California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is often described as the ideal university for students with nearly perfect SAT scores, exceptional skills in mathematics and science, strong determination, creativity, and a wide range of intellectual curiosity.

With fewer than 1,000 undergraduate students in total—about 250 per class—Caltech has an incredibly small, intimate academic community. To put it in perspective, that's less than 1,000 undergraduates overall, considerably smaller than most universities.

Caltech faculty and alumni have won an impressive total of 39 Nobel Prizes, a remarkable feat given that South Korea, for example, has only produced two Nobel laureates (former president Kim Dae-jung and Han Kang).

"The admissions office doesn't make mistakes.

This is a comforting saying at Caltech to help ease students’ inevitable occasional feelings of inadequacy due to the highly competitive environment:

"The atmosphere promotes a love of science, learning, and discovery that is truly exhilarating."

A Biology major at Caltech

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Caltech students are characterized by their grit, creativity, and diverse intellectual curiosity.

Located in the affluent area of Pasadena, California, just a 20-30 minute drive from Los Angeles, Caltech enjoys a pleasant and peaceful environment that aligns well with its rigorous academic atmosphere.

Pasadena, CA

"Caltech's mission is to train the creative type of scientist or engineer urgently needed in our educational, governmental, and industrial development."

A Caltech staff

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It can be seen as a school that pursues a significantly different direction from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which tends to focus more on nurturing talent with a somewhat practical and commercial orientation.

Caltech is also where Carl Anderson discovered the positron and where Albert Einstein abandoned the concept of a static cosmos and accepted the expanding-universe model.

A renowned scientists gathered at Caltech: Robert Oppenheimer, Harry Bateman, Richard Tolman, William Houston, Robert Millikan, Albert Einstein, Paul Sophus Epstein, Zwicky, Ernest Charles Watson

Students at Caltech are deeply immersed in science and math-focused curriculums, required to complete rigorous courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, science communication, research, and even some humanities and social sciences. ​ In contrast to Ivy League schools, Caltech's curriculum and academic approach are firmly rooted in science and engineering. Freshman courses are conducted pass/fail to alleviate initial stress, with an honor system that places a strong emphasis on student integrity.

Exams are often taken home, trusting the students' honesty and integrity. ​ Caltech's strengths lie particularly in physics, electrical engineering, computer science, chemistry, bioengineering, mechanical engineering, and mathematics, with nearly all students engaging in research. Indeed, 95% of undergraduates participate in research, with 80% joining summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships.

칼텍의 연구나 과학 관련 시설은 미국 최고입니다.

Social life at Caltech, however, is limited compared to other universities. There are no fraternities or sororities, but instead, the university is divided into eight residential houses fostering close-knit communities.

칼텍의 House 중 하나인 Rickett House

House parties exist but are significantly fewer compared to typical American colleges. Anecdotally, ordering a "Caltech cocktail" at local bars reportedly gets you a glass of plain water—a humorous acknowledgment of the school's studious nature.

Caltech also hosts unique traditions like the annual Pumpkin Drop event, where students freeze pumpkins or watermelons in liquid nitrogen and drop them from great heights.

Pumpkin Drop

Another notable event is "Ditch Day," when seniors create elaborate puzzles and challenges for underclassmen to solve. ​

Ditch Day

While academic stress can be intense, leading some students to temporarily take breaks, Caltech’s emphasis on self-directed research and discovery draws highly motivated individuals dedicated to their passions.

Acceptance Rate: 6.6%

Top 10% of high school class: 99% Top 25% of high school class: 100%

SAT Math Scores 25th percentile - 790 SAT Math Scores 75th percentile - 800 ​ SAT English Scores 25th percentile - 740 SAT English Scores 75th percentile - 780 ​

Caltech is the university in the U.S. with the highest SAT scores. Approximately (at least) 30% of the students have scored 1580 or higher.