<p>You are certainly in the competitive range for Caltech applicants. If you applied (with maybe slightly higher SAT II scores in a subject like chem or physics) your application would be viewed as having a real chance – which is not the case when scores or grades are bad. Your activities are somewhat above average in the part of the applicant pool that has a serious chance. Admission would certainly not be a lock but you have a real shot.</p>
<p>Does that merit a visit? I don’t know. I was never very clear on the purpose of visiting schools prior to getting in. If it is a potential safety and you want to know that you really LOVE the campus and the neighborhood before you decide to make that your official safety (out of dozens of possibilities), a visit seems justified. But for the top schools, a decent strategy seems to be just applying to all the ones that are compatible academically and financially and then just visiting the ones you get into. Otherwise you might spend a long time falling in love with a school or mulling over details of a school that never becomes an option.</p>
<p>I know the question was just whether you have a serious chance, and the answer, assuming that your SAT II scores are above 750 for the other(s) you take, is yes. But as for the visit issue, I’m ambivalent, so I just thought I’d throw that in… maybe there is something about a visit which I’m missing, in which case I’d be happy to change my mind :)</p>