<p>Just returned after dropping son off and attending the Convocation. The highlight was a talk by Professor Weinstein on gravitational waves that was captivating and just a joy to experience - even for people like me with limited knowledge of physics ! The small size really makes a big difference - all students and parents could join the talk. After convocation, freshmen head off to frosh camp at Ventura beach along with some faculty. </p>
<p>Prefrosh weekend(PFW) was instrumental in son's decision to choose Caltech. He likes Physics and felt totally at home there. JPL was also a big draw.</p>
<p>Having read many anecdotes on how hard the academics at Caltech is, we were initially unsure about this decision. PFW allayed some of those concerns and over the summer, Caltech offers Math0 to expose students to proof based Math. Caltech is probably unique in requiring proof-based Math as part of Core for every freshman. Most high schools don't teach this, so they offer a summer introduction called Math0 to prepare them for Caltech. It is good to see that rather than easing out on Core like most other colleges, Caltech provides this exposure to get them started on a better footing. </p>
<p>The summer sendoffs organized by the Caltech Parents group have also helped in getting to know fellow parents. Overall, seems like a tight-knit community and of course, if you love math and science, this is indeed the place. My best wishes to those applying this year.</p>