Hey guys, I’m deciding between Yale and Caltech and am not sure which one to choose. I am very interested in STEM but I’ve heard that Caltech is notoriously difficult and stressful. On the other hand, Yale is more “chill” relatively and still has amazing opportunities but their engineering programs (other than CS) are very weak and are not pursued at Yale. I want to have a solid engineering background instead of going pure CS so Caltech seems better for that but then again…it is extremely difficult and I’m not sure if I can manage the coursework. Also, I am not keen on pursuing a joint liberal arts degree either and instead would be fine taking some interesting courses in Econ/Business. If anyone has any suggestions/perspective on which I should choose, I would appreciate it!
Do you want to be challenged?
I think Caltech makes sense only if you look forward to drinking through a firehouse. If not, Yale is still terrific (and actually still plenty challenging).
As @PurpleTitan said, IF you understand what you’re getting into AND that sounds attractive, it could be a fit. If not, Yale will be great. No engineering school is easy.
Both have a residential system, which is a plus. The firehouse idea was mentioned at UChicago and probably many schools. Caltech works on the honors system, so exams are done on your time frame.
I can’t really talk about Yale, as my son thought Caltech and MIT and CMU were better in CS, and the first 2 better in NS. He didn’t like that the CS building was far from the other buildings at Yale. Anyway, Caltech has study groups for problem sets. The meal plan is only for 10 meals a week, as few students want classes before 11. There are kitchens on each floor of the Houses. The Houses have weekend events which include food. Tons of local restaurants with diverse cuisine. Very easy to get summer internships. Caltech has a Core, but within that are classes like science fiction lit. Take a long look at the classes offered at both U’s.
I don’t think you could go wrong with either, and it’s great you have such good choices. I’m sure you could handle the work load anywhere, so it’s up to you.
Caltech, often with the involvement of its faculty, looks at its applicants probably more closely than any other school for their academic readiness for the challenges they’ll face. As a Regeneron finanlist, ISEF finalist, both Yale and Columbia LL recipient, and someone who’s passionate about STEM, you should be confident that Caltech made the right call. If I were you, I’d take up the challenge. Few, if any, schools offer as much support, both academic and non-academic, to its students as Caltech. Few will get to experience it.
Yale is better if you want a less stressful environment. Also Caltech has a strong science requirement. If you hate chemistry. physics or math not a good idea to go to caltech where they expect you to learn stuff in 2 days and solve non linear partial differential equations easily
Caltech better if you want to do stem research.
Also at caltech you cant take any liberal arts courses.
Yale is better for you
Harvey Mudd would have been perfect then 
Are you down to those 2 or are there other choices?
even rice would be good. i know alot of rice people who turned down caltech
Geez, ccbit1,
Wherever I look, you can’t stop putting down Caltech. How much time have you spent on the campus? Are you currently a student?
@finessegod123 did you choose Caltech or Yale