You shouldn't attend caltech unless you love math or science wholly and completely. You're going to learn quantum mechanics and differential equations, you're going to spend 20+ hours on homework sets each week for at least some of the classes you have here. You'll be surrounded by brilliant peers who will help you through it and help you define your sense of identity. If you're cutthroat at all you won't be happy here- collaboration is expected and universal and breaking the honor code the only sin. Premeds, while occasionally happy, are usually not.
Anyone who doesn't love math and science will be lost at Caltech. The student body is very science oriented and different types of people or students may find themselves very alone. If you can't do calculus or haven't taken at least a few math and science AP's, you are already behind and may find freshman year very confusing. I personally did not take AP biology in high school, and was very lost in the required freshman biology class.
The type of people who should not attend Caltech are prestige seekers. To really love this school, a student must have a strong love of math/science/engineering and the desire to pursue something in this field based solely on the love of it. If you just want a degree with a big name, don't come here--the workload will destroy you. If you want to completely immerse yourself in math or science and learn more than you would anywhere else, this is the right place for you.
Sponsored Meaning Explained
EducationDynamics receives compensation for the featured schools on our websites (see “Sponsored Ad” or “Sponsored Listings” or “Sponsored Results”). So what does this mean for you? Compensation may impact where the Sponsored Schools appear on our websites, including whether they appear as a match through our education matching services tool, the order in which they appear in a listing, and/or their ranking. Our websites do not provide, nor are they intended to provide, a comprehensive list of all schools (a) in the United States (b) located in a specific geographic area or (c) that offer a particular program of study. By providing information or agreeing to be contacted by a Sponsored School, you are in no way obligated to apply to or enroll with the school. Your trust is our priority. We at EducationDynamics believe you should make decisions about your education with confidence. that’s why EducationDynamicsis also proud to offer free information on its websites, which has been used by millions of prospective students to explore their education goals and interests. close