Oh, that’s interesting to hear. In that case, there are probably fewer reasons to really invest in applying to Caltech than I had initially assumed.
Here’s a hypothetical question: would you say that I might have a better chance of getting into one of Caltech and CMU if I REA to Caltech and RD to CMU and Cornell; as opposed to EDing CMU/Cornell and RDing the other + Caltech?
As much as I’m unsure of Caltech, it is one of the few REA schools on my list (along with Princeton and Stanford, but I don’t think I’m good enough for them in the REA round, especially as a non-legacy), which poses some significant advantages by allowing me to wait for the few schools which I might like slightly more than Cornell/CMU (Berkeley, Cambridge, Georgia Tech, etc.)
Thank you!