Academic Requirements for First-Year Applicants
Caltech is hard.
We will challenge you to think in new and innovative ways. And we expect you to prepare for that challenge by taking a strong curriculum in high school. In your first year, you'll start our core curriculum, which builds a foundation for all our majors.
| To prepare for core, students must demonstrate mastery in the following subjects: |
|---|
| Four years of math, including one year of calculus* |
| One year of physics* |
| One year of chemistry* |
| One year of biology (recommended) |
| Four years of English |
| Two years of history and/or social sciences courses (3+ years recommended) |
The following examinations and certificates can substitute for the course requirements for calculus, chemistry, and/or physics:
- A score of 5 on AP exams in AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, or AP Physics C
The AP exam must be taken by application deadline. - A score of 6 or 7 on the IB Mathematics HL; Chemistry SL or HL; or Physics SL or HL examinations.
The IB exam must be taken by application deadline. - A certification from Schoolhouse.world in one of the following courses: AP/College Calculus BC; AP/College Chemistry; High School Physics - NGSS
Proof of certification from Schoolhouse.world is required within one week of the application deadline.
For Fall 2024, these are the only avenues for substituting course requirements in calculus, chemistry, and/or physics at Caltech. There will be no exceptions.
Academic Requirements Frequently Asked Questions
Caltech will accept examination scores or certification showing proof of knowledge in the subject in lieu of a calculus, chemistry, and/or physics course, provided both the student and their counselor must document the underlying unresolvable issue(s).
The following examinations and certificates can substitute for the course requirements or calculus, chemistry, and/or physics:
- A score of 5 on AP exams in AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, or AP Physics C
The AP exam must be taken by application deadline. - A score of 6 or 7 on the IB Mathematics HL; Chemistry SL or HL; or Physics SL or HL examinations.
The IB exam must be taken by application deadline. - A certification from Schoolhouse.world in one of the following courses: AP/College Calculus BC; AP/College Chemistry; High School Physics - NGSS
Proof of certification from Schoolhouse.world is required within one week of the application deadline.
Find out more about how this process works.
Many students take one of these subjects for the first time during their senior year and that's OK. We must be able to review semester or in-progress grades for first-time courses by the application deadline. We will request grades directly from your school, if needed.
Caltech operates from a set of mission-based values, and we recognize that not all applicants have equal access to the calculus, chemistry, and/or physics courses required to apply to the Institute. We are determined to provide alternative opportunities by which prospective students can demonstrate their preparedness.
The completion of the following certifications from Schoolhouse.world, based on coursework provided by Khan Academy, demonstrate the subject area mastery required for the Caltech core curriculum
- Khan Academy courses are available in Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics.
- Schoolhouse.world Certification is available in AP/College Calculus BC, AP/College Chemistry, High school physics - NGSS
More extensive information is available on our Free Resources for Calculus, Chemistry, and/or Physics page.
No, only online certification from Schoolhouse.world in one of the following courses: AP/College Calculus BC; AP/College Chemistry; High School Physics - NGSS will be accepted. For Fall 2024, AP exam scores, IB exam scores, and Schoolhouse.world certification are the only avenues for substituting course requirements in calculus, chemistry, and/or physics at Caltech.
Applicants may submit additional transcripts on the application portal, Beaver Breakroom, if they have taken a calculus, chemistry, and/or physics course from a college or university where they earned a grade.
Unresolvable course conflicts include:
- The required class was not available at a student's high school.
- The student was tracked to take the course, but too few students registered, and the course was canceled.
- The student was not tracked to take calculus by graduation and school policy does not allow the student to take calculus.
- The student attends high school in an educational desert where no college or university exists for a student to take additional coursework.
- The courses were offered at the same time and the student could not complete all of Caltech's requirements in high school.
- The course was not a graduation requirement for high school in the student's district or state, therefore the student did not know they needed it for Caltech and student now does not have time or opportunity to enroll in the class before applying.
Once your application has been submitted, you will be required to submit examination scores or certification via the application portal, Beaver Breakroom. Further instructions will be provided via email within 72 hours.
More extensive information about how this process works is available for both Common App and QuestBridge applicants.
We understand that not all students have access to the same math curriculum and resources. It is okay if students who exhaust their math curriculum before their senior year of high school to not have four years of math. To be eligible for first-year admissions, Caltech expects that all students have taken as much math as possible, including one year of calculus, to be prepared for the core curriculum. Some students who have run the course of their high school curriculum and would like to take more math, for example, consider taking online or local college classes but that is not a requirement. We certainly don't want you to get bored in high school. And don't worry – we will never run out of classes for you at Caltech.