<p>How much can I write for the third essay,which wants me to describe something I feel is interesting?
P.S- What are you people writing for that?</p>
<p>I'm assuming you're talking about the third question, below the two essays where it says "Please fill the rectangle below with something you think is interesting". That doesn't have to be an essay -- you can fill it with anything you want, the more creative and the more it says about you, the better. The only restrictions are those they state in the application packet: "In regard to question 3, we encourage you to use your imagination and be creativebut within the physical confines of the rectangle. Please do not send us disks, CDs, videos, URLs, or any item that cannot lie flat and befiled in an 81/2x 11 file folder."</p>
<p>So,if I put up something,do I have to explain why I found it interesting?</p>
<p>It's completely up to you -- if you think it's self-explanatory, that's fine, or you could decide to include an explanation. That box is there for you to express yourself in -- you can fill it however you want.</p>
<p>I sent a picture of something I thought was interesting. However it needed 2 lines of explanation.</p>
<p>i have to explain my photo. it wont make any sense otherwise</p>
<p>I was boring when I was applying and just wrote something. Having been on the admissions side, I strongly discourage this. Put something there that is <em>actually</em> interesting to a) You b) A caltech student and c) A caltech faculty member (and preferably the admissions staff person who is reading it). Remember to <em>always</em> think about your audience in anything that you do.</p>
<p>Galen</p>
<p>Thanks guys!!!</p>
<p>And, within reason, disobey the instructions about not sending weird things. If you refer to a URL, I and most any student reader will look at it, so if it's great it'll help (but make sure there's something else there too). If you think you can really be amazingly interesting by sending something that doesn't <em>exactly</em> fit in the box -- go ahead. Just make sure that the risks you take reflect positively on you.</p>
<p>Ben, can you describe the application process at Caltech? Thanks a lot.</p>
<p>Just so I don't type out a superlong answer to a simple query, you actually want to know about how the process goes of choosing who gets in? If so, I'll post something tomorrow, since it's late and past my bedtime for now. But let me know if that's what you were asking as opposed to like "You send us an application, we send you a letter" :-P</p>
<p>Yea, that's what I want to know. I already figured out the application-letter exchange.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Put something there that is <em>actually</em> interesting to a) You b) A caltech student and c) A caltech faculty member (and preferably the admissions staff person who is reading it).
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Aw, does it have to interest other people? I'm having a hard time thinking up things that would interest people on the admissions side, but I do have some pop-culture things which I'm really interested in, and other people will scoff or laugh off.</p>
<p>Can I put a picture from the internet (and give credit to the site, of course), or will that count totally against me? or does the picture have to be mine (for example, I have to take a picture from a digi cam and upload it)?</p>
<p>I don't know, but the directions said to fill it with something that you think is interesting... which gives you a lot of options.</p>
<p>hmm yes but not a lot of time lol</p>
<p>I'd be wary of just putting a picture from the internet in. This is your place to be creative and let everyone at admissions know who you are. Before you decide on something, think about what it says about you. If it doesn't tell anything about you, you should choose something else. Think about what you like to do in your free time, hobbies you have, interesting talents you have, or something else about you, and then figure out a way to put it into the square.</p>
<p>Hmm, so should I put pictures of my die-hard but ordinary hobby in there, or put this interesting picture I took of something interesting which reveals something about me?</p>
<p>Choices...sigh.</p>
<p>Don't obsess too much, though. Chances are both would be about equally good (which means either would be good). Also, if your talent lies in writing as opposed to artsy things, feel free to write something for us, just as long as it has a bit more personality/engagement than the typical essay.</p>
<p>would it be good to put some thing humorous(original), but not really related to math and science?</p>