<p>"as far as workload and difficulty goes, Caltech is a lot tougher than MIT"</p>
<p>What are you basing this on? There's no one here who has taken undergrad classes at both places.</p>
<p>
[quote]
What are you basing this on? There's no one here who has taken undergrad classes at both places.
[/quote]
Heard every one has to take quantum mechinism?</p>
<p>If you are decent at theory, quantum mechanics is no big deal.</p>
<p>Quantum mechanics and the theoretical intro physics classes I took (Kleppner + Percival textbooks) were far easier for me than the engineering classes. The fact that neither is required at MIT does not imply anything about the workload or rigor of the curriculum as a whole. Adding quantum mechanics would have had a negligible effect on the overall workload or rigor of the curriculum.</p>
<p>If you don't want to go to Caltech because of the workload or rigor, don't go to MIT either.</p>
<p>I guess if you aren't good at math/physics you may have an easier time of surviving the first year at MIT, and then you can major in bio or management. I don't know. I almost feel like the non-theoretical intro classes were more stringent because there was no margin for error, though.</p>
<p>I have to agree, quantum mechanics is no big deal for the students who are qualified to attend either Caltech or MIT. Back when I was an undergrad (at neither place), Caltech had a reputation for much harsher grading than anywhere else, with students of similar quality. But lots of people didn't find out about that until they arrived! Ben Golub made a comment about a year ago that Caltech had adopted a "kinder, gentler" grading policy sometime since then. If you want to make a detailed comparison of content on a course-by-course basis, a lot of the problem sets are available on the web pages at both places.</p>
<p>Kleppner and Percival textbooks? At Caltech? For Ph1 (analytical) and Ph12? You must be old...no offense :)</p>
<p>Caltech is a much more selective university, particularly for grad school.</p>
<p>Why are you bumping a thread from March? let it stay dead.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Caltech is a much more selective university, particularly for grad school.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I got into Caltech for grad school and not MIT. :(</p>
<p>Turn that frown upside-down :) Caltech >> MIT.</p>
<p>I don't remember what major you are, RacinReaver, but for grad school in EE in nanofab I'd much rather be at Caltech than MIT. The only reason I'm not staying here for my PhD is because I need to get out of Tech (probably going to stanford / berkeley)</p>
<p>isn’t Caltech’s average SAT score like at least 50 points higher than MIT’s??</p>
<p>That was a thread from two years ago.</p>
<p>Caltech isn’t for MIT rejects. There are many people who have chosen Caltech over MIT and other great colleges like Harvard.</p>