Is it really hard to get into Caltech?

The acceptance rate at Caltech is 2.7%. For every 100 applicants, only 3 are admitted. This means the school is extremely selective. Meeting their GPA requirements and SAT/ACT requirements is very important to getting past their first round of filters and proving your academic preparation.

Why is it so hard to get into Caltech?

With an acceptance rate of 3.1%, Caltech is an extremely selective school. You'll need high SAT/ACT scores, a strong application with an outstanding essay, and stellar letters of recommendation to get in. The school's prestige plays a part in this. According to U.S. News World and Report, Caltech is ranked as the No.

What GPA do I need to get into Caltech?

What is the minimum GPA? Caltech does not have a minimum GPA requirement. However, most successful applicants have a US GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and/or are in the top 5 to 10% of their class.

Is Caltech harder to get into than MIT?

At a glance, Caltech and MIT are quite similar. They both have a mere 4% acceptance rate, although admitted freshmen at Caltech have higher test scores and grades, albeit by a very slim margin.

Is Caltech the hardest school to get into?

The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) easily earns its spot in the top 3 hardest colleges to get into with an acceptance rate of 3.92%. Caltech hasn't released admissions statistics for the class of 2026. But more than 13,000 students applied for admission to the Class of 2025, and only 510 were accepted.

how I got into the *hardest* school to get into - Caltech [stats, essays, other fun stuff]

Why is Caltech so prestigious?

Due to its history of technological innovation, Caltech has been considered to be one of the world's most prestigious universities.

What is the #1 hardest school to get into?

Niche, a ranking and review site, recently published its list of the “2023 Hardest Colleges to Get Into.” Using data from the U.S. Department of Education on various colleges' acceptance rates and SAT/ACT scores, they found, unsurprisingly, Harvard University to be the most difficult college to get into.

Why I chose Caltech over MIT?

If you'd prefer a bigger, more diverse environment, then MIT might be a better fit for you, as it's got more students and extracurriculars. If you'd rather have a more intimate setting where you can get to know most, or possibly all, of your peers, Caltech would probably be the ideal choice.

Is Caltech for geniuses?

Yes, some of our applicants are extraordinary students who have already done extraordinary things. But the vast majority of students admitted to Caltech are exceptional STEM students who are at the beginning of their journey to accomplish the extraordinary.

Can an average student get into Caltech?

According to U.S. News, Caltech is considered a highly competitive school with an acceptance rate of 7%. Just over 8,000 students applied for the Caltech Class of 2024. Of those applicants, the Caltech total enrollment was only 244 students. The Caltech average GPA ranges from 3.9 – 4.19.

What kind of student goes to Caltech?

A love of math

Lots of it. It's the foundation for every course at Caltech. Higher-level mathematics demands abstract thinking and problem solving, skills we hold dear. And we want students excited to go into the weeds as they master the subject.

Is Caltech an Ivy League level?

Among them are Stanford, M.I.T., and Caltech — schools that are not technically Ivy League schools, but tend to enjoy a similar reputation and social status. In fact, due to their prestige of MIT, Stanford are often mistaken as Ivy League, even though they are not.

What does Caltech look for?

Caltech is looking for students with incredible potential in STEM. Potential. There is no prescribed way of getting into Caltech. You don't have to have scientific research or get a Nobel at 12; read more about what you should do to prepare for Caltech.

What is the hardest major at Caltech?

Chemical engineering has the most requirements so it requires a lot of work. Electrical engineering also tends to be regarded as one of the harder majors but I think this is because of a handful of especially unforgiving and time-consuming classes. Physics and math can be conceptually very hard.

Am I smart enough for Caltech?

The average GPA at Caltech is 4.19. (Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA. This school did not officially report its average GPA, but we've estimated it here using data from over 1,000 schools.) With a GPA of 4.19, Caltech requires you to be at the top of your class.

Why does Caltech accept so few people?

First off, since Caltech is so small, it doesn't need to accept that many people to fill up it freshmen class. 900 undergrads total, so admissions needs around 240 students to come each year. Caltech would not be served better by encouraging tons more people to apply or by admitting more people.

Are people at Caltech happy?

In keeping with the one big happy family vibe, “undergraduates and grad students play Frisbee together, students and faculty play together in music groups, grad students go to undergraduate parties...and the students have a lot of unexploited trust from the faculty because of the Honor Code.” Caltech has lots of fun ...

Is Caltech worth the money?

First and foremost, Caltech is already one of the best colleges in the nation, and often this means world-class opportunities that are well worth the cost. If you graduate from this school, you'll find yourself very competitive in your career. But beyond this, Caltech has a best-in-class financial aid program.

What is the most popular major at Caltech?

The most popular majors at California Institute of Technology include: Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services; Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians; Physical Sciences; Mathematics and Statistics; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; and Business, Management, Marketing, and Related ...

What is the reputation of Caltech?

California Institute of Technology is ranked #9 in Best Global Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Read more about how we rank schools.

Is there a rivalry between MIT and Caltech?

The college rivalry between the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) stems from the colleges' reputations as the top science and engineering schools in the United States.

Is Caltech campus pretty?

Beautiful campus perfect for anyone around :) The stereotype of 'Caltech is lot of work and a lot of theory' is not exaggerated. Good if you really enjoy doing math and science, but genuinely do not go here if you value your free time.

What is the hardest Cal state to get into?

Which university of California is hardest to get into?

The three most difficult schools to get into — UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC Irvine — also have the highest enrollment rates, which is defined as the percentage of admitted students who chose to attend the school.

What is the rarest school to get in?

Minerva University - 0.99%

Based in San Francisco, Minerva is the most difficult school to get into, with a 0.99% admission rate for the class of 2026.