<p>Well, it being May 1st now, this may be too late. But I'll send it none the less. </p>
<p>The "entrepreneurial spirit" thing - this is changing. We have a fairly new professor here - Ken Pikar - who teaches classes that are largely related to this. He teaches a series of classes that are like, E102-106 or so (though I don't think any are pre-reqs for others), and is himself an Angel investor, and part of the Pasadena and Tech Coast Angels, which are both groups of investors. There are also other groups on campus (The Atheneum Fund, etc.) that are VC/Angel groups, and there are a number of links to other Venture Capital groups. Then there are BEM classes, a couple of which (BEM 106, for example) will help you with getting on the right track. I should know - I'm working with the guy that heads up BEM, and an alum in an attempt to start up a chain of tattooing and piercing studios, and will later today be out interviewing people so we can finish putting together the business plan. That said, it is true that I think that I'm the only person in the graduating class who is trying to found a company. </p>
<p>The lack of alums is something that I don't think is really much of a problem. While we don't have an alumni network like McKinsey or Harvard Business School, the fact that there are fewer alums has both advantages and disadvantages. It means that while there are fewer people that you can call to call in a favor, when someone wants to hire a Caltech grad (which is not uncommon, I know a few friends who are going to be working for companies because of the "Caltech connection" - and I have a note here from an alum I know saying that she'd like to hire a Caltech grad for a finance job which I'll be sending out to the house list later on today), then there are fewer of you to compete for it. And it's amazing how far saying "I'm from Caltech" goes to someone who is in the know. While it is true that fewer people know what Caltech is than any other elite school, I would guess that to those who know, it goes further. Again, in part because there are fewer of us.</p>
<p>Little Free Time: Completely true. If free time is a big deal to you, Caltech probably isn't the place for you. You work hard, and you work long. Especially in your first two year, while you're going through core. I think it's safe to say that you work longer hours here than anywhere else. That said, it does teach you how to work, and you do cherish your free time more than you would somewhere else. </p>
<p>Some Houses Are Weird: Well, I'm a member of Ricketts House (and have lived on campus all four years) and loved it. That said, you can guarantee than you won't live in three houses by not ranking them during rotation. So if us Scurves (members of Ricketts) scared you and you want to guarantee that you don't live here, then you don't have to worry about it. I think most people would end up doing fine in more houses than they think that they would, as people are still fairly plastic when they first get here. So I wouldn't stress too much about that... I would guess that 80-90% of people like the house system by the middle of freshman year. </p>
<p>I can't really honestly comment on the strikes against Cornell, but I think that it is a pretty different experience than Caltech. It is an order of magnitude bigger, which will make for a fundamentally different experience. You won't know your professors as well, but you won't be forced to work as hard. You may or may not find research. You'll have much more of your teaching done by graduate students. You will meet a more diverse group of students - not just scientists or engineers. You'll live in somewhere that is freezing cold. </p>
<p>To be honest though, I guess I'm surprised that you're having trouble deciding. I think that for most people who are science/engineering focused (and, believe me, you'll have much more credibility talking to VCs to get funding if you really understand that science behind what you're developing) coming to Caltech would be the very clear choice. And, while I go here and like it quite a bit, I try and be honest about the schools' strengths and weaknesses. </p>
<p>Galen</p>