Hi, I got accepted into Cal Poly Pomona’s engineering department as a mechanical engineering major and will be attending next year as a freshman. The schools that I want to go to for grad school are very top tier, and my dream would be to attend Caltech and enroll in their Grad Program for Aerospace engineering. Caltech is probably the most selective out of all graduate aerospace programs in the country, so I need to stand out as best I can.
My question is besides having a great GPA, getting good internships, and excelling at engineering clubs in the school, what mechanical/aerospace engineering research could I partake in at CPP, and if CPP does not have any good projects to take part in is there anyway that I can conduct mechanical/aerospace research outside of my school (at a different institution)? I want to get good research experience under my belt with a portfolio and a thesis that I can put on my application.
From what I have heard about Caltech from my professors, the people who go there for grad school already had the merits to get into a top-tier school for undergrad. They just didn’t go to a top-tier undergrad for very unusual circumstances that aren’t related to academics.
I remember reading on this forum that somebody had a friend who went to Caltech after attending CSUF. They said that their friend did research at Caltech and impressed the faculty enough to get in. I’m very skeptical of the story’s authenticity, but that’s probably your best bet for getting in from a lower-tiered school: get the faculty to know you and want you.
It’s possible to do research at a university you don’t attend. Get in (direct) contact with the researchers there, demonstrate your motivation, and see what they can do for you. Look into internships like JPL’s which are a vector to people associated with Caltech. And you don’t need a great GPA from CPP – you may need a flawless one which also includes your work in high school.
That being said, CPP is a great school. Don’t be discouraged if you do your best yet the most selective universities in the world are unforgiving of a B+ from high school… just a joke but you know what I mean :).
Wait, grad schools can look at your HIGH SCHOOL WORK?!? That’s crazy! Why would they care what I did 4 years ago? That’s like asking for my middle school art project!
They wont look at your high school grades. He completely made that up. Grad schools look at your college transcript, and only really care about the last 2 years of your undergrad. What they really care about is that you make a 3.50+ gpa for undergrad, with extra emphasis on major-specific classes.
The importance grad schools place on your application is:
research internship quality/letter of recommendation from top professors
research internship quantity/networking you have done with that specific school’s faculty and professors
research papers published by you or a group you worked with. the higher quality the publication the better.
Last 2 years of undergrad gpa
GRE scores
Entire undergrad general performance
In short, if you want to maximize your chances of getting into Caltech for grad school, try to get an internship at JPL, network as hard as possible to try to meet and get access to Caltech faculty or researchers with connections to faculty. Get as many QUALITY letters of recommendation as possible with as many important researchers as possible. Do the same for your professors at CPP. Get at least a 3.5 gpa, but attempt to go for a perfect gpa, always.
Ace your GRE’s when it comes time for that. Try to tailor your application to the research of the specific department and advisor you want to work under.
The most important thing is to get the highest quality research internship you can get, and to try to in some way meet and network with Caltech faculty and researchers, and leave a good impression so they will remember you and want to work with you over other applicants they haven’t met. Focus on those things, and perform as well as you can academically and you will have a shot.
But understand that even the most qualified, virtually perfect candidates consistently dont get in, because there are so few openings that it literally becomes a coin flip at a certain point. Your best bet is to expand your pool of dream schools to include many other top tier schools as well.
Hey, do you know if they consider your alternate major? I got wait listed on my intended major but can I call them to consider for my alternate major instead?
“An alternate major may be indicated on the application. The applications of persons denied admission to an impacted and/or closed campus may be re-routed to another campus at no cost, but only if the applicant is CSU eligible.”