Caltech is not everyone, and getting in is not easy. By campus tradition, the target size of the freshman class is always 215-the number of seats in the physics lecture hall. Compare that to the fact that 2,760 applications were received and the 551 letters of admission that were sent in 2005; do the math and you'll see that it is a highly selective process. Although there are no strict requirements for test scores, the academic achievements of the freshman class are always very high. The middle SAT I scores range from 700-770 Verbal and 780-800 Math; eighty-eight percent graduated in the top tenth of their high school class.
As a Caltech alum, I often speak to high school students about admission to Caltech, and they always ask, "How can I be sure that I will get in"? My answer, of course, is that there is no sure way, but there are definitely things that you can do to increase your chances. Take the most challenging courses offered at your high school. Look for ways that you can express your love of science outside of school. Ask for recommendation from teachers who really know you and what makes you tick, and who are willing to write about you in depth. And finally, spend time on your application essays! Your essays speak for you to the admissions committee, and they want to hear you have to say, not what you think they want to hear.
Although those numbers look daunting, there is no blueprint for getting in to Caltech. The admissions process at Caltech is not formulaic. The Undergraduate Admissions Office has only six admissions officers, but they get help from faculty and students in reading applications. The Freshman Admissions Committee includes sixteen faculty and sixteen undergraduate students. Each member of the Admissions Committee brings his or her own personal experiences of Caltech, and they work together to find and admit those students who fit best with Caltech. There are a few qualities that Caltech always looks for in its applicants: a strong interest in mathematics, science, or engineering, high academic ability, and demonstrated initiative in their approach to learning.
Caltech admission has a knack for evaluating applicants for the intangible quality of being a good scientist, and in such cases can overlook blemishes in grades or test scores.
The goal of the Admissions Committee is to admit students who will become the "creative type of scientist" that Caltech seeks to produce. Members of the committee find these students by carefully reviewing the more subjective parts of the application-essays, choice of high school curriculum, extracurricular activities, and teacher evaluations. Caltech also encourages prospective students to attach a research paper to their application, which is one of the best ways to evaluate how well an applicant will do in a research-oriented environment. Caltech loves to find students who take an active role in their won education, and who pursue opportunities to learn both in and out of the classroom.
The key to admission to Caltech is passion. An applicant must demonstrate a passion for learning, for life, and for science through activities outside the classroom. We focus more on how you spend your free time than on your test scores and class rank, because being successful at Caltech takes more than brains and more than diligence; it takes a lot for what you are doing.