More to know about Caltech

Q1: How small are the classes at Caltech?

The largest classes students will take in your time at Caltech are the core curriculum classes, which generally include much of the incoming class. Caltech's incoming class size is approximately 245 students. The rest of a student's time at Caltech, their class size will generally range from larger class sizes of 30 - 50 to classes with as few as 4 - 6 students! This makes for a unique experience, where students get a real chance to connect with professors and peers!

Q2: What is the social scene like at Caltech?

Although Caltech is an academically focused school (no surprise there!), they feature a rich, diverse culture and vibrant student community. A lot of our campus culture is rooted in the "house" system - akin to greek life! Houses are coed and range from 60- 80 people per house. Incoming students get a chance to "rotate" through all eight houses and experience the wide variety of house cultures and personalities to find what community suits them best. Many of the activities and events students will participate in (campus-based and otherwise) will be with members of their house. Houses host things like interhouse parties, organize annual beach trips & ski trips, and plan many other events throughout the term. Students may have full memberships within a house, but also may choose to apply for their social memberships at another! The house system is completely optional, and there is an opportunity to decline affiliation at all during a student's time at Caltech.

Q3: What are some fun things to do around Pasadena/Caltech? How close is it to LA?

Pasadena is one of the 88 distinct surrounding cities that make up LA County. Lake Avenue and Old Pasadena are popular shopping/dining locations frequented by students, and within walking distance from campus. Pasadena also offers close access to Mount Wilson and the San Gabriel Mountains for hiking, camping, and mountain trail activities such as Eaton Canyon trail and waterfall. Although Pasadena features a generally suburban feel, it is only about a half hour drive from DTLA (can be 40+ minutes with traffic), and 40 minutes from Santa Monia, West Hollywood, and the coast in general. A few other neighboring cities that offer close (20-minutes drive) options for shopping and other fun experiences are Glendale, Arcadia, Burbank, etc. Pasadena is also located within driving distance from popular ski resort locations like Big Bear and Mammoth Mountain.

Q4: What are my transportation options like on campus? Can I bring my car?

Yes, you can bring your car to campus. Caltech offers long-term parking passes and access to garages for students as well as short-term passes for visitors. They also provide students with a free metro card that is viable for all LA County public transportation. Finally, Caltech offers options like Zipcar on campus, for easy access to car rentals, etc.

Q5: How much do Caltech students work per week?

Although academically challenging, the workload definitely depends on the student's major, what year the student is in, and how they have organized their schedule. Caltech operates on a unit system (rather than credits) and students work with their advisor to ensure that all unit and class requirements are met for their desired majors/minors. As such students can make their schedule more front-loaded/backloaded or choose to spread out the workload more over time, resulting in heavier and lighter workload for specific terms.

Q6: Can I double major at Caltech? What about triple major?

Yes, you can double major at Caltech. Certain majors have more or less overlapping classes and therefore are easier or harder to combine for a double major program. Students may work with their advisors to curate the best schedule for completing these degree requirements. Triple majoring at Caltech however is not common and not advised. This is because the unit requirements for Caltech majors is comparatively high and it is generally not feasible to complete all requirements for three degrees before graduation.

Q7: What is Caltech's most popular major?

In recent years, Caltech has seen a majority of CS students, although fields like physics and mechanical engineering are close behind.

Q8: How easy is it to get research at Caltech?

Because of the 3:1 student faculty ratio, students at Caltech generally report an influx of research opportunities available through faculty members/labs, both during the school year and during the summer. Caltech's most famous summer program is SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship), although many students do research with a group or lab during the term as well, usually for academic units/credit. 97% of Caltech students do research.

Q9: Are the dorms nice?

With the house system, Caltech has a wide range of dorms. While doubles are the most common, there are opportunities to live in single rooms or triples.

Q10: What areas of astrophysics research is Caltech known for?

Research areas in Caltech's Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy division include experimental elementary particle physics, theoretical elementary particle physics, nuclear physics, observational astrophysics, theoretical astrophysics, cosmology, gravitational wave astronomy, condensed-matter physics, and quantum optics and information.

Q11: What are Caltech's eight houses?

Caltech's unique house system is made up of 8 residences/communities: Fleming, Blacker, Dabney, Ricketts, Page, Lloyd, Venerable, and Avery.

Q12: How is Caltech connected to JPL?

Caltech founded and manages NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Scientists and engineers on the Caltech campus and at JPL lead missions in planetary exploration, Earth science, and space-based astronomy.