Teacher Evaluations
The application deadline for fall 2023 has passed. Below, find information for fall 2023 applicants. Thanks for your patience as we update the requirements for fall 2024 applicants this summer.
Teacher Evaluations
Caltech requires letters of evaluation from two secondary school teachers:
- one from a math or science teacher;
- one from a humanities or social science teacher.
We recommend requesting letters from grade 10, 11, or 12 teachers who know you well and can speak knowledgeably about your skills and performance in their classroom. We would like your humanities or social science teacher to comment on your writing skills, so be sure to ask a teacher from a class with a significant writing component.
Here are examples of classes that meet our requirements for teacher evaluations:
Additional Letters of Evaluation
You may submit up to one additional letter of evaluation if there is another person (mentor, coach, or supervisor) who can provide additional insights about you and your skills—beyond what the two required letters offer. This supplementary letter can also be from a teacher or professor in an academic area you are interested in studying at Caltech, as long as there is no overlap with your other two letters of recommendation. You may submit this letter through the Common Application or Coalition Application, Powered by Scoir. Your recommender may also email the letter directly to our office at [email protected]. Emailed letters must include your full name and date of birth.
Letter of Evaluation from Site of Research
If you are submitting a research paper, we require an additional recommendation from someone who can comment on the research experience that produced the paper. This letter can come from a supervisor, a mentor, an adult collaborator, or an administrator. Research papers and posters may be uploaded to your Caltech application portal (Beaver Breakroom) after submission of your application.
After the application deadline, you will receive a link to the Beaver Breakroom, which will include instructions on submitting research projects. If you are submitting research, you are required to fill out a form with a description of your research and the email address of your recommender. Our office will then email your research recommender a link to upload their evaluation.