<p>I am an internatinal student from India requiring Financial aid</p>
<p>SAT 1 770 verbal 750 math
Sat 2 800 Writing 800 Maths 2c 780 Chemistry
Class Rank- top 1 % in 980-one of India's best schools(like Stuvesant in reputation)-taking most rigorous courses available
Author of a published book on India
Won tons of national awards at quizzing(and one or two international).president Quizzing Club,etc..
President Environment Club for 3 yrs,Global Winner of the Green Olympiad,from more than 60,000 partcipants
Secretary Consumer Club
MUN outstanding delgate for 3 yrs,Under Secretary general at one MUN session
Member school western music and Indian classical music choirs
Volunteer tutor in maths and science
Fantastic recos, pretty good essays(I hope so)
Some research but no awards</p>
<p>Hi there,
I'm a freshman at Caltech (with test scores and accomplishments eerily similar to yours), and I can tell you without hesitation that this year has positively been the WORST of my life (and believe me, I've had some bad ones). The administration is horrible, the profs don't care about undergrads, and to top it off, the gender imbalance is maddening (at least for a guy). And believe me, it's not just the difficulty, either -- I've actually passed all my classes. The school is just spirit-crushing somehow. My advice: avoid this school like the plague. You're certainly smart enough to get into another, better school than this one.</p>
<p>I'm a sophomore at Caltech with scores and accomplishments that are like those of everybody else who gets in here. I'm having the time of my life -- academically exhilirated, socially happy, and bathed in opportunities to do whatever I want, which I couldn't have gotten elsewhere. You'll have plenty of time decide whether to come if you get in. For now, ignore the (predominantly) losers who want nothing more than to complain how unsatisfactory their lives are.</p>
<p>Let me suggest another option. Apply here, and at other schools, and then when and if you get acccepted, come to prefrosh weekend. During that time, you can hear the good and the bad from many more students than the handful that browse this forum.</p>
<p>(By the way, I'm a junior with much worse stats than yours, and I'm also incredibly glad I came here. I can't imagine myself happy anywhere else.)</p>
<p>Ben:
I wasn't "whining" at all. I just felt it would be nice to let a prospective student know what (s)he would be getting into at Caltech. Even though my grades are fine, I'm rapidly finding out it's not a school for everyone, and I think they should hear all points of view so they can make an informed decision. Oh, and I'm not exactly sure how calling me a "loser" advances your argument to the contrary, but hey, whatever makes you feel good.</p>
<p>I apologize about the ad hominem words. I just don't think it's good practice to tell people to "AVOID THIS SCHOOL LIKE THE PLAGUE." Surely nobody who advocates for it says "COME HERE AT ANY COST!" That would be equally silly.</p>
<p>If you truly want to share your experiences, more power to you. But making exaggerated statements that are unfair and trying to drive people away is, in my view, a loserly thing to do.</p>
<p>I certainly wouldn't call my words unfair. Subjective or not, over half the frosh I've spoken to echo the statements I've made above -- in fact, I would contend that I represent the majority. Case in point, the anti-tuition-hike protest outside Beckman last week wasn't exactly the sign of a satisfied student body.</p>
<p>That said, I respect your opinion; I have no doubt this school is perfect for you, and that you're just trying to share your excitement (and it is admirable) with others. I just think applicants should know there's a very real chance they won't be happy here. If that's a "loserly" thing to do, so be it.</p>
<p>What was unfair wasn't your low opinion of the school. That's totally fair. What was unfair was saying "AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE." That's a normative piece of advice, it doesn't apply to many, and dispensing it as if it should be generally obeyed is unfair to the people for whom it is bad advice. Just like saying "Come come come come!" is an unfair thing to say to people that aren't perfect for the school. I hope I've made the distinction clear.</p>
<p>(By the way: to set the record straight, the tuition protest, as a high estimate, included about 3% of the undergraduate student body, around 20 people total. Not such a huge expression of dissatisfaction and scorn.)</p>
<p>I know that no University is as perfect as the Viewbooks make them out to be. What have you found at CalTech that was a surprise to you? What do you like. What don't you like. It will be great to hear what a current freshman has to say.</p>
<p>I also applied to Berkely, Stanford and MIT.</p>
<p>
[quote]
The administration is horrible, the profs don't care about undergrads, and to top it off, the gender imbalance is maddening (at least for a guy).
[/quote]
I think the administration's been alright, save the miscommunications which Galen and the administration are trying frantically to clear up. The profs that I have talked to definitely seem to care about undergrads. When I have had a question they've been happy to talk after class (even if this were not the case, the TAs are also always willing to help you understand something). I contacted a professor regarding a possible research opportunity, and despite the fact that he had never heard of me and did not think he had anything available (which he told me beforehand), he voluntarily took time out of his day to talk with me. Besides the ombuds system, each Monday, Nate Lewis picked 5 frosh to eat lunch with him at the Ath in order to get better feedback on the Ch1a course. Regarding the gender ratio, I don't think it's bad at all. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Subjective or not, over half the frosh I've spoken to echo the statements I've made above -- in fact, I would contend that I represent the majority.
[/quote]
I have not met one frosh who expressed such discontent. I'm pretty sure that you do not represent the majority. </p>
<p>What are the specifics of your dissatisfaction with Caltech? How has your spirit been crushed? Are you aware of the systems in place to facilitate communication between students and professors/TA? Are you making good use of the collaboration policy? Have you talked with your RA about your problems with the school? So far your complaints have been too general to address any actual problems. If you have not tried to solve your problems via the aforementioned means, I suggest you do so before bringing your complaints here.</p>