<p>The vast majority of what Skyescot posted applies to MIT. MIT professors are generally considered accessible and research positions are generally easy to find. There are no credit limits at MIT for sophomores (or sufficiently advanced second semester freshmen). There are no limits on undergrads taking graduate classes at MIT in most disciplines either. MIT’s dorm system is fairly similar to Caltech’s as well in that students although initially placed in a dorm have several days to visit other dorms and then request to move. When housing assignments are made there is another process to determine where and with whom you live in the dorm.</p>
<p>how to chose between those two schools? Easy…</p>
<p>Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock.</p>
<p>Congratulations. But the quicker you make up your mind the quicker that slot can be filled.</p>
<p>When I visited, I found the student body personalities as a whole to be different at each school. Personally, I didn’t feel like I’d fit in at Caltech (just a hunch, I can’t really put it into words), a vibe I didn’t really get anywhere else. I would highly recommend visiting them both. Now for me it’s down to MIT, CMU, and HMC, but that decision is a different story. </p>
<p>Note that i’m not anti-caltech, i know a few people there who absolutely love it, and I get along great with them. I can definitely see how people can think opposite of me</p>
<p>I think there is generally more heterogeneity within colleges than between them if the colleges are relatively similar like Caltech and MIT. Perhaps the Caltech student body in uniquely homogenous but I don’t think there is anything that could reasonably described as a student body personality at MIT other than perhaps an interest in science and engineering. Although I think visiting can be helpful I would be leery of drawing conclusions about the culture of the student bodies because the small number of people you interact with are likely to be non-representative of the students at the school (the group of people you regularly interact with at college is likely to be substantially different from either of those groups as well).</p>
<p>Collegedad2013 … that’s the best response yet. </p>
<p>If possible, attend admitted students’/pre-frosh weekends/events for both schools. BOth schools are wonderful schools and the prior posters have listed some valid points to consider.</p>
<p>If you’re completely undecided btween the two, I suggest you consider the COST, not just the distance, between your home and each school. One may be considerably more expensive to travel between which would limit your opportunity to go home should the you like to go home for a family event or for a short break (like Thanksgiving). For some, this may not be an issue, but it is turning out to be something my D will have to consider in her final decisions.</p>
<p>You can’t go wrong at either school. Congratulations and best of of luck to you. :)</p>
<p>I went to Caltech for undergrad and now I am at MIT for graduate school. I can say that there is no easy choice between the two schools. I am posting here mostly because my brother is now making this choice. =)</p>
<p>Caltech is an amazing place with a very unique atmosphere. You end up knowing almost all the undergraduates in your school, and you get to know the 80 or so members of your house extremely well, not to mention the kids in your major. By the end of the 4 years, you really feel like a part of the community, and everybody I know from Caltech ends up going somewhere pretty awesome, be it grad school, tech (Google, Oracle, etc) or other industry. The core classes are extremely intense- you cannot get away with not working hard. You will stay up late nights to 5 am, but you will be working with people you end up sharing close bonds with the rest of your life. Everyone you know is extremely math and science oriented and the classes really push you to become a strong problem solver. I left Caltech knowing that I might not have retained any memorized knowledge but knowing that I can face any problem head on without fear. </p>
<p>Caltech is also situated in the beautiful Pasadena. When you’re engrossed in work, you might start to take the beautiful weather for granted but… when you’re in Boston you realize that sunny days are few and far in between. And you will want to cry when the wind is blowing on a cold winter day and only a ski mask can keep your face from falling off. Caltech’s campus is beautiful- amazing architecture, pools and fountains everywhere, flowers blooming nearly yearround. You won’t have that at MIT (though the Charles river is quite lovely). Pasadena is a small town but Old Pas is within walking distance where you have an upscale shopping area and nice restaurants. The neighboring town of San Marino is filled with multi-million mansions. If you love Asian food, southern California is the place to be. There is no shortage of amazing food anywhere you go. </p>
<p>MIT on the other hand, has other advantages. You are in a city, where you are free to explore a much more varied culture. You can take Harvard classes and humanities if you so choose. The area is more diverse and so is the student body. If you’re looking for breadth of classes, unusual topics, or other things that can spark your interest- MIT is a great place. It’s much bigger than Caltech, so that means it has more types of classes. You wanna learn about Django python web frameworks? There’s an IAP class for that. You wanna try out glass blowing, or take a course on horror movies? You can find that here. You cannot find these eccentric classes offered at Caltech. Given that it is a bigger school, there are also more study abroad programs and more diverse research opportunities. That said, Caltech also has these, but there are more limited options just because it is a smaller school. </p>
<p>However, the caliber of the professors at both schools are top of their class. The atmosphere at Caltech is both laid back and focused at the same time. At MIT it feels a bit more structured. There is an advantage to MIT that each class is taught by two professors, which means there is (I feel) a slightly higher overall quality to the courses. At Caltech, classes are generally taught by a single professor simply because there aren’t that many faculty. </p>
<p>Another trend I’ve noticed is that Caltech’s focus is more on theory, whereas MIT’s is on application. Caltech’s core classes focus on the equations, derivations, and thought process. The first Calculus course I took there worked with mostly proofs. You can also take an analytical or practical track in both physics and math, and plenty of people take the analytical (theoretical track). At MIT, the core courses are fairly easy though you can take more challenging ones if you so choose. The courses at MIT do seem to introduce programming early into the syllabus. Most students tend to learn Matlab or other programming languages early on, even non-CS majors. MIT graduates also tend to go into industry more often than Caltech students, many of whom decide to pursue graduate school.</p>
<p>In any case, good luck everyone with your decisions!</p>
<p>I think maaeya’s post is excellent although I will add that only some departments at MIT co-teach classes. The core bio and chem classes do this while the core math and physics classes do not.</p>
<p>Maaeya - these are all great points to consider.</p>
<p>When I posted earlier, I had no real thought that we would be facing this situation just a few days later. My D is still waiting to hear from O L I N, but she was recently accepted to both Caltech & MIT. It’s surreal. </p>
<p>Time to wait for Campus events in April, final acceptances, and financial aid $$. That’ll be huge in our book. </p>
<p>If anyone else came up with ideas, lmk!</p>
<p>Congratulations, carimama!</p>
<p>I will say this about Caltech: their financial aid was incredible!! Dh and I really wished our son liked Caltech, truly we did! His out of pocket costs would have been practically nothing and travel costs would have been minimal since we live about 2 1/2 hours away.</p>
<p>But, my son didn’t like Caltech at all. 
So, he is at the more expensive school (though our costs were incredibly low this first year) across the country (he won two free flights, so we won’t feel the cost of travel until this year). </p>
<p>Let us know what your D decides! :-)</p>
<p>Both are in cities. MIT is bigger and requires more time, cost, and clothing much of the year to get to class and to prepared food. However, there is more to do in the city without a car or long public transportation times. Caltech weather, campus size, and meal programs make the practicalities of living much easier on average, but it’s more work and trouble to get to recreational opportunities off campus. There are trips planned by the Y with transportation (skiing, beach trips, etc.), but these are only at certain times, cost, and are of longer duration. Some students do have cars and will be glad to pile in people. At MIT, it’s harder to have a car. My impression is that Caltech is a bit harder on average but MIT is very challenging anyway. Both schools have varied personality types represented, with a heavy overlap. Caltech students might on average be more STEM-y and MIT students more Wall Street, but that’s only a rough generalization that doesn’t apply to everyone. An average Caltech student might be considered nerdy compared to an average MIT student, but MIT has plenty of nerds and Caltech has non-nerdy students. My impression is that while there is hearty partying at both schools in some dorms at some times, it’s heartier at MIT, in part due to scale and in part due to academics and campus personality. Caltech profs are not known on average for teaching ability as research is their main focus, and MIT profs on average might be better teachers. OTOH, there are some excellent teachers at Caltech and some duds at MIT. Further, you don’t have to go to all the Caltech classes, so if it’s a better use of your time to do problem sets than attend a class that doesn’t add content, you can. You can also work with other students on the problem sets, so you learn a ton just by doing that. MIT seems more competitive between students but not like Harvard is supposed to be. I would take your student to each school for CPS and PFW and they will feel the difference. Mine did and picked the opposite school he planned to pick. Back to the city thing. MIT has more of a city feel to me because the buildings are higher, there is less greenery, there are no mountains visible, the weather is grayer, and you can walk to more entertainment options.</p>
<p>Forgot to emphasize the food differences. While MIT has been working on improving their meal situation, when we were there, many of the dorms didn’t have cafeterias, leaving students to prepare food in group kitchens which were often filled with dirty dishes, find a restaurant, or eat ramen noodles. I met two pasty faced, skinny seniors who said their health had suffered because they had no time to get to the grocery story and cook so they ate mostly ramen. Yuck. But, some dorms do have nice cafeterias. Caltech has food in all houses (look like frat houses but they aren’t frats anymore) M-F but not on weekends, on student request to make them get out of the dorm. Both schools have some sort of preloaded money to buy food on campus and possibly from nearby vendors. At Caltech, sophomores live off campus, but it might be on campus buildings that are considered “off campus” or it might be in nearby apartments that are closer to classes by far than many dorms are on MIT to MIT classes. So, sophomores at Caltech generally cook or get a meal plan where they walk to the house they belong to to eat. Look at the house system for Caltech online. Each house is coed and tends to have a certain personality. But, part of their code says that you aren’t supposed to discuss them to avoid prejudicing people for or against them. You get picked into houses in Freshman orientation with your input and usually it’s a good match. MIT lets you rank your top choices of dorms your freshman year and you can move between dorms if you want throughout your four years. At Caltech you usually stick with the house you were placed in in the beginning.</p>
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<p>This is generally a cop-out by people that are too lazy to cook. It doesn’t take much more time to make a bowl of spaghetti with meatballs versus ramen, especially if you make enough for leftovers to eat the next day or two.</p>
<p>Also, many non-freshmen still live in the houses at Caltech. That’s one of the things so many students enjoy about their housing situation. First years living next to seniors helps get students the random tutoring and support they need to get through the core. There’s also Avery where faculty, grad students, visiting researchers, and undergrads all live together.</p>
<p>RacinReaver, I actually met the under/malnourished students at MIT in Random House. They said the grocery store was a little too far to conveniently walk and they didn’t have time to cook all the time. In that dorm, half the kitchens were workably clean and half had sinks piled very high with dirty dishes. Random House is small and quirky and not comparable to all the other dorms. But, it was the dorm my son initially favored because some of the most amazing math students lived there. It took me to point out some other factors, such as food, and ask him to tour Baker and other dorms, for him to consider the practical considerations. </p>
<p>I haven’t heard any such food issues at Caltech. There are a couple of good grocery stores very close to Caltech, good meals available, and a convenience store on campus. Though my son says making your own food as for sophomores living off campus is cheaper and can be more nutritious (he was raised on fresh veggies and whole grains), I haven’t heard him actually complain about the food provided in the houses. Frankly, this was one thing that was in Caltech’s favor when I as a parent visited both with my son. I hated that MIT didn’t provide food in all the dorms. </p>
<p>To be fair, when we were there, MIT was starting to require more students to have meal plans and to have more meals on their meal plans. Students objected because they preferred to have the money to spend as they pleased, and usually student meals in meal plans are pricey. Also to be fair to MIT, some dorms have nice cafeterias, and you can live in those dorms and I think you can use your meal plan in other dorms as well. Added to that, there are multiple restaurants in the student center and others barely off campus. I wouldn’t let food be the only determining factor, but it’s a factor to consider among many. When my son realized that he didn’t want to make all his food and wash dishes, he got my point. Now, however, he loves making his own food and is used to washing dishes after living in an apartment since the end of his first year.</p>
<p>Okay, also, the Caltech houses have weeknight waited dinners with house announcements and fun traditions. Everyone eats together. I read about the breakfast and lunch offerings, which seem more continental style/make your own sandwich or salad type of thing but I don’t think my son used that much. Seemed he would use his balance on his ID to get something at campus cafeteria, Chandler, and there are some good options there, very tasty sushi and bento boxes, very very nice salad bar, some kind of a grill, the asian noodle bowl grill, and a hot bar with very nice hot meal items to select from. The coffee shop with pastries is small but convenient, and people take food from both the Red Door Cafe (coffee shop) and Chandler (cafeteria) to the outdoor tables which are plentiful. </p>
<p>At MIT, there are them dorms or halls and presumably something for everyone. Some very quiet places, some heavily Hispanic but you don’t have to be Hispanic to live there, even a clothing optional hall in a dorm that allows smoking. Baker Hall has a cafeteria with expansive windows giving views of the Charles River that is literally just out the window. I didn’t eat any dorm food there, but I think you can get good food in your dorm if you choose accordingly. </p>
<p>During our MIT/Caltech visit week, I probably was reacting like the high school mom that I was at the relative lack of supervision I sensed at MIT, but Caltech has self-governing dorms and plenty of freedom as well. It’s a smaller school and naturally students would find it harder to fall through the cracks. At both schools, students do need to be mature and self-disciplined. No one is holding your hand or coddling you. But, at Caltech, you’re likely to know and be known whether you want to be or not, in a good way I think. I imagine the same can be true at MIT within living groups or major or extracurricular activities, but it’s big enough that I’m not sure that is always the case. One dorm tends to have people who study alone in their rooms a lot, but it’s a choice they make and not all in that dorm do that. </p>
<p>I did notice at MIT there were scheduled tutoring sessions in dorms led by profs or grad students for core classes. At Caltech, students collaborate on homework which seems to serve the same purpose but be for hours and often in the middle of the night or at least late at night. I don’t remember what MIT’s collaboration policy is. The upside to collaboration is that you can learn from your peers, older students, grad students, etc. and get work done instead of getting stuck. The downside might be that you think you have some things down and then find out on the test that you didn’t thoroughly master it. Guess that’s up to you to make sure that doesn’t happen. But, students don’t compete with each other. I hear MIT is more competitive between students, but I don’t know much about that. They said on the tours that there was collaboration, and I don’t know if that means they have group projects or whether it’s acceptable to help each other to understand homework that is individually graded.</p>
<p>Hm, my son hasn’t experienced much of what you mentioned, AlwaysNAdventure.</p>
<p>He’s at MIT and his dorm has a cafeteria; he’s never had a problem with being underfed! LOL There’s also a grocery store very nearby-Star Mart or something like that. I walked there when I visited. (Course I wasn’t there in the winter) </p>
<p>My son stayed on campus during IAP and mooched off of friends (didn’t have a meal plan) and ate the snacks I sent him. It was just fine.</p>
<p>He and his friends are super collaborative! Oh my gosh, I’ve called him a number of times and he was helping someone or working with someone. I’ve talked to a couple of his friends and they implied the same thing.</p>
<p>His dorm is awesome, what can I say? It’s very diverse, for sure. It’s pretty cool, I think, and he loves it.</p>
<p>Both schools have much to offer; it really depends on the student and what they ultimately feel is the best fit.</p>
<p>I think the House system at Caltech really was a benefit to my son. Initially, his social life seemed centered on the House. They offered barbecues etc. on weekends. Then they enjoyed eating out on weekends. Busses took them to movies and beach. In later years, they ventured out more.</p>
<p>Like Maaeya, my son and his roommate both went to Caltech for UG, and MIT for grad. They both said each school has advantages.</p>
<p>Restated in fewer words below.</p>
<p>Compare the MIT and Caltech programs in detail to make your choice. My understanding is that they take very different approaches, MIT preparing you to go out and be a programmer after 4 years and Caltech possibly being more geared toward going to grad school or at least focusing more heavily on math and theory. You might want to start a discussion on Reddit and see if you can get some current and past CS majors from both schools to join the conversation.</p>
<p>Having said that, Caltech CS students have been known to work for Google and other top employers after their freshman year, for the summer. Typically, Caltech students are generally paid well for summer work.</p>