chances at caltech?

Colleges and Universities A-Z California Institute of Technology
1

<p>I am currently a Junior</p>

<p>UW GPA: 3.91ish</p>

<p>SAT I's
Math: 800
CR: 730
Writing:740</p>

<p>will probably take SAT Math II, Chemistry, and US History in May </p>

<p>Past AP's: US Gov and Politics-5</p>

<p>Current Load
1. Integrated Physics
2. Advanced PreCal
3. AP US History
4. AP English Language
5. Web Design
6. Advanced Spanish IV
7. AP Chemistry</p>

<p>My only B's have been graphic design freshman year and AP Gov (will a 5 on the exam atone for this)? unless I get really hot toward the end of this semester, I'm getting a B in AP English. </p>

<p>Next year, I plan on taking AP Calc BC, AP Lit, AP Bio, Ap Physics C, and (probably) AP Stats. </p>

<p>EC's: </p>

<p>Boy Scouts
-Eagle Scout (just did my board of review). My project was building benches, pressure-washing old ones, and putting sealant.
-Senior Patrol Leader during 10th grade, Patrol Leader during 9th
-broke a national record for hiking. I hiked the Bartram Trail (100 miles/5 days, has a lot of elevation)
-LOTS of community service</p>

<p>Tennis (all 4 years)
-private lesons
-varsity tennis</p>

<p>Academic Quiz Bowl team (10-12)</p>

<p>I founded and am president of our school's food critic club. We go to restaurants about once a month and write critiques about them, which are published in the school newspaper. </p>

<p>Trumpet
-private lessons
-Superior Rating (9,10,11) at Solo Ensemble Festival
-Community Jazz Band (9-12)
-GISA all-select band member (11th grade) (top band members of private schools in GA)
-played for church on Sundays
-invited to play at school's open house 10th grade</p>

<p>Piano
-lessons
-invited to play at several concerts</p>

<p>Young Republicans (should i say this? i know prestigious colleges are very liberal?)
-helped a bake sale to fund troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
-helped campaign for JOhn Mccain and senator Saxby Chambliss</p>

<p>Duke TIP summer program (summers after 9th and 10th grade, I respectively studied macroecon. and robotics)</p>

<p>Miscellaneous:
I also volunteer at the library during the summer.
I also made the state round for MathCounts in 8th grade. (Is there any way to say this even though it was in middle school)
I received national honors in 7th grade for the SAT math portion. (see above parenthetical statement)
-Traveled around Europe.
-I'm almost certain my PSAT score will qualify me for semifinalist standing in the NMS search. </p>

<p>Essay: talk about a trumpet competition in which one of the judges judged his own students THREE years in a row and how his bias didn't prevent me from playing trumpet and still playing my best. (can mention more details later) </p>

<p>Recommendations: I know several teachers at my school who like me and will probably write well about me.</p>

2

<p>Hmm, let me plug your stats into my program…</p>

<p>I’d say somewhere around 17%</p>

3

<p>what makes it that low? I know I don’t have as much math/sci. achievements as others do, but I still have done a lot? have I?</p>

4

<p>I think he was being sarcastic, saints2009. 17% is just the average Caltech acceptance rate.</p>

5

<p>My program is very comprehensive!</p>

6

<p>what do you mean by comprehensive?</p>

7

<p>comprehensive: of large scope; covering or involving much; inclusive</p>

8

<p>i meant HOW is your program comprehensive. what comprehensive calculations do you do? Would you be willing to explain?
…
Do you really think someone who might want to go to Caltech would not know what “comprehensive” means?</p>

9

<p>His program can be stated as such:</p>

<p>float yourCaltechChance;
float avgCaltechChance;
yourCaltechChance = avgCaltechChance;</p>

10

<p>You can’t be serious? ^</p>

11

<p>chill saint… don’t need to get angry over negative comments… :slight_smile: in my opinion… I think you’d have a good chance… :)</p>

12

<p>ahaha, lol @ this thread.
lizzardfire & lordofnarf, you are amazing.</p>

<p>Saints2009: your grades and SAT scores seem fine. But who knows? Go for it, but no one can really tell you what your chances are, besides quoting the acceptance rate. Good luck.</p>

13

<p>Lordofnarf: You stole my source code! That’s an honor code violation!</p>

<p>Saints: A couple suggestions: Go read the thread on Chances by Mike Woods, it’s on the first page. Then go read my post, stickied at the top, on why Caltech is different. If you still think you want to go to Caltech, come back and talk to us about it. Looking at your post history makes me think you maybe aren’t really that into the whole devotion to math and science thing; your only contribution to these forums consists of chance threads in a bunch of ivy league schools, stanford, MIT, and Caltech. That screams “I am a prestige whore”. Your list of ECs above confirms that you don’t seem to have an exceptionally strong interest in math or science. </p>

<p>Unless there is something really huge missing from your profile above, you’re not a good fit for Caltech, you wouldn’t be happy here, and if I were the admissions committee, I would not admit you. Fortunately for you, I am not the admissions committee, and as such have no clue as to what your chances are.</p>

14

<p>Adcom won’t be viewing this thread either, since it would be a conflict of interest. </p>

<p>However, as a word of advice, Caltech is focused on producing scientists and engineers (though plenty of people become, say, Wall Street analysts ultimately). Your ECs don’t really suggest a future scientist or engineer. There’s no science/math ECs, as well as no independent research to shore up that lack. </p>

<p>You might want to consider whether or not you really wish to go to a school like Caltech. Or if you do, to make sure your app somehow reflects that interest.</p>

15

<p>Aha, I heard the words “honor code violation”. Lucky for you, I’m the local CC BoC rep.</p>

<p>lordofnarf, I hereby convict you of an honor code violation for two reasons: 1) for theft of lizzardfire’s source code, thereby taking unfair advantage of lizzardfire; 2) for using floats instead of doubles, thereby taking unfair advantage of me, because it hurt my eyes so badly to see such a sight that I am unable to perform at my peak academic level.</p>

<p>As a result of your blatant, despicable disregard for honesty and fairness with your peers in the CC community, I hereby revoke your internet. Please leave it by the door on your way out.</p>

16

<p>Quello-</p>

<p>I don’t remember electing you BoC Rep. I’m pretty sure the internet’s BoC rep got No’d out. I’m reporting you to the BoC chair for impersonating a BoC rep.</p>

<p>As for my case, I state the following plea:1) It’s not my fault if lizzardfire’s code is that easily reproducible by a novice programmer. 2) I have <10 hours experience with coding, so float was the first thing that came to mind.</p>

<p>Remember, frosh are friends, not food, they’re there to teach not punish.</p>

17

<p>We don’t eat frosh, they are nasty tasting. We just burn them for fuel.</p>

18

<p>hey,</p>

<p>I’m gonna copy Saints 2009, so uh sorry if this irritates you. I’m gonna list what I’ve done, but I don’t want to know if I’ll get into Caltech (17%, got it) so much as if I will fit. Or will everything I hear in class sound like alien garbledigook. I’ve replied to thread that I think lizzardfire was on. But that was just for a feel of the school and I don’t know if I’ll get a response.</p>

<p>anyways,</p>

<p>I am currently a junior (haha)</p>

<p>grade point- 3.96 my school doesn’t have AP classes but this caltech presenter told me they don’t really look at AP?</p>

<p>I haven’t taken the SAT yet and I have a lot of work to do before March, but my practices range from 2080-2200. I got a 2300 once but i think that was luck.
My math is weakest which is bad cuz I want to be a mechanical engineer.</p>

<p>Umm I’ll probably take what Saints 2009 is taking for SAT subject tests</p>

<p>Current load:
A weird cumalative math class. we arent exactly traditional so i have to take calc on my own
US history
Chemistry
Japanese
Choir
English
Sculpture
A community service class</p>

<p>Basically we take these classes every year. Science and history will change every year.</p>

<p>EC
-so far 200 hours community service
-Vars tennis (gonna be 4 years when i graduate)… sound familiar? But caltech is more academic-y then sports oriented right?
-(i’ll be vars next year for these) bowling golf. Not the most athletic sports but well yeah. I play soccer and basketball unorganized.
-Monthly State Math Competitions… thing I’m not sure what it’s called
-World Quest Competition- 2 years
-oh yeah I did speech and debate as an elective last year
-probably commended for PSAT missed merit by a few points
-Volunteer at a Hospital Pharmacy
-2 years science symposium participant (i won an award 1 year)
-2 year science fair participant (won some small awards)
-I’d say I’m a minority but seems like thereare plenty of asians at caltech
-I’ve built a couple VEX robots
-Student council Rep</p>

<p>so would I fit in? or should I look elsewhere?</p>

<p>thanks guys.</p>

19

<p>I’m totally cool with answering the question of fit; it’s really important. First, I’d tell you to read the stickied thread at the top of the forum, as I wrote it basically to answer your question.</p>

<p>Basically: If you are sure you want to do something in math/science/engineering, you want to work your ass off when you know it won’t necessarily additionally benefit you financially (i.e. college is more than just a stepping stone to a career), you want to be around other people absolutely focused on M/S/E, you want to have access to cutting edge research, you don’t mind being in a small school with a slightly stunted social life—> Then Caltech could be right for you (come visit and find out!)</p>

<p>BTW, I’m not sure why you’re scoring low in math on the SAT I, but if you find yourself struggling with math in general (i.e. Calc isn’t really easy for you) Caltech is probably not the right place… nor is MechE the right major for you. I’m guessing that since you compete in math competitions you’re just fine with math, and the testing issue is something else.</p>

20

<p>Lizzardfire,</p>

<p>thanks a ton this helps a lot. Yeah I’ll see how I do with calc. I’m gonna have to take it at my local university. Does that mean it will be harder? I’m starting to like this school more and MORE. Yeah I’m thinking of flying over to the mainland (continental USA) during my next summer break. Is that a good time or too late? Once again thanks for all the help and merry late christmas!</p>