Will Caltech pay for my flight for prefrosh weekend?

Colleges and Universities A-Z California Institute of Technology
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<p>So basically what the title says. I really can't afford to go otherwise, especially since Caltech isn't absolutely my first choice school. However, I'd still love to see it and I might possibly go there if I manage to visit it.</p>

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<p>Well you can ask the financial aid office if they will do it, but probably the answer is “No”. Some in this forum have mentioned they got some assistance but I would imagine there are special circumstances there, possibly financial. If you have genuine financial need and that shows up on your FFSA or profile, then possibly the FA or admissions office could help you. </p>

<p>If you cannot attend and want information, you should ask questions: talk to the counselors in the admissions office, find out alumni or current students who can talk to on the phone, call up faculty, post on CC etc. In other words, you can get a lot of information without visiting, though there is no substitute for visiting. So if you cannot get a flight ticket, ask questions and then decide if you are going to like it. If you think you will like it, try to your best to make it work. </p>

<p>If you think Caltech is not what you are really looking for then you should concentrate on your other choices and forget about the visit. Caltech is different and makes no bones about that.</p>

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<p>They used to fly in the female admits free. Although I don’t know if:

  1. That is not just a campus legend
  2. If not whether they still do that
  3. If the OP if female.</p>
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<p>No, they did fly in females free as a recruiting strategy, but that ended four years ago.</p>

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<p>For future classes, Caltech flies in minorities and some “special people”, but that is it. This is regardless of financial situations.</p>

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<p>aximoatic,</p>

<p>can you elaborate on minorities? Who are counted as minorities at caltech?</p>

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<p>My non-minority S was flown in, but as a result of being a Questbridge finalist (and because we asked financial aid).</p>

<p>It is definitely important to visit Caltech if you are truly considering it.</p>

1 Like
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<p>TJParent, you’re asking a question of a person that last replied to this thread three years ago. </p>

<p>Minorities almost certainly refers to traditionally under-represented groups in US colleges; broadly, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Native Americans.</p>

<p>Even in those cases, I’m not aware of a blanket policy of who gets free flights and who doesn’t–it’s not common and I’m sure is done on a case-by-case basis in the admissions office.</p>

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<p>OP,</p>

<p>Ask them!! If you qualify for a lot of need-based aid, I would bet Caltech has the $$ to fly you in. Their aid is incredibly generous so it definitely is worth your while to ask.</p>

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<p>They probably have a fly-in budget. Whether they use it for you depends on your need and how much they “need” you to be at that pre-frosh event. >.></p>

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<p>I suspect that if you qualify for a free flight, they will contact you with the offer and follow up with reminders. It cannot hurt to ask, but ask yourself if you gave up cable for a few months if you could pay for the ticket. People who are flown in might not have ever had cable or might be people who are highly qualified and highly underrepresented. Caltech admissions is race blind, but they are aware of life circumstances. Whether they fly in world class math superstars who are well off, I have no idea, but if the superstars are poor they probably do.</p>