<p>When a Techer goes into the City wearing a Caltech sweater or mention to someone where they go to school, are people like "Damn, you must be a genius"? Do girls at bars ask you for help with homework? My friend goes to Harvard and he says when he wears his sweater to bars and clubs and such, chicks fall over him like he's James bond or something. L.A. girls are hotter than the Boston ones, but do they recognize Caltech?</p>
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<p>sorry, but, LOL. "Chicks fall over him like he's James bond or something." Come ON. </p>
<p>also, obviously boston girls are hotter than LA girls, just saying</p>
<p>but dude, are you serious? trying to get girls by going to Caltech? I don't think that works :-P</p>
<p>I get looks like "Oh, you're one of those kids." when I wear the Caltech hat I own out and about.</p>
<p>Also, I don't think Harvard would have nearly the same kind of nerd stigma that Caltech seems to have.</p>
<p>Once, I went to the store (Pavillions - it's a grocery nearby). Apparently, all the the discounts there work only if you have a special card. I didn't know it the first time, and was surprised to see $40 on the screen for something worth 20 at most. The lady at the counter, when saw my Caltech t-shirt, said that I needed to fill out the application for that card. So, she gave me the papers, and, with the words "You can bring it the next time you are here. I know I can trust Caltech students", gave me the discount. It was sometime in October and, even though it might not have been a big deal, I was pleasantly surprised.</p>
<p>"Damn, you must be a genius"? </p>
<p>Yes, it does happen. The first time I went to LA after coming here, I was wearing a tech t shirt and someone stopped me, said "man, you must be a genius"...nice!!!!</p>
<p>Most people don't recognize Caltech - even a lot of people here in town!! I have had people in Old Pas ask me "where that is." I have even been told, "Go Mustangs!"</p>
<p>Honestly, Caltech doesn't even get that much recognition locally (it's kinda funny actually).</p>
<p>:) <em>true story</em> </p>
<p>I am not local but had a Caltech T-shirt made to order online
which I wear around where I live. A group of kids at school
were puzzled and asked me why I liked a 2-year college when
I had got into MIT... </p>
<p>...of course these were the same group that ruminated out aloud that the "siemens" competition Semifinalist poster must be a competition
about "s e x education" ....</p>
<p>it took me some time :o to get it;....and no one was kidding either...</p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>
[quote]
I am not local but had a Caltech T-shirt made to order online
which I wear around where I live. A group of kids at school
were puzzled and asked me why I liked a 2-year college when
I had got into MIT...
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well, if it makes you feel better, I have another true story. I know a girl who went to MIT and then took a job at Harley-Davidson (as she's something of a 'biker chick'). Harley is located in Milwaukee. No joke: when she told Harley people that she went to MIT, a lot of them thought it stood for the "Milwaukee Institute of Technology" and hence was little more than a 2-year vocational school like DeVry or ITT.</p>
<p>I think it depends. Lots of the "real locals" know what Caltech is. In fact, all of the people I've met off campus who have lived in San Fernando Valley or L.A. for more than 5 years have known what Caltech is.</p>
<p>Also, LAPD seems to know about Caltech. I've been pulled over around five times since coming here and only received one ticket- the other four times I've been let off, usually with explanations like, "You go to Caltech, huh? Well slow down... speed limit's 60 here."</p>
<p>Caltech parking enforcers, however, don't seem to know as much...</p>
<p>I got a lot of respect from a homeless crack addict upon saying I went to Caltech... turned out he had a PhD in math. (True story, and a very cool guy.)</p>
<p>The only LAPD I've personally dealt with had never heard of Caltech. This is maybe a good thing, since they were Highly Unamused about my bicycle's presence on the 10. Also that I did not respond to the initial request to pull over, which was phrased (and I quote) as "<darthvadervoice>Hello."</darthvadervoice></p>
<p>Haha, flierdeke, I wound up talking to some homeless dude outside the recycling center at the Ralph's on Lake a few weeks ago and he instantly turned cool once he found out I was at Caltech. Apparently he had worked his way through college ages ago, and all of his skills were in using punch cards.</p>
<p>I live near caltech, and the students are held in
high esteem by the community - almost in
the same sense that a parent is proud of
his over-achieving son/daughter.</p>
<p>But this isn't going to get you any girls, sorry.
You'll have to charm the gals some other way.</p>
<p>yeah im also from pasadena (lived there my whole life) and the thing is, pasadena only has two colleges (not including pacific oaks) and they are Caltech and Pasadena Community College (PCC), so at least in Pasadena there are not that many college girls that would "swoon" over you.</p>
<p>We do recognize them, but in reality we never seem them leave campus. Oh and for snowcapk, when they said go mustangs, that was for muir hs (the worst school ever)..yeah i go to the best school in dena PHS! haha</p>
<p>I go to PCC but I have a Caltech back pack <3. I force a friend to walk by Caltech with me to find "nerds". I'm a nerd myself so when I see one (rarely - I don't think they leave campus often) I'm too shy to say anything beyond "hi".
When I see someone with a Caltech sweater it is personally like seeing a celebrity, but I guess this is because I love science and math and have respect for those who "get it".
:-)</p>
<p>haha you could always like come on campus and say hi... we are pretty friendly</p>
<p>I wore one of the prank MIT shirts to a dentist appointment and the dentist initially thought I went to MIT. This was about a 15 minute walk from campus and I’m not positive she knew what I was talking about when I said Caltech. Sometimes people recognize it, sometimes they don’t.</p>