<p>My purpose in starting this thread is very simple: I would like for the users of this online forum who are applying to CalTech to gain a mental image of its campus. If anyone has visited CalTech and has any idea of how its campus compares to that of other universities, say MIT, Stanford, or the Ivy Leagues among others, and can share their opinions in detail, that would be great.</p>
<p>CalTech is much smaller & more urban than say Stanford or Harvard. It is compact because it's student body is fairly small & it's in the middle of Pasadena in LA. Stanford is much more sprawling, with LOTS of grass & open space between buildings (they boast more bikes than students & you really need one to get around campus). CalTech does have space between buildings, a courtyard & at least one outdoor fountain that I recall.<br>
When I went on the tours of both schools, I was struck by how different the schools were/are. Techies are very into science, computers & tech, with a strict honor code (exams are often not proctored but administered expecting all students to abide by the honor code); Stanford Trees may or may not be as into those fields & I never heard them mention their honor code. </p>
<p>CalTech has several dorms & you "shop" for a dorm when you enter--each has a different character (we saw several). Each dorm gets funds to expend on behalf of the students living in it to buy things for the common student lounge in the dorm, like a pool table, etc.</p>
<p>Sorry, can't remember a whole lot more about the visits, other than my son liked both schools well enough to apply to both.</p>
<p>I've never heard Caltech described as urban before : ). For the record, there are many huge open spaces, and at least three big outdoor fountains.</p>
<p>Have a look <a href="http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=34.13782%7E-118.126033&style=o&lvl=1&scene=3434593%5B/url%5D">http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=34.13782~-118.126033&style=o&lvl=1&scene=3434593</a> -- panning and zooming via thumbnails and icons on the left. Use the compass to look from a different angle.</p>
<p>If you're wondering what the close white lines on the main lawn in front of the circular building -- these pictures happened to be taken during graduation! : )</p>
<p>[MS Local Live is pretty cool, I hafta say. The interface isn't yet all it could be. Clicking the big buildings icon the left zooms you in to truly incredible resolution.]</p>
<p>I got lost and started looking at pasadena city college on accident :( It really confused me.</p>
<p>(PCC is "lower right" in Ben's link)</p>
<p>Ben,
You gotta admit, it's more "urban" than say Stanford, tho. It's not urban in the sense of Univ of SF for example, but still Pasadena isn't a college town like say Eugene OR or Davis CA (the two campuses I'm most familiar with). Thanks for the link, to I don't see the white you mentioned any more.</p>
<p>In the middle of the picture, those are the chairs set up for graduation : )</p>
<p>Caltech isn't any more or less urban than Stanford, it's just that Stanford has a huge roomy campus that sets it apart from Palo Alto, whereas Caltech fits right in with Pasadena. All in all I saw more traffic up and down El Camino Real (Main drag near Stanford) than I did on the "borders" of Caltech (California, Del mar, I think?)</p>
<p>Stanford seemed pretty urban to me. But then again I'm from Texas lololololol</p>
<p>Queen of Fiji's Mom:</p>
<p>We were dorm parents for M.I.T. 15 years ago at Next House... M.I.T. is ugly, with none of the ambience of Harvard, but then again one was not looking for ambience really. </p>
<p>M.I.T. campus is long and thin... One gets around the city (Cambridge and Boston) by walking to the nearest subway or "T" station --either Central Square or Kendall Sqare. Undergrads do not need cars, nor is it desirable. </p>
<p>Cambridge/Boston is probably the most desirable urban environment for students in the world. There are lots of things to do that are very close (Boston Pops, Science Museum, Art Museum, baseball games, loads of places to eat, John Kerry's house, kids to see from Boston University, and occasionally Wellesley)....</p>
<p>Winter is NOT fun in the Winter, but then again one does not go to M.I.T. for the weather.</p>
<p>M.I.T. is still the pressure cooker environment so really the social life is often what is closest, which is the dorm-life. Each dorm has its own charactaer. Dorms give their own musicals, have study breaks, sports teams, etc. Each dorm is supervised by a prof and his family who live there. Graduate students live among the undergrads and are "in charge" of 30-40 undergrads. One can get as involved or uninvolved with them as one wishes.</p>