<p>The atmosphere at caltech sounds amazing, but it would be a tremendous reach for me. What are some other schools that someone who is interested in caltech should apply to?</p>
<p>There is NO place like Caltech, though there are other schools that have a subset of its characteristics. First, we need to know what about Caltech you want to find. If it is the small size and cooperative, collegial atmosphere with stong analytical minds, I would recommend Harvey Mudd. For the southern California weather and laid-back lifestyle, I’d recommend UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, or any of the Claremont colleges (of which Harvey Mudd is one). For a good tech school with strong engineering, check into Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Carnegie Mellon, or Rochester Polytech. For living in our house system all four years, close collaborations, and for studying amongst the best of the best, none come close to Caltech!</p>
<p>Ye, I think Harvey Mudd would definitely be a second Caltech tho to a smaller extend.</p>
<p>Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering. The school sounds amazing and quite similar to caltech.</p>
<p>Olin and Mudd are both similar to Caltech in that they are small and full of really smart kids, but both are very difficult to get into so would not suit the OP’s request for schools that aren’t so reachy. They are also both more focused on teaching and undergrads than Caltech, which is a research institution, and do not necessarily draw the same students, even though they draw students who are just as capable/prepared. Typically, MIT, Mudd, Olin, and Caltech all have the top 25% of Math SAT I scores all being 800.</p>
<p>A school that’s easier to get into is Case Western. It is similar in that it is a research institution with a math and science focus, and not huge like a State U, and has typically better-prepared students than a State U (but less-prepared students than Caltech, Mudd, MIT, and Olin). I think Northeastern may also be similar, but I’m not sure.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Check out Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, as well.</p>
<p>Having now had daughters in both Caltech and UChicago I would say the house system is very similar and the overall intensity of academics is also. people who apply to caltech frequently look at reed, uchicago, harvey mudd, carnegie mellon, mit.</p>
<p>'Having now had daughters in both Caltech and UChicago I would say the house system is very similar and the overall intensity of academics is also. people who apply to caltech frequently look at reed, uchicago, harvey mudd, carnegie mellon, mit. ’ great post rockymtnhigh…but what would you consider for kids you may need backup schools to these applications? did your daughters look to any 'safety’schools? These schools all seem super reachy for OP…</p>
<p>If engineering is the goal and the OP considers Cal Tech and Harvey Mudd, etc. to be reach schools, then Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and even easier to get into, Cal Poly Pomona are outstanding alternatives. Both of those schools will provide excellent job prospects after graduation. Believe me, I’ve done an extensive amount of research. Cost wise they will be less than half of the other schools mentioned unless you are out of the state of California. Other non-reach schools that have a great reputation that could give the OP what they are looking for is the Colorado School of Mines, Rose-Hulman (rated above Harvey Mudd for engineering and nowhere near the requirements), and possibly UCSB and UCI.</p>
<p>MIT, UC Berkeley, Stanford</p>
<p>^^^ if CalTech is a tremendous reach, MIT, UC Berkeley, Stanford are also going to be a tremendous reach. OP is looking for good but a little less competitive school. CalPoly SLO is a very good choice if you are instate CA as pointed out by OsakaDad</p>
<p>Berkeley is a lot easier to accepted to that the other 3, even for an ooser.</p>
<p>Would rather choose Berkeley over Caltech anyday.</p>
<p>Well then you just do that, and save a spot at Caltech for me!!! I declined to apply for a Regents and Chancellors at Berkeley, because I really don’t want to go there - I’d MUCH rather go to Caltech!!</p>
<p>No worries. Yield % to caltech is very very low anyway…if you get into waitlist, you’re virtually in. Besides, I would rather go to other engineering schools or ivy schools over caltech anyday.</p>
<p>JYJ123…you just do that. It is good if you do because you might find Caltech too challenging…May be Cornell is a good fit for you?</p>
<p>Yeah, I would even prefer to attend Cornell over Caltech. For UG at least, I would want to go to a academically strong school with a social life at least. I don’t wanna be surrounded by nerds ALL the time. Basically, I am willing to go to MIT, Berkeley, Stanford, Cornell, Princeton, or even Columbia. I pretty much summarized why Caltech’s yield % is so low. As I said, if you get into waitlist, you’r in.</p>
<p>to T.A.D and rothprime: look at JYJ123’s post history, then [look</a> at this picture.](<a href=“http://cdn1.iofferphoto.com/img/item/172/742/097/HAhp.jpg]look”>http://cdn1.iofferphoto.com/img/item/172/742/097/HAhp.jpg)</p>
![http://cdn1.iofferphoto.com/img/item/172/742/097/HAhp.jpg]look](http://cdn1.iofferphoto.com/img/item/172/742/097/HAhp.jpg%5Dlook){kind=link}
<p>to anybody looking for real information on waitlisting, here’s real data–format is “year: # offered spot on waitlist, # taking spot on waitlist, # accepted from waitlist”</p>
<p>2010: 529, 337, 7
2009: 623, 399, 0
2008: 556, 339, 12
2007: 315, 164, 30</p>
<p>[source: [annual</a> cds from caltech](<a href=“http://finance.caltech.edu/budget.htm]annual”>http://finance.caltech.edu/budget.htm)]</p>
<p>^Hahahahahahaha</p>
<p>Yeah, JYJ123 is just trying to keep the yield down so he stands a better chance. Why else sound so bitter on a blog of a college he alleges he’s not interested in? I figure that I’ll get in or not on my own merits…</p>