Caltech = Disney World
by - Written: May 09 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Best academics in the country(for Math, Science, Engineering)
Cons: Extremely Focused, Poor social life
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| ianswett's Full Review: California Institute of Technology |
I love Caltech. I hate to leave. It's a wonderful and magical place, kind of like Disney World with a bad male:female ratio and too much work. However, if you don't like a little bit of pain, don't come here. Caltech is not about social activities, though they do exist. In general, the Caltech social scene is sad. Mostly consisting of small groups of people talking, going out to eat, out to movies, etc. To add to that, many people had poor social lives in high school, so the student body tends to have lots of introverts and poorly adjusted students. However, almost everyone improves in that regard over time. The work can be overwhelming and frustrating. All of this culminates into an entirely atypical college experience. Relatively, there is little drinking, little dating, and fewer parties than a normal campus. However, despite all this, I feel very at home at Caltech, and that's why I like it so much. There is a real sense of community here. The academics are torturous at times, but that helps students bond together, especially since almost all classes allow(and encourage) collaboration.
Why is Caltech like Disney world? Because nothing here is real. There is an ability for caltech students to avoid reality like a plague, since the campus is very isolated from the rest of LA. Every few years there's a token protest, but its usually as much a joke as serious. The male:female ratio is bad, but you probably shouldn't be devoting too much time to dating anyway. Also, it has been improving.
If you're asking yourself, do I want to go to Caltech? Here are some starting questions to think about?
1) Do you like hanging out/talking to the smartest person in your calculus/physics class?
2) Are you the smartest person in your calc/phys class?
3) Is there any chance you will ever WANT to take classes in the humanities(other than economics)?
4) Are you able to do excessive amounts of work, when called for?
If you answered yes to the first 2, no to the second 2, then you're probably a good candidate. Otherwise, examine closely whether the tireless pursuit of math and science coexists nicely with whatever you have planned for the rest of your life. Given its average SAT scores(highest in the country), Caltech has one of the highest dropout/transfer rates of any school, which indicates its difficulty and the tendency for it to be the wrong place for some people.
If you think you're up to it, I guarantee its an experience you could never forget.
Recommended:
Yes
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