Academic Advising
Our 3:1 student-to-faculty ratio means that students create one-on-one connections with faculty.
For many students, the first close relationship with a professor is their first-year advisor. Caltech students build relationships with faculty that often last far beyond four years.
At the start of your first term, you'll be assigned a first-year advisor, who advises a small group of first-year students. You'll not only get to know your advisor, but also your cohort of fellow advisees. You'll meet with your first-year advisor one-on-one, as well as with your cohort. Advisors and advisees discuss anything from the Caltech curriculum to the transition from high school to college, pass-fail grading, and eventually deciding on an option (remember, that's what we call majors here) to declare.
Once you declare your option, you'll choose a faculty member as an option advisor. Faculty option advisors ensure their advisees are aware of resources about their option's curriculum, graduation requirements, and Institute policies and procedures. Advisors often start working with a student during their sophomore year and continue until graduation.
Career Advising
But our advising goes beyond academics. Students looking for career advising can set up appointments with Career Advising and Experiential Learning (CAEL) advisors. CAEL also offers services to undergraduate students and alumni who are interested in pursuing careers in health fields. These include pre-health advising, graduate application advising, and summer preceptor programs.
Read about Admissions Ambassador Jen Yu's journey to pursue a pre-med track at Caltech.
I matriculated to Caltech as a Computer Science major, and fully expected myself to be working in the tech industry when I graduated. However... I rediscovered my passion for biology, specifically neuroscience, and decided at the end of my sophomore year to embark on the pre-med track.
Accessibility
Caltech is committed to maintaining a diverse academic community and welcoming individuals with a broad spectrum of talents and experiences to its campus and programs. Students with disabilities, actively participating in all aspects of the Caltech experience, are an essential part of that diversity.
Caltech Accessibility Services for Students will make every reasonable effort to provide academic adjustments and other accommodations to otherwise qualified students with known disabilities. Our goal is to ensure that our students receive equal access to all Institute programs and services.
