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As a world-renowned science and engineering institution, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is a popular addition to college lists from around the country. Read on to learn more about standing out in the admissions process and how to get into Caltech!
Caltech's prestige makes it a popular school choice for students hoping to make their mark in science or engineering. If you're interested in attending Caltech's 124-acre campus in Pasadena, you'll need to perfect your college application for the best chance of acceptance.
We'll walk you through everything you need to know about how to get into Caltech, including a step-by-step guide, how hard it is to get accepted, and the benefits of attending.
Whether Caltech is your dream school or one of your top choices, read on to learn everything you need to know and boost your chance of acceptance.
So, how hard is it to get into Caltech? The first consideration is the school’s prestige. According to U.S. News World and Report, Caltech is ranked as the No. 9 Best National University. Given its ranking based on outcomes, faculty resources, expert opinion, and more, it’s no wonder that Caltech is considered a highly selective school.
Caltech is also known for its relatively small campus population. As of the 2021/2022 academic year, 982 undergraduate students and 1,419 graduate students attend the school, for a total student population of less than 2,500. A more intimate campus generally means fewer seats available for students.
Data shows that Caltech received 8,008 applications in a recent admissions cycle, of which 244 students enrolled.
Other class profile data includes:
Pinpointing Caltech’s acceptance rate is difficult: Caltech states, “We don't even like to widely publicize our admit rate because the number of applicants has grown disproportionately to the size of the incoming class, which directly affects the shrinking admit rate.”
Since the enrolment rate of all students is approximately 3%, we can safely assume the acceptance rate is at least a little higher than this (sources differ but estimate it to be between 6 and 7%). Given this information, Caltech is undoubtedly a highly selective school.
You need to fulfill numerous requirements before you submit your application to Caltech's undergraduate program. Here's a step-by-step guide on what you need to know to get into Caltech.
The average GPA of Caltech’s admitted students is 4.19. Achieving a high cumulative GPA is essential to getting a leg up in the Caltech admissions process. While Caltech doesn't state the average GPA of incoming students, 99% of students placed in the top 10% of their high school’s graduating class. Strive for the highest GPA possible for an excellent foundation.
Besides performing well in all of your classes, pay special attention to your math and science courses. Caltech is a science and engineering institute at its core; you want to ensure your strong grades are those in related fields of study.
Because of Caltech’s five-year moratorium on the requirement and consideration of SAT or ACT scores, the admissions committee will never consider your SAT or ACT examination scores in its admissions evaluation process. The moratorium was introduced in June 2020 and will last through Fall 2025.
To prepare yourself for Caltech’s Core Curriculum, the admissions committee wants to see:
To show your preparedness in math, Caltech wants to see students who have mastered calculus. The admissions committee also wants to see that students are ready to tackle other math topics, including:
Caltech’s Core Curriculum includes courses like Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. The admissions committee wants to be confident you can succeed, so it’s crucial to demonstrate your science aptitude and preparedness.
Because not all high schools offer the same course opportunities, you can show you’re ready to tackle undergraduate science courses by:
We suggest taking the most challenging curriculum available to you. Taking IB or AP classes, and doing well, shows the admissions committee that you can handle Caltech's curriculum rigor and excel.
When students think about how to get into Caltech as an undergrad, they may think their academic record is all that matters. While it's crucial to show your academic aptitude, you'll compete against many other students with promising records.
The best way to differentiate yourself from the crowd is to participate in various extracurricular activities that illuminate your passion, impact on the community, or facilitate growth and leadership. Here are some examples of things you can do to stand out to the Caltech admissions committee.
Volunteer in your community. Host a charity event, help provide essentials at a food bank, host a community cleanup, or tutor your peers or younger students.
Participate in extracurricular activities. You can join a sports team or any other school club, play an instrument, or even start your own school club if you see a gap in offered programs.
Enroll in a pre-college summer program. Enrolling in a pre-college summer program is an excellent way to stand out to Caltech, especially if the program is STEM-related. Examples of prestigious pre-college summer programs include MIT Research Institute, Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes, and even Caltech’s multiple programs.
Attend prestigious student conferences. Prestigious student conferences can help you gain and hone skills such as effective communication, public speaking, critical thinking, and research. Perhaps one of the most well-known examples of these conferences is Model UN, a simulation of the UN General Assembly for high school students.
Work/internship experience. Working a part-time job (even one unrelated to your field) is an excellent addition to any college application. Internship experience (especially in your field of interest) shows you have gained the necessary experiences and skills and have taken steps to explore and understand your field of interest.
No matter what activities or experiences you choose, ensure that you're passionate about them and not doing them just to put them down on your college application. Always go for quality over quantity: you'll need to balance your school and other responsibilities.
You can apply to Caltech using the Common Application or the Coalition Application. Using the QuestBridge Application, you can also apply to the school through the QuestBridge National College Match. The school doesn't prefer either application, so pick whichever is best for you.
Caltech will need your official academic transcripts and a secondary school report submitted by your school counselor. The secondary school report aims to provide "context about your school that helps the Admissions Committee evaluate your application holistically."
Ensure you stay in communication with your guidance counselor and that they submit everything they need to on your behalf.
Although some top colleges may not have any preference on which teachers provide you recommendations, Caltech requires recommendation letters from:
Although Caltech indicates that you can ask teachers who instructed you in any year, it's best to secure strong letters from teachers who can speak to your recent achievements, growth, and demeanor in the classroom.
Caltech requests letters from a humanities or social science teacher who has evaluated your writing. Here are some examples of classes that can fulfill this requirement:
Beyond these required recommendations, Caltech gives students the option to present two additional recommendation letters from “a mentor or supervisor who knows you in a different context.”
It’s in your best interest to take advantage of these extra letters if you feel that you can obtain strong recommendations. Some examples of people you can ask include:
Your personal statement is the heart and soul of your application. It shows admissions committees who you are beyond test scores and GPA. To write an excellent personal statement, you'll need to:
Personal statements should include a lot of detailed imagery, have a logical flow, and focus on your experiences and their impact on your journey.
Caltech asks all first-year applicants to respond to four essay prompts, each with a 100-250 word count. These are the prompts provided by Caltech.
1. “If you had to choose an area of interest or two today, what would you choose? Why did you choose that area of interest? (Max: 200 words)”
2. “At Caltech, we investigate some of the most challenging, fundamental problems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Identify and describe two STEM-related experiences from your high school years, either in or out of the classroom, and tell us how and why they activated your curiosity. What about them made you want to learn more and explore further? (Min: 100/Max: 200 words for each experience)”
3. “The creativity, inventiveness, and innovation of Caltech's students, faculty, and researchers have won Nobel Prizes and put rovers on Mars, but Techers also imagine smaller scale innovations every day, from new ways to design solar cells to 3D printing dorm decor. How have you been an innovator in your own life? (Min: 200 / Max: 250)”
4. “The process of discovery is best advanced when people from diverse backgrounds come together to solve the greatest challenges in their fields. How do your past experiences and present-day perspectives inform who you have become and how you navigate the world? (Min: 200 / Max: 250)”
Caltech is a highly competitive and prestigious school. As such, there are many benefits to attending Caltech.
If you love the idea of small class sizes and campus, Caltech is a fantastic option. According to recent Caltech data, the school only has approximately 982 undergraduate students and 1,419 graduate students in attendance. In the most recent entering first-year class, only 270 students enrolled.
These numbers show that you'll be a part of a relatively close-knit and small campus. Caltech offers a lovely alternative if you don't love crowded and bustling spaces (like some major public university campuses).
Small class sizes also mean more opportunities to interact with your professors one-on-one, receive more help and guidance, and get more attention than you would in a room with 500 other students. You'll likely see many of the same students in your classes too, which can make it easier to make friends!
Caltech is a relatively short distance away from Los Angeles, the world's entertainment capital. No matter what you're interested in, LA has it all: museums, theme parks, movie studios, lively nightlife, and outdoor activities.
While this may not be related directly to Caltech and its offerings, thinking about the area where you'll live for four years is essential.
Caltech has an incredible initiative called the Interdisciplinary Studies Program (ISP). ISP “enables students to craft custom-tailored curricula—comprising Caltech courses, academic-year research, courses at other schools, or independent study courses—in collaboration with faculty advisors.”
The program can give you even more flexibility and personalization than what’s already offered at Caltech. You can also borrow a designated academic specialty on the transcript, including but not limited to:
At Caltech, over half of the students participate in undergraduate research in their first year. More than 90% of Caltech's student body participates in research during their time at Caltech. If you're an inquisitive person who would love to do hands-on work and find new solutions, Caltech may be your school.
Caltech offers these programs:
Caltech undergraduates are also offered several research opportunities from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and NASA for those interested in aerospace.
Do you still have questions about how to get into Caltech? Let these FAQs be your guide!
Caltech will not require or consider any SAT or ACT scores until at least fall 2023.
To set up Caltech’s ISP curricula for yourself, these two criteria must be met:
It depends. While Early Action/Early Decision pathways generally have higher acceptance rates at top colleges, this is usually because students have worked hard to have their applications perfected.
Applying to Caltech through Early Action won’t make much of a difference from Regular Decision if your application is not polished enough! You know how hard it is to get into Caltech, but a well-executed application can make all the difference.
Many homeschooled applicants are curious about how to get into Caltech undergrad programs. The Caltech admissions committee does not require any additional application materials from homeschooled students than it does from their traditionally educated peers. Caltech reviews each applicant within the context of their experiences.
Almost all students admitted to Caltech are in the top 10% of their graduating class. This means that only 1% of admitted first-year students are not in the top10%.
It would be best to take the most challenging curriculum available to you, especially in your STEM subjects. Caltech admits students who challenge themselves and show they're ready for a rigorous, STEM-based curriculum.
Now that you know more about the admissions process and how to get into Caltech, you can take the appropriate steps to give yourself the best chance of acceptance.
While getting into Caltech’s undergraduate program is difficult, taking challenging courses, writing well-crafted essays, securing stellar recommendations, and working with a Caltech admissions consultant will boost your chances of acceptance. With patience and hard work, you can make your dreams of attending Caltech a reality!
As a world-renowned science and engineering institution, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is a popular addition to college lists from around the country. Read on to learn more about standing out in the admissions process and how to get into Caltech!
Caltech's prestige makes it a popular school choice for students hoping to make their mark in science or engineering. If you're interested in attending Caltech's 124-acre campus in Pasadena, you'll need to perfect your college application for the best chance of acceptance.
We'll walk you through everything you need to know about how to get into Caltech, including a step-by-step guide, how hard it is to get accepted, and the benefits of attending.
Whether Caltech is your dream school or one of your top choices, read on to learn everything you need to know and boost your chance of acceptance.
So, how hard is it to get into Caltech? The first consideration is the school’s prestige. According to U.S. News World and Report, Caltech is ranked as the No. 9 Best National University. Given its ranking based on outcomes, faculty resources, expert opinion, and more, it’s no wonder that Caltech is considered a highly selective school.
Caltech is also known for its relatively small campus population. As of the 2021/2022 academic year, 982 undergraduate students and 1,419 graduate students attend the school, for a total student population of less than 2,500. A more intimate campus generally means fewer seats available for students.
Data shows that Caltech received 8,008 applications in a recent admissions cycle, of which 244 students enrolled.
Other class profile data includes:
Pinpointing Caltech’s acceptance rate is difficult: Caltech states, “We don't even like to widely publicize our admit rate because the number of applicants has grown disproportionately to the size of the incoming class, which directly affects the shrinking admit rate.”
Since the enrolment rate of all students is approximately 3%, we can safely assume the acceptance rate is at least a little higher than this (sources differ but estimate it to be between 6 and 7%). Given this information, Caltech is undoubtedly a highly selective school.
You need to fulfill numerous requirements before you submit your application to Caltech's undergraduate program. Here's a step-by-step guide on what you need to know to get into Caltech.
The average GPA of Caltech’s admitted students is 4.19. Achieving a high cumulative GPA is essential to getting a leg up in the Caltech admissions process. While Caltech doesn't state the average GPA of incoming students, 99% of students placed in the top 10% of their high school’s graduating class. Strive for the highest GPA possible for an excellent foundation.
Besides performing well in all of your classes, pay special attention to your math and science courses. Caltech is a science and engineering institute at its core; you want to ensure your strong grades are those in related fields of study.
Because of Caltech’s five-year moratorium on the requirement and consideration of SAT or ACT scores, the admissions committee will never consider your SAT or ACT examination scores in its admissions evaluation process. The moratorium was introduced in June 2020 and will last through Fall 2025.
To prepare yourself for Caltech’s Core Curriculum, the admissions committee wants to see:
To show your preparedness in math, Caltech wants to see students who have mastered calculus. The admissions committee also wants to see that students are ready to tackle other math topics, including:
Caltech’s Core Curriculum includes courses like Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. The admissions committee wants to be confident you can succeed, so it’s crucial to demonstrate your science aptitude and preparedness.
Because not all high schools offer the same course opportunities, you can show you’re ready to tackle undergraduate science courses by:
We suggest taking the most challenging curriculum available to you. Taking IB or AP classes, and doing well, shows the admissions committee that you can handle Caltech's curriculum rigor and excel.
When students think about how to get into Caltech as an undergrad, they may think their academic record is all that matters. While it's crucial to show your academic aptitude, you'll compete against many other students with promising records.
The best way to differentiate yourself from the crowd is to participate in various extracurricular activities that illuminate your passion, impact on the community, or facilitate growth and leadership. Here are some examples of things you can do to stand out to the Caltech admissions committee.
Volunteer in your community. Host a charity event, help provide essentials at a food bank, host a community cleanup, or tutor your peers or younger students.
Participate in extracurricular activities. You can join a sports team or any other school club, play an instrument, or even start your own school club if you see a gap in offered programs.
Enroll in a pre-college summer program. Enrolling in a pre-college summer program is an excellent way to stand out to Caltech, especially if the program is STEM-related. Examples of prestigious pre-college summer programs include MIT Research Institute, Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes, and even Caltech’s multiple programs.
Attend prestigious student conferences. Prestigious student conferences can help you gain and hone skills such as effective communication, public speaking, critical thinking, and research. Perhaps one of the most well-known examples of these conferences is Model UN, a simulation of the UN General Assembly for high school students.
Work/internship experience. Working a part-time job (even one unrelated to your field) is an excellent addition to any college application. Internship experience (especially in your field of interest) shows you have gained the necessary experiences and skills and have taken steps to explore and understand your field of interest.
No matter what activities or experiences you choose, ensure that you're passionate about them and not doing them just to put them down on your college application. Always go for quality over quantity: you'll need to balance your school and other responsibilities.
You can apply to Caltech using the Common Application or the Coalition Application. Using the QuestBridge Application, you can also apply to the school through the QuestBridge National College Match. The school doesn't prefer either application, so pick whichever is best for you.
Caltech will need your official academic transcripts and a secondary school report submitted by your school counselor. The secondary school report aims to provide "context about your school that helps the Admissions Committee evaluate your application holistically."
Ensure you stay in communication with your guidance counselor and that they submit everything they need to on your behalf.
Although some top colleges may not have any preference on which teachers provide you recommendations, Caltech requires recommendation letters from:
Although Caltech indicates that you can ask teachers who instructed you in any year, it's best to secure strong letters from teachers who can speak to your recent achievements, growth, and demeanor in the classroom.
Caltech requests letters from a humanities or social science teacher who has evaluated your writing. Here are some examples of classes that can fulfill this requirement:
Beyond these required recommendations, Caltech gives students the option to present two additional recommendation letters from “a mentor or supervisor who knows you in a different context.”
It’s in your best interest to take advantage of these extra letters if you feel that you can obtain strong recommendations. Some examples of people you can ask include:
Your personal statement is the heart and soul of your application. It shows admissions committees who you are beyond test scores and GPA. To write an excellent personal statement, you'll need to:
Personal statements should include a lot of detailed imagery, have a logical flow, and focus on your experiences and their impact on your journey.
Caltech asks all first-year applicants to respond to four essay prompts, each with a 100-250 word count. These are the prompts provided by Caltech.
1. “If you had to choose an area of interest or two today, what would you choose? Why did you choose that area of interest? (Max: 200 words)”
2. “At Caltech, we investigate some of the most challenging, fundamental problems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Identify and describe two STEM-related experiences from your high school years, either in or out of the classroom, and tell us how and why they activated your curiosity. What about them made you want to learn more and explore further? (Min: 100/Max: 200 words for each experience)”
3. “The creativity, inventiveness, and innovation of Caltech's students, faculty, and researchers have won Nobel Prizes and put rovers on Mars, but Techers also imagine smaller scale innovations every day, from new ways to design solar cells to 3D printing dorm decor. How have you been an innovator in your own life? (Min: 200 / Max: 250)”
4. “The process of discovery is best advanced when people from diverse backgrounds come together to solve the greatest challenges in their fields. How do your past experiences and present-day perspectives inform who you have become and how you navigate the world? (Min: 200 / Max: 250)”
Caltech is a highly competitive and prestigious school. As such, there are many benefits to attending Caltech.
If you love the idea of small class sizes and campus, Caltech is a fantastic option. According to recent Caltech data, the school only has approximately 982 undergraduate students and 1,419 graduate students in attendance. In the most recent entering first-year class, only 270 students enrolled.
These numbers show that you'll be a part of a relatively close-knit and small campus. Caltech offers a lovely alternative if you don't love crowded and bustling spaces (like some major public university campuses).
Small class sizes also mean more opportunities to interact with your professors one-on-one, receive more help and guidance, and get more attention than you would in a room with 500 other students. You'll likely see many of the same students in your classes too, which can make it easier to make friends!
Caltech is a relatively short distance away from Los Angeles, the world's entertainment capital. No matter what you're interested in, LA has it all: museums, theme parks, movie studios, lively nightlife, and outdoor activities.
While this may not be related directly to Caltech and its offerings, thinking about the area where you'll live for four years is essential.
Caltech has an incredible initiative called the Interdisciplinary Studies Program (ISP). ISP “enables students to craft custom-tailored curricula—comprising Caltech courses, academic-year research, courses at other schools, or independent study courses—in collaboration with faculty advisors.”
The program can give you even more flexibility and personalization than what’s already offered at Caltech. You can also borrow a designated academic specialty on the transcript, including but not limited to:
At Caltech, over half of the students participate in undergraduate research in their first year. More than 90% of Caltech's student body participates in research during their time at Caltech. If you're an inquisitive person who would love to do hands-on work and find new solutions, Caltech may be your school.
Caltech offers these programs:
Caltech undergraduates are also offered several research opportunities from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and NASA for those interested in aerospace.
Do you still have questions about how to get into Caltech? Let these FAQs be your guide!
Caltech will not require or consider any SAT or ACT scores until at least fall 2023.
To set up Caltech’s ISP curricula for yourself, these two criteria must be met:
It depends. While Early Action/Early Decision pathways generally have higher acceptance rates at top colleges, this is usually because students have worked hard to have their applications perfected.
Applying to Caltech through Early Action won’t make much of a difference from Regular Decision if your application is not polished enough! You know how hard it is to get into Caltech, but a well-executed application can make all the difference.
Many homeschooled applicants are curious about how to get into Caltech undergrad programs. The Caltech admissions committee does not require any additional application materials from homeschooled students than it does from their traditionally educated peers. Caltech reviews each applicant within the context of their experiences.
Almost all students admitted to Caltech are in the top 10% of their graduating class. This means that only 1% of admitted first-year students are not in the top10%.
It would be best to take the most challenging curriculum available to you, especially in your STEM subjects. Caltech admits students who challenge themselves and show they're ready for a rigorous, STEM-based curriculum.
Now that you know more about the admissions process and how to get into Caltech, you can take the appropriate steps to give yourself the best chance of acceptance.
While getting into Caltech’s undergraduate program is difficult, taking challenging courses, writing well-crafted essays, securing stellar recommendations, and working with a Caltech admissions consultant will boost your chances of acceptance. With patience and hard work, you can make your dreams of attending Caltech a reality!
