Sunday, September 6, 2015

Caltech Application and Essays

Caltech Application and Essays


In an earlier post, I identified the  Caltech  as one of the best  universities with an Early Action option.

 The Caltech requirements are fairly straightforward.  A science oriented school cirriculum, the SAT, 2  SAT subject tests-  a science and  Math II
 See the official website for details

Caltech uses the common app but has a rather involved supplement that  requires a couple of short answer essays.

 The first prompt is:
 Please list three books, along with their authors, that have been particularly meaningful to you. For each book, please include a sentence explaining their influence upon you. Please note that your response is not limited to math, science or school-assigned texts.

 It is best to avoid any school books when talking about books.
Stay truthful to the  topic and select those that have  personal meaning. The  books need not be science related.
 My  personal answer would definitely start with" The places You'll go by Dr. Seuss.  my explanation  is that  I love reading and  this is because  my childhood experiences reading Dr. Seuss were  very enjoyable and created a lifelong habit.
 The second prompt is:
 What three experiences or activities have helped you explore your desire to study and possibly pursue a career in STEM? (200 max)

 This is another  question where its best to present an honest  and well thought out answer. The  experiences need not be school related. You can talk about how watching fireworks made  you interested  in physics or how  playing an old computer game sparked a deep interest in computer science. If there is a mentor or teacher who influenced  you in this direction, this essay would be a good place to  mention that.

 The third essay is:

Members of the Caltech community live, learn, and work within an Honor System with one simple guideline; "No member shall take unfair advantage of any other member of the Caltech community." While seemingly simple, questions of ethics, honesty and integrity are sometimes puzzling. Share a difficult decision that has challenged you. What was your response, and how did you arrive to a solution? (200 words max)

 This essay is  best addressed by describing of a moral/ethical dilemma  you may have faced in the past and how you responded.  Keep in mind that Caltech is an Engineering and Science university and scientists and Engineers are  more interested in the  process of solving a problem rather than the description of the problem.   Keep the focus of the essay  on your problem solving process. Don't just write about how   your solution process , describe the factors you considered and any options you rejected.

 The fourth essay is:
Caltech students have long been known for their quirky sense of humor and creative pranks. Please describe an unusual way in which you have fun. (200 words max)

 The keyto this brief essay is to be yourself. If describing a prank  , make sure  that its not   illegal or malicious in nature.   The emphasis is on the way you have fun - if you have a strange hobby or   play an unusual sport   like bicycle polo-  talk about it.   Keep it short and light and humorous in tone.

The final two essay prompts( sixth and seventh) are academic in nature:

6.In an increasingly global and interdependent society, there is a need for diversity in thought, background, and experience in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity of Caltech's community? (200 words max) 
7.Scientific exploration clearly excites you. Beyond our 3:1 student to faculty ratio and our intense focus on research opportunities, how do you believe Caltech will best fuel your intellectual curiosity and help you meet your goals? (500 words max)


 Use these topics to talk about your  interests and goals ( both academic and  professional). Be technical and specific, for example a prospective mathematician can talk about  aspiring to have a single digit Erdos number. Caltech has incredible resources, do your research and mention the relevant ones by name. Of course the greatest  resource  you will have access to is the faculty and alumni  network.

All these essays can look overwhelming but keep in mind that Caltech is one of the premier STEM institutions and should be on your list of  universities if you aspire to  study science or engineering.

  The essays are all  personal in nature  and fairly short  so  make sure  you spend enough time thinking of the topic  and content of your essays before  you begin. Do edit your essays carefully to keep within the word limits.
To avail of clear sky education services for your Caltech application - send me email at clearskyeducation@gmail.com




















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