<ol>
<li><p>Wake up, go to class at 9 or 10, eat lunch at 12, go to class in the afternoons. Afterward they may have sports from 4-6, do homework, hang out with friends, or anything. Dinner starts at 5:45-6:30 depending on which house you're in. </p></li>
<li><p>I think people at Caltech like to seem unhappy as a sort of twisted expression of machisimo. It's also kind of a bonding experience. While many of my friends do complain about little things often ("Oh, my set is too hard!"), they are genuinely happy to be here and they enjoy doing the work. If I were you, I wouldn't worry about finding ways to keep yourself happy.</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>Can I test out of Bio 1 in freshman year and receive credit (I definitely don't want to be a bio major, so it'd be cool if I could avoid taking biology entirely).</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>What would you say to <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=337864%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=337864</a>?
(Sorry I may sound desperate, but I sorta am...)</li>
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<p>I would say that having friends with diverse scientific backgrounds has made me more knowledgable about a lot of interesting topics, from complexity theory to physics to mathematics to physical chemistry. In fact, while waiting in line for a roller coaster a couple nights ago a friend was showing me a proof that 2^(1/n) is irrational, where n is an integer >= 2. The interesting part about the proof was that it used Fermat's last theorem. </p>
<p>The scientific breadth here is something to marvel at, despite the fact that general breadth may be lacking since we have fewer humanities majors than most places. </p>
<p>Since I don't know much about Olin, the subtleties of this decision are up to you. It's perfectly acceptable to choose between schools using a random number generator. 43-21 is a really big margin though, so I think your computer really wants you to go to Olin. Are you going to listen to it?</p>
<p>I think omgninja is exactly right. That being said, if you're in a small group of friends the attitude can change--my friends and I were discussing the testing policy on our way back from trader joe's tonight and it lead to to us talking about all of the things we love about Caltech. We love it here!</p>
<ol>
<li>What subjects are placement exams offered in?</li>
<li>When are the math placement tests given? Do we do them by ourselves in the summer or at orientation? I've heard that there is a diagnostic test sometimes in May and then we do placement exams at orientation, right?</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>Math, chem, physics.</li>
<li>For math (and chem), the placement exams are done over the summer, after you do the diagnostic. The physics one is only when you get here.</li>
</ol>
<p>It's now 56-39... Caltech's making a comeback....</p>
<ol>
<li>NO. (5 char)</li>
</ol>
<p>cghen, do you know approximately when the placement exams are given (what date)? How theoretical are the Math 1a/1b/1c exams and what are the passing scores?</p>
<p>Last year the placement exams were spread out over the summer. For my son, the first one he received with the writing exam and it was due the Monday after ARML (first weekend in June). I just remember cuz he spent the bus ride back from ARML trying to write his essay on the bus(well, maybe he just looked at it on the bus to please me). The other placement exams had different due dates and I don't think he sent the last ones in until sometime in July.</p>
<p>How many Southerners go to Caltech? I was born and raised in Texas except a brief trip into the north when I lived in Illinois and Michigan. how's the political climate at caltech?</p>
<p>There are a lot of people from Texas here. Not so many from the rest of the South. The student body is pretty liberal, like at most colleges, but people are usually fairly apathetic about politics except around elections. There also seem to be a lot of libertarians. Techers tend to be very accepting of different political views, depending on the social group and how argumentative you are about politics. You are more likely to find a physics argument than a political one here; people with differing political tastes just tend to let each other be.</p>
<p>Texas is the 2nd or 3rd most common state of origin for Caltech students, after California and possibly New York.</p>
<p>Political Views on the Caltech network on facebook:</p>
<p>54%
None Listed
16%
Liberal
8%
Moderate
6%
Very Liberal
5%
Other
4%
Apathetic
4%
Conservative
3%
Libertarian</p>
<p>45 (the one about banks): Citibank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Washington Mutual, possibly others: <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=l&hl=en&q=bank&near=Pasadena,+CA+91126&ie=UTF8&ll=34.139159,-118.1253&spn=0.015025,0.029182&z=15&om=1%5B/url%5D">http://maps.google.com/maps?f=l&hl=en&q=bank&near=Pasadena,+CA+91126&ie=UTF8&ll=34.139159,-118.1253&spn=0.015025,0.029182&z=15&om=1</a></p>
<p>Also you can get a savings account at the Caltech Employees Federal Credit Union, which has fairly good interest rates (for a savings acct) and an office right on campus but no checking, although you can get an ATM card for $10/year or so. You can also get a VISA credit card (no annual fee, $1000 limit for freshmen) through the credit union and have the payments automatically deducted from your savings account.</p>
<p>There's a surcharge-free (not just for CEFCU accounts) ATM on campus.</p>
<p>46)
How much do students usually spend on personal expenses (per school year)? And on what (if it's not a secret)?</p>
<p>I spent something less than two grand on personal expenses this year... Probably five hundred on books, two hundred on random EE stuff (although most of it I didn't have to buy--I just wanted to be able to work in my room), a few hundred on food outside of tech, and then of course like soap and stuff. Also random expenses like $150 for a fridge and things like that.</p>
<ol>
<li> I don't think there's a "usual" amount. Most students spend money on food, especially on weekends. It all comes down to what your financial situation is and how much you want to spend. You can get away without spending a whole lot if you want, or you can spend a ton- and no one will really care.</li>
</ol>
<p>Edit- I read your post as talking mostly about discretionary spending, not counting expenses for living expenses that come up (soap, clothes, stuff like that)</p>
<p>Yeah, I am talking about buying things that one doesn't have to, but which are nevertheless bought(like a birthday present, for example).
The thing is, our family is hard on $$$, so I am trying to estimate how much I can ask for...and I am hoping for about 1K per school year.</p>
<p>Are there any opportunities to do (paid) research/internship during Sep-May?</p>