<p>If you got into both of these universities, congratulations! I was deferred from MIT and didn't apply to Caltech, but definitely will RA. For those who got into both, or anyone who wants to weigh in, which are you choosing and why?</p>
<p>There have been lots of threads on this in the past that can found by search. This current thread in the Caltech forum is also good <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/california-institute-technology/1432178-caltech-mit-ea-double-admits-how-you-choosing.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/california-institute-technology/1432178-caltech-mit-ea-double-admits-how-you-choosing.html</a>.</p>
<p>Also posted in the Caltech thread:
I was accepted to both, and I prefer MIT due to its larger size (leading, ostensibly, to a more vibrant and diverse campus atmosphere, as well as greater resources and more numerous available opportunities) and its superior offerings in the social sciences. One who prefers a more “intimate” environment or is completely uninterested in HASS may understandably prefer Caltech. Also, though Caltech does offer plentiful research opportunities to its undergraduates, my impression is that MIT’s UROP program offers a much more flexible, organized, and wide-reaching framework under which to pursue research. I’m pushed towards MIT by the slightly off-putting gender imbalance at Caltech as well.</p>
<p>You’ve probably heard this ad nauseum, but visit both schools and decide which one is the best fit for you. That being said, Caltech is in Pasadena, basically a California suburb. Downtown Pasadena is OK, but it can’t possibly offfer the experience of going to school in Cambridge/Boston. So if you want to get a richer college experience, MIT is the better choice. If on the other hand you’re only interested in the academics, then you can go to either one as there really isn’t much difference between them.</p>
<p>Visiting both colleges is probably a good idea but I wouldn’t weigh any information gained from visiting too heavily because both places are very different during admitted students weekends than during the normal school year and your experience is likely to be skewed by the relatively small number of people you interact with.</p>