<p>As a mom who couldn't make it to prefrosh weekend, I'd love to hear from parents. What are your thoughts about Caltech? Did anyone attend both MIT's CPW and Caltech's prefrosh weekend that might want to offer some thoughts. Thanks.</p>
<p>Part 1.</p>
<p>I don't want to reiterate everything that is available on the website and in the catalogs, so I'll address some general impressions that won't be found in those sources.</p>
<p>People at Caltech are the friendliest we've encountered on any campus. Thats no overstatement. I'm embarrassed to confess I'd expected most students to be reserved. That wasn't the case at all. Students and faculty were outgoing without any artificiality. I truly enjoyed talking with them. The people in the administration were, likewise, very helpful and hospitable. </p>
<p>Another element that doesn't show on the website or in the catalog is the sense of humor that pervades campus. These folks enjoy life. They may work hard, but they don't take themselves overly seriously. During several sessions, presenters made jokes at the expense of the institute. It was refreshing since other colleges so earnestly promote themselves. </p>
<p>Everyone displays a modesty about their accomplishments that only serves to enhance their geniality. On their own initiative, student after student told us failures in labs and research. They all accepted the failures with good cheer because they realized they had learned something, even if the something they learned was merely that they preferred another field over the one in which they had done the research. Usually we had to probe more deeply to learn about the students successes, which are much more numerous than their failures.</p>
<p>Its difficult to describe the intellectual atmosphere. It would be trite for me to write that everyone is smart, because you already know that. However, even when I didnt understand much of what was being said, I enjoyed listening to both lecturers in classrooms and professors/students talking about research. It was somewhat like listening to an opera sung in Italian; you can recognize beautiful music even if you cant understand the words. Furthermore, I felt that, if I asked enough questions, each person would have been willing to patiently keep explaining until I understood. (Unfortunately, that might have taken years!) Incidentally, we werent hearing from just people chosen by admin for their ambassadorial skills. We arrived a day early and talked with many students whom we just happened to encounter.</p>
<p>The campus is safe. This was a very important criterion for me. No matter how much my son may have liked Caltech, Im not about to fork over close to $200,000 if I dont have confidence that he will be safe. You can view the Clery report on-line at <a href="http://security.caltech.edu/annual_security_report.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://security.caltech.edu/annual_security_report.pdf</a>, but the Clery report doesnt show the sense of security I had when walking around campus, even at 11 PM. Furthermore, it doesnt show how well the campus is designed for people on foot. Most roads are on the perimeter of campus. The only vehicles youll encounter on campus are the golf carts driven by maintenance and security. The leisurely pace at which the carts are driven poses no danger to students. Crosswalks are plentiful on off-campus surrounding streets, but seem to work differently than crosswalks here in the Midwest. Where I live, crosswalks are usually placed on each street at an intersection. In Pasadena, some intersections dont have crosswalks at all. At other intersections, crosswalks may exist only on two of the four corners. Off-campus drivers are polite to pedestrians in crosswalks, but become irritated with pedestrians who cross the road in locations other than designated crosswalks, even if the pedestrians are crossing at intersections. Best advice? Walk a block out of your way to cross at crosswalks.</p>
<p>Part 2.</p>
<p>Security personnel seem to regard students more as fond uncles/aunts would than policemen would. That is, they genuinely appreciate the students, tolerating pranks as long as no one will be hurt. However, I had the impression that security would do their utmost to help and protect students in danger. (Aside: You can view securitys one-sentence summation of the March 28th incident on-line. Im guessing whoever wrote it appreciated the humor of the situation.)</p>
<p>SURF is amazing. There is <em>much</em> more to SURF than my son was aware of and its all good. I hesitate to write about SURF at length because Im bound to misstate something. However, if you think would be helpful, Ill summarize the notes I took at the SURF session in another post. You can probably obtain better information about SURF and research by contacting Carol Casey who heads this department. </p>
<p>For an urban campus, Caltech is very pretty, with lots of flowers, landscaping, and water features. My son found several cozy, peaceful, outdoor study nooks. I would have preferred more flowers with a pleasant smell (did someone rob all the roses of scent?), but Ill only be paying the bill, not attending. Also, the hum of air conditioners (at least I assume thats what the constant roar was) was a bit disconcerting for someone coming from a rural area with no artificial ambient noise. My son didnt notice the hum, though.</p>
<p>Shopping and restaurants abound within an easy walk from campus. We didnt have much time to explore either, but noted that they were available.</p>
<p>Downsides? Its probably a matter of perspective, but I wouldnt term Pasadena a leafy suburb as some people wrote to me before we went there. It is an urban area, indistinguishable from LA. The area immediately south of campus was much like campus, green and safe (and very expensive). The area north of campus was seedy, with too much litter and gang graffiti. One evening, four blocks north of campus we spotted a female who appeared to be seeking employment. I saw no litter, graffiti, or unsavory people on campus, though.</p>
<p>Health insurance provided by Caltech is mandatory and way overpriced. Furthermore, facilities at the health center are limited. Students who need more care are referred to a nearby Urgent Care Center which, alas, we had occasion to visit. The wait to see a doctor at the Urgent Care Center was three hours, which is unacceptable. I would much prefer to use our own medical insurance which, I feel, provides better health care. I must admit, though, that the personnel at the health center were as friendly as everyone else we encountered. They were also caring and helpful. I felt my son would be in good hands if he had a minor illness.</p>
<p>Students are not supposed to talk about the character of various houses. We asked several students what one thing they wished they had known about Caltech before coming to campus. Everyone we asked responded said that they wished they had known more about the character of the houses. They thought they didnt get enough information during the rotation period at the beginning of the freshman year to make a good decision about which house suited them best. </p>
<p>Not all buildings are air conditioned. This surprised me. Perhaps current students on this board can comment on whether lecture halls are uncomfortable</p>
<p>The noise from the air conditioners is one of my biggest problems with living in modular housing. I will not miss it when I move back into my House next year. (In other areas of campus the noise is probably building ventilation / fume hoods)</p>
<p>At night, security is available to escort students to and from off-campus housing and different parts of campus, which some of my friends use. They are generally timely, and will pick you up in their truck, which is an added incentive for those wondering if an escort is worth the trouble of a phone call. </p>
<p>I've taken many a nap in lecture halls and I can assure you, they would be perfectly comfortable if the seats fully reclined.<br>
My only problem with the lecture halls is that in a couple of them, the desk part of the chair is too small. Sometimes the lecture halls are a little chilly in the mornings, but nothing too bad.</p>
<p>Thank yous so much! I know I'll feel comfortable which ever Instititute my son decides on..he came home still without a decision. Is it big versus small, snow versus smog, CA versus MA? He's excited about both - ahhh this week will bring the answer.</p>
<p>On March 28 at 5:26am, Security was witness to a grand theft. A group of white males, posing as contractors, stole Institute property from 355 S. Holliston Ave. The suspects were driving a gray and black early model GMC pickup truck with a gray camper shell. </p>
<p>from the security website</p>
<p>To add to what omgninja said, blue emergency boxes are stationed strategically around campus. Also, security was pleasantly present in their golf carts at least up until midnight which was as late as I walked on campus. That is, in a friendly manner they were making sure everyone was safe - and I saw them quite frequently after dark.</p>
<p>Wow Ellen. You're better at this Why Caltech thing than I am. I'm hanging up my hat ;-)</p>
<p>Oh, btw -- the area about four or five blocks north of campus is definitely seedy and I never go there (but fortunately it is zero inconvenience to avoid). To the west of campus, (on Colorado past the intersection with Lake) there is a really packed (and very safe) walking city, Old Pasadena and its environs, with lots of shopping and restaurants and clubs and bookstores and independent moviehouses and playhouses and a big multiplex and what have you. (In fact, this is one of the very few such walking towns in all of LA, so we got lucky.) To the east, you mentioned, we really do have a leafy suburb with houses that cost 3 million dollars.</p>
<p>& Huntington Gardens, art classes, bike/walking trails..</p>
<p>Ben, don't hang up your hat. It's you and all your compatriots at Caltech who are the answer to the "Why Caltech" question. In fact, perhaps the best kept secret is that, while the facilities at Caltech are outstanding, the people are the real reason students should go there.</p>
<p>more security impressions--Even walking back to my host's room alone somewhere around 3 or 4 am felt quite safe (and I'm female and used to living in a very safe area). The group of drunk guys I passed just shouted "books" at me. (I believe this was meant as a clever reference to the ones I was carrying. Perhaps nouns are more amusing after a bit to drink.)</p>
<p>flierdeke- The Pasadena area is very up-scale and rich, so you really don't have much to worry about it. And also, drunk people here are virtually harmless. I know this from having observed dozens first-hand.</p>
<p>However, be very, very careful when you go north of Colorado, especially on Washington. I've driven through the worst parts of Compton, Oakland, and Los Gatos before, and this was arguably worse. The place is seriously scary when I was there at 4:00 pm. I can only imagine what it's like during the night.</p>
<p>I once had to wait 2 or 3 minutes there, alone on the streets right beside liquor and Bail Bonds stores. Scariest few minutes I've endured at Caltech.</p>
<p>Speaking of Security, one time two of my friends found a toilet and were bringing it in a shopping cart through campus at 2 a.m. (which is not late really), and Security asked them if they needed help or needed the posts in the road removed. It shows that people on campus generally trust students to do weird things and be at weird places at weird times and Security will generally try to help people even if they are doing weird things.</p>
<p>... like doing the kind service of moving a cannon? :-P</p>
<p>Better than taking the MIT Security perspective and asking to see "proof of ownership" ey?</p>