<p>2+2=5, i swear</p>
<p>hopefully that means i'll get in RD, or maybe you're just cuter Vintor :-P</p>
<p>NickNAN
Caltech did not politely defer good people. If you want to send in an additional recommendation (if it truly adds to your profile), or show midyear grades, then great. Your box sounds interesting and certainly unique.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Caltech did not politely defer good people.
[/quote]
This sounds like it's in the right neighborhood, but just so I'm not confused, what does it mean exactly? Does it mean we did not defer anyone who is good enough to get in, or does it mean that we did not politely reject people we deferred?</p>
<p>that's obviously the case.... I sent in a picture of my cute self for the box essay... jk</p>
<p>Holy crap Nick--I can't believe you got deferred!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (It's Adam, from Siemens :p) Crazy, man. I mean, do they not know who you are?? haha. Seriously, I think your chances are pretty good if you just get in the stuff you were missing and let them know about Siemens, and your chances are pretty nice. You should have told them right after press conference, they would have had time to factor it in. I think Harvard changed Huy's defer to an accept after Siemens and it looks like they almost did the same for me. Anyway, the box essay sounds totally brilliant and 100% Nick. Good luck RD ;) And hey, see ya at Caltech, maybe?</p>
<p>i have a question about the caltech v mit thing. i got into both ea and i am leaning towards mit mainly because of its humanities departments. i mean theyre not the best but in addition to intense math/science education i want solid humanities as well. can someone defend caltech in this respect?</p>
<p>Which humanities?</p>
<p>most specifically philosophy. less specifically history and music.</p>
<p>Well, I don't know if I'd recommend majoring in them, but there's certainly a pretty good course selection in all of those (especially history and music) and I'm sure the courses are of great quality, if only because of the level of the peers in those classes. Music, especially. Notice how so much math and science people are great at music, and I think that transfers to Caltech as well. I know their guitar teacher teaches flamenco, which is just awesome :D</p>
<p>In total, you have an awesome choice to make so visit both schools, ask around, check the course catalogs of both (important!), etc. Good luck ;)</p>
<p>Well, regarding philosophy: MIT has more courses, but Caltech is listed on the Philosophical Gourmet report ( <a href="http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/</a> ) as one of the schools with a very strong faculty in philosophy despite not awarding a doctorate in that field. I know something about this because I am still very seriously considering a philosophy double major and the courses I have taken have been incredible. For one thing, everything at Caltech is done with such a rigorous streak that the philosophy papers undergraduates write -- with such an emphasis on mathematical, logical reasoning -- would impress many professional philosophers. I guess the bottom line is that Caltech students are so uniformly smart that everything is done at a very high level.</p>
<p>Also, the faculty is great. I wrote a paper criticizing a famous argument of Hume (about miracles) and my professor liked it so much that he decided to write it up for publication (with me as a coauthor) in a major philosophy journal. I don't think that would happen as much at MIT, where in the philosophical writing courses, TA's usually grade the work. So, amusingly, even as far as breaking into "real" academic philosophy, Caltech is probably a bit stronger than MIT.</p>
<p>So Ben, long story short, Caltech >> MIT? :D</p>
<p>heh Ben would never generalize like that :P id love to see a discussion between caltech and mit admission officers :]</p>
<p>getalife</p>
<p>You know, I think something of that sort has been done in the past: benjones vs. Ben Golub. At least, if I'm not remembering incorrectly.</p>
<p>I think they should have a little match against each other, but I'd rather a Celebrity Deathmatch style fight than a civilized logical debate, personally.</p>
<p>Hahahaha. We'll call our respective agents to start getting the arrangements set for the cage match.</p>
<p>i like your thinking adam. :-) that's how admissions should be decided too......:-P</p>
<p>yes.... just throw 2000 of us in a cage and the last 250 standing are in</p>
<p>Ben vs. Ben... maybe u guys can get on the news too if u do that :P</p>