California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is the Toughest University for Admission? Here See Why

California Institute of Technology is located in Pasadena, California, United States of America. It is a private doctorate-granting university. It was founded in 1891 by Amos G. Throop who was a local businessman and a politician. CALTECH has always been one of world’s most prominent educational institute since early 20th century.

 It is ranked currently ranked 4^th best higher educational institute of its country and the world. All 4 top universities of world are located in United States. Also referred to as CALTECH, California Institute of Technology is ranked most top university of United States of America in Times Higher Education university ranking of 2017. It is also the second best university of the world in the same ranking.

So, it is not a surprise if it is most difficult university of USA to get admission. At present there are only 2,181 students enrolled in Caltech of which 27% are foreigners. It has an Acceptance Rate of just 9% but because of short intakes, it is the most difficult university in USA to get admission. Other top universities like MIT and Harvard teaches over 20 thousand students but unlike CALTECH has limited the number of understudies and chiefly focuses on graduating qualified professionals.

It has a huge  campus of 18 kilometers. All First Year students have to live in on-campus House System at Caltech. Even after their first year, more than 95 percent students still live inside the university. Several faculty members are associated with the NASA and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

CALTECH Alumni Achievements

According to Wikipedia, there are 22,930 total living CALTECH alumni spread all around the world and making developments in their fields. Over the history, many CALTECH graduates has made extraordinary achievements. Following is the list of some of the most notable achievements and alumni of CALTECH.

Twenty Alumni and Fourteen Non-Alumni faculty have won the Nobel Prize.

Six CALTECH Alumni has won “Turing Award”.

Some of the world’s biggest corporates, organizations and companies like Intel, Hotmail, Compaq, MathWorks, Varitronix, TRW and Exploratorium; are all founded or co-founded by CALTECH alumni.

Famous Nobel Laureates like Carl David Anderson, Douglas D. Osheroff, William Shockley, Edwin McMillan, Vernon Smith, Qian Xuesen, and Frank Capra all studied at this institute.

Academic Divisions in CALTECH

Whole CALTECH institute is divided in a total of 6 divisions, each focusing on its relevant fields. Each division has its administration and faculty. Following is list that shows how these divisions are divided in academics.

1.     Biology & Biological Engineering

2.     Chemistry & Chemical Engineering

3.     Engineering & Applied Science

4.     Geological & Planetary Sciences

5.     Humanities & Social Sciences

6.     Physics, Mathematics & Astronomy

Cost of Studying at CALTECH

Cost of studying at CALTECH is almost as much as any other university in United States. Studying at one of top universities can be quite difficult because of the cost, however, it pays off with the quality of education they provide. For students who can’t afford this cost but are eligible can get Financial Aid from the university. Following table shows and approximated annual cost of studying and living in CALTECH.

Financial Aid at CALTECH

A great number of grants are provided to the students of CALTECH by the institute. Purpose of these grants is to aid them financially if they are having difficulties in covering their educational expenses. Good thing about grants is that you don’t have to earn or repay it. If you need it they will just pay you accordingly. Every more than 52 percent students receive Need Based grants at CALTECH.

There is no Merit-Aid programs and all scholarships and grants at Caltech are need-based. Average Need-Based financial aid package of CALTECH comprises over $38,980 for each student. Once you fill out an application for financial aid, you will automatically be considered for grants and scholarships from not only CALTECH but the federal government too.

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Admission Dates in CALTECH

ALL testing must be completed prior to the application deadline. Exams taken after the deadlines will NOT be considered. SAT/ACT registration and test dates are subject to change and vary by country. You are also required to have TOEFL certificate with considerable score if you are from a Non-English country.

Application Deadlines:

·         Early Action Deadline: November 1

·         Early Action Decision Notifications: Mid-December

·         Regular Decision Deadline: January 3

·         Regular Decision Notifications: Mid-March

There are three ways to apply at CALTECH. You can choose any of them as there is no preference.

1.     Common Application

2.     Coalition Application

3.      QuestBridge College Match Program (Caltech is also a QuestBridge Partner)

Click the link to read complete Application Requirement of CALTECH. Here is link to official website of California Institute of Technology.

CALTECH Campus Tour Video

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Usama Ahmed Awan The Editor of StudyAbroad.pk, Usama is a BZU studied Software Engineer, now  a Teacher, Article Writer, Educational Counselor and Journalist. He has been  writing to assist students selecting the right career path.