<p>a lot of caltech people actually took college courses during high school years. for me, i took physics and math starting junior year. caltech expects top students to drain their high school courses, take college courses and receive good grades in those classes. also, i think 5 letters of recommendation might not be a wise choice. what are you trying to portray here? you’re letting your profs talk for you b/c you can’t speak for yourself? 2-3 letters are probably enough. yeah, you should look for somewhere that’s more well-rounded. Caltech is highly specialized in STEM fields…but good luck! :] im sure you’ll get in somewhere amazing no matter what.</p>