Should I consider CalTech?

<p>I am looking to major in Biology and am looking at schools like Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Notre Dame. But recently I got an email from CalTech about them wanting me to run track and cross country for them. So now I am wondering if i should apply there or not. It is obviously a reach school, but would being an athlete help my chances at all? Would it be hard to be a student athlete at a school that is so notorious for its workload? Thanks for the responses.</p>

<p>Athletic recruit def helps. It doesnt guarantee, but it puts u at an advantage, especially since they contacted u. It depends if u are able to balance ur studies and ecs</p>

<p>@pickle - Do not take the coach contact seriously. My S was contacted by a baseball coach and he hadn’t played baseball competitively, ever. S did contact the soccer coach, who was interested in him, but made it clear that you get in to Caltech on your own merits.</p>

<p>Please look into the biology program at Caltech to determine if it would be a good match for you.</p>

<p>The biology program does work with me. I’m afraid it may be too rigorous though. And I have been consistently running throughout my high school career. I’m a captain of my team, which is in the most competitive division. I also looked up times for Caltech runners and I would be fast enough to compete for them. So I think my situation is different from your son not playing baseball for years. Any other feedback?</p>

<p>The CalTech coaches don’t have pull regarding admissions. Either you have the stats to get in or you don’t.</p>

<p>I contacted the golf coach way back when I was applying, and he said he’d be happy to have me on the team if my handicap was good enough, but he didn’t really have any sway on admissions decisions.</p>