<p>Thanks so much for all the info. Steelpangolin and alleya – your posts have convinced me that there is a life after admission/entry to Caltech!
And Rhodie Joe – yep, you’ve sussed me out. Here I was, looking forward to a quiet month in Oxford, and instead I feel, at times, as though I’m Italy, Japan, or some twinkie college campus back home. It’s almost embarrassing… well, perhaps it just IS embarrassing to be here (for someone in a summer program, not for you, of course). Makes one feel like a poseur or voyeur. Not quite my cup of tea. Still, it is a change, and MY college is, without doubt, exceptionally beautiful.
Once again, thanks to everyone for their input, the only negative is that you’ve made my decision between MIT and Caltech all the more difficult.</p>