<p>I was wondering if anyone can shed some light on how hard the core curriculum really is, especially the physics and math requirements. Is it nearly impossible to do well with only AP Physics and BC Calculus taken in high school?</p>
<p>The core curriculum in math and physics corresponds to the requirements for a math/physics double major at the vast majority of U.S. colleges and universities. But it is by no means impossible to do well. The first two terms are on pass/fail (and while failing is a real option, most people avoid it). Most people find quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and linear algebra to be the hardest; but more than a third of each class gets an A of some description, nonetheless. Bottom line: it is hard; you will learn a lot; it is quite possible to do well.</p>
<p>Samp,</p>
<p>I’m a current freshman at Caltech, and I only had a year of BC Calc and Honors Physics. (I studied up on my own and took the Physics B test, too). Anyway, the stuff here isn’t too easy, but it’s definitely manageable. I’d consider AP Physics C to be a roughly average preparation level around here – there are plenty of people with better but also many with worse. There are more people with advanced math classes (linear algebra, multivariable, etc) but for the first term at least it won’t matter. Calculus is taken much more theoretically here and you’ll be doing basic proofs and other things that you won’t have done much of in high school. In particular, there is quality (that is, difficulty) over quantity of problems.</p>
<p>I probably got around 80% for both of my classes and I found them more difficult than I was used to but alright in the end. My roommate hasn’t taken physics before but he managed to pass the class barely.</p>
<p>I think you’ll do fine. =) Best of luck.</p>
<p>The core curriculum is hard, but most people coming in have only had AP Physics and BC Calc in high school. As long as you did well in those classes, you’ll still go through hell with core, but no more than everyone else. 
Physics and Chem core were like high school, only much harder. The big shock for me coming into the math core was all the proofs, there are less of these if you take the practical track (I took the analytical track – but you don’t have to worry about tracks until 2nd term frosh year).</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. Seeing as I need to get in first, I need to stop looking at this website and concentrate on my physics lab report. Do people slack off at Caltech as well?</p>
<p>Haha, yes. Like now.</p>
<p>On a personal note, do any of you techners know someone named Phillip Wong, class of 2005? He went to my high school.</p>
<p>Yeah, I know Phillip. He’s President of Blacker House. Nice kid, mechanical engineer if I’m not mistaken.</p>
<p>Yeah I think that’s what I saw in the viewbook which Phillip was featured in. He had a lot of the same teachers I have now. He’s graduating this year so hopefully I can continue the streak of someone from U.S. attending Caltech…but who knows because it is such a hard school to get into, even with a 1600 and a 4.0 unweighted average.</p>
<p>Yeah, Phil is a really great guy. I think he’s going to be doing some sort of investment banking next year. MechE and Prez of blacker house as previously noted. A gentleman and a scholar if there ever was.</p>
<p>galen</p>
<p>I read that he is going to be working for HSBC’s Corporate Finance Department in New York next year. From what I’ve heard about him at my school, he is an all-around outstanding person. Related question: how many people from Caltech go on to investment banking? Wouldn’t a BEM major be more standard preperation for Corporate Finance?</p>
<p>He was my UCC at frosh camp, so I got to talk quite a bit with him. He’s a really friendly guy. He had an internship at Wall Street (I believe he said that he went into Caltech’s recruiting/career center and looked at some list of alumni to find this position) the last summer and he says that he really enjoyed it.</p>
<p>“how many people from Caltech go on to investment banking?”
I also want to know the answer to this question, but I bet it’s not very many. In a sense, this school is overkill for i. banking so most ppl plan on grad school.</p>
<p>I can think of a couple other folks who are going to do i banking next year (jeehwan is, i think jessie is, there are probably a couple others), and I know a couple who are going to do consulting as well (often people who apply for jobs in one field also apply in the other). </p>
<p>And yes, BEM is probably the “most reasonable” major for it, but you could easily take a bunch of bem classes and still major in MechE, or something else. There is actually a fair amount of flexibility in what you take. As I’ve said in other posts, BEM is still being developed, so there are only one or two people per class who are straight BEM majors.</p>
<p>galen</p>