<p>I'm at a Calif. Community College and will have completed all of lower division coursework by end of spring semester with > 3.8 GPA, and want to transfer to CalTech as a junior dual majoring in astronomy and aero/astro engr. I have AAS from Purdue in Elect. Engr. Technology, many years experience as a computer programmer and database administrator, lots of EC, excellent letters of recommendation, am a female non-traditional student (ie. I am beyond my 20's), briefly worked at CalTech as a consultant on the National Virtual Observatories project, and may have a job next semester as a co-op/intern/part-time job at Northrop Grumman Space Technologies (interview in ten days). So, $64K question is: what do you think my chances are of getting in?? Thanks!!!</p>
<p>I really have no idea, sorry :(. I did frosh admissions, not transfers. Double majoring is really hard, so I wouldn't expect to do that if you come here. Also, people from CC's transfer in as Sophomores as opposed to Juniors (almost without exception).</p>
<p>Galen</p>
<p>Just for fun I attended a Caltech tour about 2 months ago or so. I asked the tour guide "how many credits are transferable from Pasadena City College" and she said that she doesnt think they accept any transfer coursework. Although that was not my question (I meant how many classes can be taken for credit at Pasadena City College), she did imply that all coursework would need to be completed at Caltech. Now, I never went to Caltech so I in no way can answer this question. I can only say what I was told during the tour.</p>
<p>If you're a current student at Caltech, you cannot take classes for credit at PCC. There are, however, a specific few colleges nearby at which you can take classes for credit (if anyone wants, I can post a list). What Galen is reffering to is the fact that you can go to a City College and then transfer to Caltech and become a student at Caltech. What the tour guide is referring to is the fact that you can't take classes at PCC for credit once you're a Caltech student, and you can't get credit for PCC classes you took while still in high school. So both of them were right.</p>
<p>Alleya, I am not arguing with you because Im sure you know more about Caltech than I do but the tour guide said the exact opposite of what your last post said. She said that Caltech students CAN take classes at PCC and mentioned two other schools for credit as long as the same courses are not offered at Caltech. Do you currently attend Caltech? Can anyone shed some light on this issue? Why did the tour guide say a complete lie if this is not true?</p>
<p>I don't think the tour guide was trying to lie to you, but she may not have known the real answer. We're just students, and not infallible. (I'm both a student and a tour guide.) You can go to this admission's link for information about taking classes at other schools:
<a href="http://admissions.caltech.edu/academics/off-campus/%5B/url%5D">http://admissions.caltech.edu/academics/off-campus/</a>
Notice PCC is not listed as a place where you can take courses for credit.</p>
<p>Alleya was right,</p>
<p>You can not transfer credits from taking classes at PCC. I must admit though, that the administration people do not make it very clearly and hence, even your tour guide was misled shyboy :)</p>
<p>Thats cool! She was wrong. I guess one cant take classes at PCC. Alleya, perhaps you know her. She was a nice looking athelete well endowed with mamary glands who has already graduated and was going to start work soon. Do you know her?</p>
<p>The only "class" I know of anyone taking at PCC is Pep Band - and I very much doubt that was for credit. Oxy and the Art Center are by far the most common places to take other classes. </p>
<p>People who transfer in after two years at CC's tend to enter as Sophomores, so clearly some of their work is transferable.</p>
<p>Galen</p>
<p>alleya can you post the list the link wouldn't work for me
pretty please and thank you.
-r.</p>
<p>I have to say that I find it odd that Caltech doesn't inform the transfer students of their transferable credit hours prior to the beginning of the school year. Is it true that most transfer students enter as sophomores?
As far as the original post, I think (not an expert by any means) that your success in the entrance exams is the greatest factor in your admission.</p>
<p>I was just reading up on the thread. Would the advice still be of use this same year??</p>
<p>It has not changed based upon what I am aware of.</p>
<p>chewydog, could you tell me more about the student life at Caltech? What’s the point of an institution giving take-home exams while considering themselves as the best in the world, (assuming that this is true)?</p>
<p>econcalc, could you clarify your second question? I’ll answer the first one when I have more time.</p>
<p>Does Caltech give only “take-home” exams?</p>
<p>The exams vary - many are take-home, some in class. The take-home ones are the more challenging… require a LOT of thought and understanding. They are not the sort of exam you can do well on by memorizing material or looking stuff up, but more by using assimilating the material into solutions that are not in textbooks!</p>