<p>halfthelaw – I think Caltech closes only a very few doors, and most other schools close those doors, too. You couldn’t pursue a serious interest in archeology here as an undergraduate, or get an architecture degree, or get conservatory-level training on the cello. (Then again, at least for architecture and music, if you want to do those things professionally you basically have to apply to a specialized program after high school.) But in general, after a Caltech degree in the closest field available to what you want to do, assuming you do well and impress your professors, you can easily get into graduate school to study whatever you want, or get a job doing what you want.</p>
<p>I would love someone to name a field which is not already named above that Caltech would preclude you from doing. Almost always, if you just get a Caltech degree in something that signals your high IQ and do a few things extracurricularly to show your passion about whatever “it” is, you’ll have no trouble reaching the next step. Almost all upper level managers or professors will at the very least read a resume from a Caltech student with a good GPA because they’re so rare and odd – which can’t be said for other schools. Honestly, if you want to be a professional historian, you’re better off getting a math and history degree from Caltech than a history degree from the vast majority of other schools, because those are a dime a dozen and you’ll be the rare one.</p>
<p>I know this view is a little extreme, but I just don’t buy this stuff about how Caltech makes you narrow or is narrow. When people take graduating college seniors for anything, they fundamentally just want smart people, and no place is as good for becoming smart and showing you’re smart than Caltech is.</p>