<p>Here was my scenario:
Near perfect ACT and SATIIs (perfect in math/science sections for those). Perfect in all AP tests, with two sciences junior and senior year each. Arguably the hardest math/science schedule in my school for all four years (tied with some other guy, I guess). Straight As in math and science courses throughout high school (no 4.0, but close, due to humanities). And I had some math/science ECs: tutored math (volunteer and for money) and did science olympiad (national silver medalist). I got waitlisted :(. And, in my opinion, it was because I wasn’t “passionate” enough about math and science. I put passionate in quotation marks because I am passionate, but my passion manifests itself in reading sciency articles, doing college level SO study for nationals, helping students with their math/science woes, and doing AIME problems for fun. Whereas at many schools my math/science ECs would be over-par, at Caltech they were nothing special. I didn’t wire my house or do any of that application stuff that Caltech seems to love. </p>
<p>Apply, but definitely do not count on an acceptance.</p>