Caltech's Tinyness

Colleges and Universities A-Z California Institute of Technology
1

<p>I thought I was okay with how small Caltech is (~200/class), but now that I've been EAed in and am facing the possibility of actually spending the next four years of my life there, I'm not so sure anymore. </p>

<p>I'd really always wanted to go to a big school, but thought that Caltech's overall amazingness as an engineering school was enough to override this. </p>

<p>Anyone else nervous about Caltech's size? </p>

<p>Current students, anything you care to share? </p>

<p>For those who aren't bothered by it, can you help me feel better about all this? </p>

<p>HELP! :-)</p>

<p>(And for those who are dying to go, I'm really, really, sorry. I thought I wanted to go when I applied. Promise!)</p>

2

<p>200/class isn't really that small. Sure, it's not huge, but I doubt you'll grow tired of the people there. I go to a school that's even smaller than Caltech (78 in my class) and I never thought it was a problem. I prefer it, actually, to larger class sizes. </p>

<p>But anyways, its a personal thing. So why are you worried about the small size?</p>

3

<p>I like the small size, because I know by name half the people in my class. Also, you get to meet people really easily (President Chameau, Tom Mannion, etc.) and your hovse becomes very much like a family to you. It's a very personal place. </p>

<p>But you need to visit Caltech for yourself. Prefrosh weekend would be really good for this, to see if the size and culture is right for you. Heck, when I applied, I was all for a big school like UIUC or NU, but upon visiting, I changed my mind.</p>

<p>But until then, I can ask, what is it about small size that bothers you so much?</p>

<p>Edit: cross posting...</p>

4

<p>Hmmm... I guess it's a matter of perspective. My high school class is ~400 and I consider it on the small side. </p>

<p>As to why it bothers me, it's really hard to articulate, but I'll give it a stab.
I guess I'd always seen college as a full-fledged community, a sort of world within a world, and I don't think 200 ppl would accomplish that. </p>

<p>It would be nice to know the faculty/admin in person, though. You've got a point there. </p>

<p>Perhaps in some weird way, I'm scared of it being too personal. Where everyone would know you. Maybe it's my problem. I don't know...</p>

<p>I guess I'm also afraid that such a small school would limit my EC's and such. A school with less than a thousand undergrads surely can't support the 600 clubs that I've seen some schools having. </p>

<p>I don't know if I'm making any sense at all. I'm sorry if I'm not. </p>

<p>I'm definitely planning on going to Prefrosh Weekend, and I know that'll give me a better feel for it. Maybe it'll help me to decide. </p>

<p>@Dauntless: I applied for UIUC and Northwestern too! BTW, what yr are you?</p>

5

<p>
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Perhaps in some weird way, I'm scared of it being too personal. Where everyone would know you. Maybe it's my problem. I don't know...

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<p>A very legitimate concern, and it's not just your problem. Plenty of people feel this way. In a small community you get to know people pretty well. But plenty of people thrive in this type of community. There's nothing inherently wrong with being too personal, it's just that some people like it and some don't. This is just something that you have to figure out yourself. </p>

<p>
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I guess I'm also afraid that such a small school would limit my EC's and such. A school with less than a thousand undergrads surely can't support the 600 clubs that I've seen some schools having.

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<p>And if your school had 600 clubs.... ? What then? Would you join or take an active interest in all of them? Half? 100? I go to a school with 300 students and the EC's seem plenty to me. Also, especially in school like Caltech where everyone is focused in math/science, the interests of the undergrads will very likely overlap significantly. So chances are if you want to do it, somebody else does too. </p>

<p>
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I guess I'd always seen college as a full-fledged community, a sort of world within a world, and I don't think 200 ppl would accomplish that.

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<p>It really depends on what you want this "world" to be. If you want it to be a large community of aspiring scientists, mathematicians, and engineers, by no means will Caltech disappoint you. If you want it to be fully representative of the world in every way, Caltech (or for that matter, any other college) couldn't do it even with 100,000 people.</p>

<p>Feel free to ask me more questions, and sorry if my brain isn't thinking clearly this late at night.</p>

6

<p>@mathwiz: Are you at Olin?! :):)</p>

7

<p>Figuring myself out... If I could just do that, then these apps would be so much easier.
When Polonius said, "To thine own self be true," he never did mention how difficult knowing who "thine own self" was, did he? </p>

<p>You do have a good pt about the ECs. That does make me feel better. Thanks!</p>

<p>And sometimes I wonder if I can deal being with constantly being with engr/sci/math ppl. I am only mathy and techy as compared to my surroundings and peers (small town in Alabama, friends who want to act and be philosophers). Oh how intimidating Caltech will be. And at the same time, will it be too much, too annoying? Am I really cut out for a hard-core tech school? </p>

<p>Ah, yes, I see I have gone off the track of small-school-ness. I tend to digress. </p>

<p>Mathwiz, are you at Caltech?</p>

8

<p>Aurona: Yes I'm at Olin. :)</p>

<p>Cuca: No I am not from Caltech. Almost went there though... but that's another story.</p>

<p>
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Figuring myself out... If I could just do that, then these apps would be so much easier.
When Polonius said, "To thine own self be true," he never did mention how difficult knowing who "thine own self" was, did he?

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<p>Hehe, you think it's bad now... just wait till April (or in my case, till the morning of May 1st, but again, that's another story).</p>

<p>
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And sometimes I wonder if I can deal being with constantly being with engr/sci/math ppl. I am only mathy and techy as compared to my surroundings and peers (small town in Alabama, friends who want to act and be philosophers). Oh how intimidating Caltech will be. And at the same time, will it be too much, too annoying? Am I really cut out for a hard-core tech school?

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<p>Well, Caltech seems to think you are, and they don't admit people they aren't absolutely sure can make it there (academically speaking). Socially, you'll have to figure it out yourself. </p>

<p>Rest assured however, that even though everyone around you will be majoring in engr/sci/math (well, that is if you go to Caltech), they WILL have interests in other areas. I promise. Where I go, we don't even have the sci/math people, it's all engr. But the people around me have a lot of interests that are outside engr (or even outside engr/sci/math).</p>

<p>Hope that helps.</p>

9

<p>Okay, this is really bugging me now. Unless the reason is very personal/painful, I've got to hear this story of yours. TELL!!!
Don't you think it'll be helpful for someone who's trying to decide on Caltech (even if the final decision is not for a while to come)?
After all, you did eventually decide NOT to go to Caltech? Why?</p>

10

<p>Hehe, I will tell if you are curious. I just didn't want to get off topic. </p>

<p>So Caltech was my dream school for several years. But then, a year and a half ago, I heard of Olin. I didn't think much of it then, but as I got to know it more and more, I liked it more and more.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, I applied early to Caltech and was deferred. I was devastated, and reluctantly worked on the rest of my apps, including Olin's, which I had planned to ignore had I gotten in to Caltech. </p>

<p>Olin has this thing where before they send out their offers of admission, they invite about 170 kids to their campus for interviews/fun activities and then select the class from those 170. So I was invited and went along. Then I saw the place and I was like zOMFG. I really liked it, and a school that was originally an afterthought on my list jumped into a tie with Caltech.</p>

<p>Then March came around and I had the painful luxury to getting into both. I had a month and a half to chose between the two. I can best describe it as a sine wave that oscillated away and happened to be on the Olin side come May 1st. </p>

<p>On a more serious note, why I chose Olin over Caltech:
Olin--> practical, hands on engineering, with lots of projects and actually DOING stuff and all those nice things us engineers like (whereas Caltech, I thought, was more theoretical/sciencey, which is great, except I think Olin suits me better as an engineer)
Also, there's no tuition at Olin, whereas Caltech would cost lots of money (not so much that I wouldn't be able to go, but it was still very significant)</p>

<p>Anyways, both are GREAT schools, and I was fortunate to have the choice between the two, and I probably would have liked Caltech had I gone. It's just that I actually had to choose one over the other, and I chose Olin.</p>

<p>If you are any more curious/want me to further explain Olin or Caltech/anything at all, feel free to ask.</p>

11

<p>At first, the thought of Caltech being so small really turned me away from it, but then I stopped to think about my friends at school (630/class). My close friends are all top 10, and my general friends are all top 10% (which would undoubtedly have changed had I one fewer finger), so I figure that I functionally have a <70 person class.</p>

12

<p>Cuca, Caltech is definitely a small school. It's not, as many would say, unbearably small, and yes, it's true that being a small school comes with its plus's and downsides. </p>

<p>That said, it is definitely a different thing from a giant college community of say, 15,000 students, or even 5,000. I think most of us who attend Caltech are fine with the size of the student body, but everyone has different preferences for what kind of atmosphere they'd like to see in a college, and so just keep in mind that this might not be what you're looking for.</p>

<p>Definitely visit during PFW and you can judge for yourself.</p>

13

<p>DMRenrel has a good point. If you like math/science/engineering then the 240 class size isn't that bad.</p>

<p>I think the class size is just right. Any larger and it would become somewhat impersonal, but any smaller it would be somewhat limiting.</p>

<p>As for the EC's, there's always something to do, and most likely, if you have something you'd like to do, you can find someone else with the same interest to start a club. I was interested in robotics in high school and found lots of others with the same interest.</p>

14

<p>@Cuca, post way above.
I'm a frosh. That's cool that you applied there, are you from the Midwest too? I also applied to Cornell, but after visiting and talking to students from all 4 places, I felt like I fit in at Caltech by far the best. It was strange. I met more kids that I felt I could relate to at Caltech, then at any of the other 3. I guess that's what the "match" is about.</p>

<p>For record, we don't just do math/sci stuff, that would be just plain obnoxious. We have fun, we prank, we have sports, some parties, etc. But we do take our academic careers very seriously, and our classes are very challenging. But if you got in EA, you should be fine.</p>

15

<p>I'm actually from the Deep South geographically as I type this, but in reality more like a bit from everywhere.
lol. I sent in my Cornell app a few weeks ago. I have friends there and they seem to really love, despite complaints about the intense work. </p>

<p>I don't think this is something I'm gonna be able to figure quickly. I planned my applications to give myself choice in the spring, since I wasn't sure what I wanted in the fall. The only thing they all share is a good engineering program (and these days, I'm not even sure about that). </p>

<p>Part of my problem stems from not having visited anywhere. (A long story that boils down to: Parents). But they promised that I could visit anywhere I got accepted to so I'll definitely make a trip to Caltech and anywhere else I get in RD, and maybe I'll know then. </p>

<p>Thank you guys for all the help. Maybe I'll meet you at Prefrosh Weekend.</p>

16

<p>DS had several circles of friends at his undergrad school, midsize (~4500 undergrad plus ~3000 grad), technical school. </p>

<p>His circle of acquaintances: First degree major, Mechanical Eng class of `70. His second degree major ~30, with half of this class being graduate students from many majors. His club ~150 from freshman to seniors. His graduate school ~30.</p>

<p>He knows people from around the world. </p>

<p>CalTech is a great school.</p>

17

<p>I'm sorry. I'm still new to a lot of this. </p>

<p>DS?</p>

18

<p>S: son
D: daughter
DS: dear son
DD: dear daughter</p>

<p>Usually these are the terms created by parents.</p>

19

<p>Well, that clears it up.</p>

<p>Every time I saw DS, I was like "daughter-son"....? and when I saw DD, I was just confused.</p>

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<p>Hey I'm a "New Member." You zoogies, Mr. "Senior Member," had no excuse :)</p>