fr

[proud basin]

Did u achieve them or predicted

[low holly]

(real I have alot of work to do)

predicted

[proud basin]

Kk

Which a levels

I do 4

[low holly]

Maths Further Maths Physics Chem CS

[proud basin]

My school doesnt allow 5 sadly

[low holly]

I self study two on my own

since they don't offer Further

or cs

[proud basin]

Do u have anytime for ecs 😭😭

[low holly]

not this year

[proud basin]

I do maths further maths chem bio

[low holly]

but AS was chill

cuz the content is a bit ok

[proud basin]

Yh AS is super chill

Bro CS a level is so light

[low holly]

A level is annoyingly long

[proud basin]

I did it for AS

[low holly]

not complicated just long

[proud basin]

Self study

[low holly]

nicee

[proud basin]

Although even with 4A* preds i dont think its enough for caltech

[limber warren]

Also what is the pdf format on submitting additional extracurricular materials?

[proud basin]

I think its too late to submit them now

[low holly]

too late for caltech

[limber warren]

Welp

[proud basin]

I wanted to submit some 2 weeks ago and ppl told me its too late

[low holly]

aaaaa

[low holly]

I think after that they don't look at grades anymore but awards and ECs

[limber warren]

Bro my research paper that the president acknowledged at TheCaliforniaTech won’t count!? 😭

[proud basin]

How much do they weigh essays

[low holly]

oh lol I can't send the linkedin

[low holly]

the student who was in my country studied at caltech and then went on to NYU for a masters and I believe he has a role in Tesla now

[proud basin]

Essays and recommendations matter more than ECs

[limber warren]

It is time I just get rejected

Because we don’t know what our teachers put

[low holly]

Yeah well the essays legit are more project bsed

so i enjoyed them

cuz u can explain why u did it and more importantly HOW

cuz there are kids ik at school who have their stuff handmade for them

[limber warren]

I got rejected GeorgiaTech…

Which means CalTech is next…

[low holly]

I have some similar thinking process

[limber warren]

The hardest school with the smallest acceptance rate.

Is scary

[low holly]

like if an event happens it should happen again if they're similar in a way

[proud basin]

Well

They are statistically independent

[low holly]

I expected a Cal poly acceptance since I got an acceptance from SDSU cuz both are CSUs

idk

[low holly]

NO not hard facts

[proud basin]

For CS?

[low holly]

i meant as in my mind

[limber warren]

Yes

[low holly]

I just have it subjectivelt

[proud basin]

Gatech oos cs is insanely competitive tho

[limber warren]

I’m instate

[low holly]

its not based on stats or anything just a thing I noticed that happens to me

[proud basin]

Caltech im already expecting a rejection

If i get accepted ima faint from the shock

[low holly]

I can't expect anything tbh as of rn

like when u enter above the T20s its just chance

[limber warren]

Gambling…

Gg guys

[low holly]

obv u did the best u can do but getting accepted is hard, and caltech's number of students is so small

lower than my class in my old school

absolutely insane

isn't it 200 undergrads

something like that?

[low holly]

hehe

Students sue college board and Top 20 Universities for endorsing underage gambling in the form of college admissions

[limber warren]

Only two people in my school applied, one of them is me.

[low holly]

Caltech is so underrated

alot of people haven't heard of it

[proud basin]

Did anyone submit EC updates to caltech

[limber warren]

I did yesterday but like you said

It prob late

[low holly]

didn't submit anything tbh

even tho some stuff changed

[proud basin]

How did u submit it?

[low holly]

cuz it was too late

[limber warren]

Additional materials section in the beaker room.

[low holly]

the portal

[proud basin]

Through the optional material upload form?

[limber warren]

Ye

That

[proud basin]

I should’ve just uploaded 2 weeks ago 😭

[low holly]

they probably decided before then

[proud basin]

True

[limber warren]

Also am I disadvantaged if I didn’t include how many members are in my club?

[low holly]

Latest is probably Jan 30th

even then its not guaraneed

[low holly]

nah ur fine 💀 i doubt it's gonna make or break it its more about the impact

did u write ur essays about it

or no

cuz the essays are used for exactly that reason

[limber warren]

Well no, but I wrote about my stem-based clubs

[low holly]

to see if u had an impact and show ur geniune interst

[limber warren]

WAIT MY MINECRAFT ESSAY ISNT STEM BASED

[low holly]

as long as u were legitimate they like that

[limber warren]

CRAP

[low holly]

I had one that wasn't stem based

[limber warren]

Nvm

[low holly]

u gotta also show ur other side

not the status quo of the "Bay area asian male "

[limber warren]

Ok that answers it

I’m not a bay areas Asian male but I’m an Asian male in the state of Georgia

[low holly]

Only time it would be alright slightly would be if ur actually cracked

like IMO level

or ISEF

[low holly]

that's good actually

😭

depends tho

atlanta has alot of competitive applicants

rural area will make u stand out

[limber warren]

I got rejected from my third dream school GeorgiaTech

[proud basin]

Im in a rural area of england

😭

My essays were mostly stem based related to my major

[low holly]

nah for us internationals unless its need-blind unis and ur economically affected they don't care about ur area

they look at us collectively most of the time

[limber warren]

I’m ready for a fourth rejection in a row

[low holly]

especially caltech is need aware

its fine

you will get accepted

[proud basin]

Oh

[low holly]

in the place where u will fit in the best

[proud basin]

Did u apply aid?

[low holly]

AAAAA im not gonna answer the question cuz it's complicated and ends up in tons of answers

[proud basin]

I didnt apply aid myself

[low holly]

had to write a whole essay to another server

[proud basin]

Lmaoo

[low holly]

anyway

[proud basin]

Ik what u mean

My situation is a bit special

[low holly]

my parents situation is messed up lol

yeah

[proud basin]

I didnt apply aid where it would hurt my chances

If they were need blind I thought might as well doesnt hurt to get a few grand off tuition

[low holly]

yeah cuz caltech would reject anyone tbh who wants aid if they're not like IMO level 😭 there are edge cases but yeah

[proud basin]

Ikr

[low holly]

like ik they always make it seem like it isnt the case

but its true

I hate those youtubers

who make it seem like its so easy fr international to get in let alone get aid

[limber warren]

Will nasa internship make up for it?

[low holly]

someof them just regurgitate admission sites

some are older and are like class of eary 2000s where no one rlly had this severe level of competition

[proud basin]

Ur in usa right so ur need blind i think

[limber warren]

Ye

[vale swallow]

real

[limber warren]

I am in USA

[low holly]

ur US so they will not care about ur income

[low holly]

the land of freedom

rahhh

[limber warren]

I will faint from shock even if I get waitlisted

[low holly]

same

AAAAAA

is the class of caltech rlly 200 tho?

[limber warren]

Yes

[low holly]

like if there were CS students

[limber warren]

It’s pretty sad ngl

[low holly]

how many would even be there

10?

[limber warren]

……

I applied as the most competitive major there is, in the most competitive institute.

I’m screwed