<p>Thanks, btarlinian
It is clear to me that my test scores and grades are not very impressive (not impressive at all for Caltech!), but I don’t think that they tell much about my ability to succeed as a physicist. My ECs that are mostly my independent research and projects tells more about my love and ability in physics. Truth is, in my country there is no summer holidays or any other long holidays fit for research, so I had to choose between either a rat race of grades or a nirvana like walk of research.
The reason for my poor grades in Chemistry and Further Maths is that my teachers had quite less ability and interest in what they were teaching. With such teachers I consider my Bs a triumph. And for SAT I, I don’t quite clearly understand how well it correlates with my ability of critically reading “Lectures on Physics” or “Emperor’s New Mind”. </p>
<p>Of course I didn’t think that Admissions Supplement is optional, in fact after looking at it I had an instant feeling, like a lightening struck, and I was sure that it is only to Caltech I will not regret going to.</p>
<p>Further Maths is a mixed pack of Pure Maths (Advanced Calculus, Linear Algebra, other pure stuffs like Vectors, Complex Numbers and so on), Mechanics (This one was much advanced than AP Physics C Mech, one of my senior said me that it was a clear substitution for introductory mechanics classes at Princeton (but Princeton << Caltech) and Further Statistics (Hypothesis tests and all (z,t,ki square… bla bla))</p>