"The people you meet, the professors you have, and the experience that'll last a lifetime. I don't think many people go to Caltech for the prestige, they go there because they want to be pushed to their limits."
yeah, that's exactly it... for example, i know that if i go to some "weaker" university i wont ever use my potential to the fullest.. cause there will always be shortcuts and easy ways around.. and even though i love physics and science in general, i love to sleep all day too hehehe
so it's better not to offer me an opportunity for it
it's not the salary, the prestige or those kind of things that should attract you (though that doesn't mean they're totally unimportant, we're all humans in the end right
), but more the people, the atmosphere, the fact that you will learn so much amazing things until your head blows...
<well at least i hope i'm not idealizing caltech too much hahaha>