<p>If you graduate in two years, you will be spending all of your time doing work. While it may be possible, I don't believe you can graduate in two years "without pushing too hard"- there's just too much work. You could graduate in three years, and have some time to spend actually enjoying yourself here. College is about more than just going to classes and doing work.</p>
<p>Why graduate in two years when there are so many interesting courses left to take? You may save some money, but you may never again have the opportunity to take those courses.</p>
<p>Why graduate in two years when there are so many interesting courses left to take? You may save some money, but you may never again have the opportunity to take those courses.</p>
<p>Yes, college is also about forming a social network and experiencing new independence from home. It is silly to pile up one's college schedule with nothing but 24/7 course work.</p>
<p>I don't believe graduating in two years is optimal, even if someone did manage the feat. There are a number of research opportunities which someone working that hard on classes wouldn't be able to take advantage of, and that might hurt them more than the benefit gained by graduating a year or two early. </p>
<p>At any rate, it's not something the vast majority of Caltech students (myself included) would be capable of accomplishing, and certainly not something most would want to.</p>
<p>Everyone has already given good answers to Platero's question. Taking three (or even <em>gasp!</em> four) years allows you to build more friendships, get to know more of the faculty, essentially get a degree in an additional field or fields if you want, etc. etc. </p>
<p>My reason is that Caltech probably has the highest concentration of absurdly smart people on earth. It's certainly one of the top five locations in that regard. Why you would want to get out of here as fast as you can -- especially given that you are applying to be here -- is hard to understand. If the reason is that college, for you, is a race to get a required number of units and a prestigious degree and then get to the "real part", then Caltech is probably a bad place for that. For the people who do best here, Caltech is the "real part".</p>
<p>I hope that makes some sense, but please poke me more if it doesn't.</p>
<p>What if you don't have a choice now in applying to college early? I am a senior but just turned 15. Do you think that will put me at a disadvantage?</p>
<p>No, your age won't affect you much. There are other people here who are pretty young, but if you've been through 4 years of HS, you're not going to be at a disadvantage.</p>
<p>wait so I'm at a disadvantage?
I thought caltech will not be so into putting early applicants at a disadvantage...</p>
<p>A natural disadvantage (less experience, etc.), not an artificially added one.</p>
<p>Caltech does ask for a school report from the previous school if you have been in your current high school for less than two years, right?
I started attending my current high school in Aug 2005. so should I get a previous school report?</p>
<p>Yep! That would be good.</p>