<p>If we are contacted by a sports coach and we submit a sports form to them, (I am an athlete in that sport) does it increase my chances of admission? This means I'm being recruited, correct? And is this binding? Sorry for the barrage of questions.</p>
<p>athletic ability does not increase chance of admission. caltech does not recruit athletes.</p>
<p>Then why did a coach contact me for my information?</p>
<p>they scout, and want, athletic and other talent, but not to influence admission.</p>
<p>If they didn’t try to get athletes to apply, how would they ever fill any teams…</p>
<p>teams are flled with available and willing players in the metriculated student body.</p>
<p>My S received a letter from a Caltech coach of a sport my S has not played since junior high and never at more than a competitively recreational level. I would guess that it is the same coach that contacted you and it is just coincidental that you play that sport. Don’t plan on taking the contact “to the bank”. </p>
<p>Caltech sports are no-cut, so anyone can walk on and play. Of course they’d really like some talent :-).</p>
<p>Oh, okay. Thank you guys for the answers! :D</p>
<p>Caltech coaches would like to recruit skilled athletes and they do scout around. However, all admits including athletes need to be able to cope up with a rigorous curriculum, especially at the core (the first five terms). So bottom line, you need to first have a very strong academic record, great test scores and be able to show a passion for math science.</p>
<p>So does being an athlete help? Yes but only on the margins. If you are otherwise competitive (in other words you have strong chance even without considering athletics), a coach’s recommendation might carry you through. The reason for this is very simple. Athlete’s in Caltech have to take exactly the same classes as their cohorts, who are among the brightest students in the country and also have very deep passion for math and science. If you cannot keep up with them, then there is no fit.</p>
<p>So if you have been approached by a coach and do not think you meet the academic requirements, you are better off not applying. This will save you disappointment later on.</p>