Transfer to Caltech as a University Freshman?

Colleges & Universities California Institute of Technology
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<p>Hello! I’m going to be a freshman at UIUC, and I really want to transfer to Caltech. I will be doing an EE/physics dual degree. From the Caltech admission website, I’ve seen that the application deadline is Feb. 15 next year, so it is only a short time for me to prepare.</p>

<p>Now I’m wondering, what can make me being attractive to Caltech? I’ve gotten an idea from the past threads that Caltech does not really care about non-research/science-orientation extracurriculars. </p>

<p>So this is what I’ve done and my future plan, and I hope people can give me some suggestions on what I need to work more and what may be redundant:

  1. attended international masterclass in Illinois (particle physics)
  2. got a summer internship from fermilab
  3. going to attend The National Particle Physics Masterclass in UK (but that’s after the application deadline…)
  4. going to get a cooperative education program from Argonne National Lab (this is ok)
  5. fall or spring internship in Argonne National Lab (this “might” be ok too…)
  6. have gotten a research opportunity from an ECE professor
  7. going to attend The University Physics Competition and Putnam (although the result may be really bad…)</p>

<p>and here is the courses I’ve completed, my fall course load, and what I’ll be taking in spring, I will not be taking any general education:</p>

<p>Completed:

  1. Calculus single/multivariable (AP/UIUC proficiency exam)
  2. Ordinary DE (CC)
  3. Intro Physics classical mech/EM/thermo/modern (All UIUC proficiency exams)
  4. Intro Chem (AP)
  5. Intro Computer Science (CC)</p>

<p>Fall:

  1. Real Analysis (have “proficiencied” out multivariable calculus)
  2. Abstract Linear Algebra
  3. Introduction to Electrical Engineering (required)
  4. Computing System (required)
  5. Discrete Structures
  6. Relativity and Math application</p>

<p>Spring:

  1. Vector & Tensor Analysis
  2. Partial DE
  3. Classical Mechanics I
  4. Electrodynamics I
  5. Analog Signal Processing
  6. Computer Engineering</p>

<p>My senior year of high school was pretty screwed since my high school does not offer any of AP computer science and AP physics C; thus I’ll have to take them in CC. While the schedule of my high school and CC conflict a lot so I did bad in both places… I had no science class in high school in my senior year and I got a “C” in ODE since after the second semester started I was pretty much not attending (although I aced all of the exams, but no assignments/quizzes/discussions grades). I’ll explain all of this in additional information section of Common App.</p>

<p>High school GPA: 3.74, CC GPA:3.34 <- screwed, although I don’t know whether getting a 4.0 honors in UIUC and having a lot of technical upper division classes will help this situation… Seriously, I’m even thinking, “whether it will be a hurt to take such many upper division courses as an incoming freshman?”</p>

<p>Assume if I can complete most of the researches/internship/masterclasses, get a 4.0 GPA in those upper division classes in UIUC, and do really well on transfer exams, do I have some small chance to get into Caltech transfer as a freshman? Or should I truly do it after my sophomore year…</p>

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<p>Can anyone tell what are “effective” extracurriculars to Caltech admission?</p>

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<p>Good ECs while in college would be research. The GPA is probably too low to transfer but I think the transfer admissions test is a better indicator.</p>

4

<p>Thanks so much for a reply. I think it wouldn’t be hard to pull up that college GPA though, since I only took few classes in CC; if I work hard and indeed get 4.0 in first semester in UIUC and mid-year, it can be pulled up a lot.</p>

<p>Also, may I ask, would it be a pros if I aimed at advanced level of Differential Equations and Electromagnetism? For example, ODE and freshman EM are the ones that pull me down. If I take PDE and upper level electrodynamics and get As on them, will it be helpful for making admission reviewers think, “this kid is not bad at DE and Physics at all”?</p>

5

<p>oh btw, does Caltech have special preference on math and physics (for example, on research fields)? I’ve heard that MIT transfer wants students to take all chem, physics, and biology even above intro level. How about Caltech?</p>

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<p>Yes. On the transfer exams, you will be expected to demonstrate mastery of Newtonian mechanics, electromagnetism, basic special relativity, vector calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations. (Not all of these will necessarily be tested, but you don’t know which ones will be). Because of this, Caltech highly recommends that you take courses in as many of those topics as possible before transferring.</p>

<p>There are also two terms of chemistry, a term of biology, and a term of quantum mechanics in the graduation requirements. They’re not as important, but if you don’t take them at your old school you will have to take them at Caltech.</p>

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<p>but I’ve already gotten credits in 2 semesters chemistry from AP Chem… Quantum Mechanics, is that like the upper division one or the intro one (we have 4 classes in our intro physics sequence, and one of them is basic QM)?</p>

8

<p>quantum mechanics is ok, I’ll take it in my second semester</p>