<p>I’m actually not a Caltech student, so please take my answers with several pounds of salt.</p>
<p>“is Caltech very tough to get through?”
Yep. It’s definitely one of the most rigorous (if not the most) programs in the world. However, if you are bright enough to be accepted by Caltech and have a very good work ethic (or know that you can easily develop one) you should be OK.</p>
<p>"which is unnerving because freshmen year is just pass/fail right? "
Pass/Fail actually means considerably less stress. It’s there to help you adjust. Think about it - Getting a ‘C’ in a non pass/fail class would be bad for your GPA. Getting a ‘C’ in a pass/fail course doesn’t hurt you at all. Caltech doesn’t want its Freshmen obsessing over their grades while trying to get adjusted to college. As for the low freshman retention rate, it is because plenty of people transfer out. Caltech is not for everyone, and from what I’ve heard, it can be a very unpleasant place for certain types of people. On the other hand, some people seem to love it.</p>