MindBOgler said:
... can anyone here give me some guidance, what it takes to get in...
Here's Cal-Tech's admissions stats from US News:
Admissions Requirements
High school completion requirement: High school diploma or equivalent is not required
General college-preparatory program: Required
Distribution of high school units required and/or recommended*
Units Required Units Recommended
English 3 4
Mathematics 4 N/A
Science 2 N/A
Lab 1 N/A
Foreign language N/A N/A
Social studies 1 N/A
History 1 N/A
Academic electives N/A N/A
Total academic units N/A N/A
*One unit equals one year of study or its equivalent.
Campus visit: Recommended
Admissions interview: Neither required nor recommended
Off-campus interview: Not available
Does the college use SAT or ACT scores in admissions decisions for first-time, first-year applicants? Yes
SAT/ACT requirements: Neither SAT nor ACT required.
SAT I/ACT scores must be received by: December 31
Tests accepted for Fall 2006 entering class: the new SAT, the new ACT
SAT II scores must be received by: December 31
Open admission policy? No
What is the relative importance of specific academic factors in admission decisions?
Secondary school record: Very important
Class rank: Considered
Recommendation(s): Very important
Standardized test scores: Considered
Essay: Very important
What is the relative importance of specific nonacademic factors in admission decisions?
Interview: Not considered
Extracurricular activities: Considered
Talent/ability: Considered
Character/personal qualities: Very important
Alumni/ae relation: Not considered
Geographical residence: Not considered
State residency: Not considered
Religious affiliation/commitment: Not considered
Minority status: Considered
Volunteer work: Considered
Work experience: Considered
For more admissions information on California Institute of Technology, see also:
Disabled students, International students, Transfer students
2003-2004 Admissions Statistics
Selectivity: Most Selective
Overall acceptance rate: 17%
Early-decision acceptance rate: N/A
Early-action acceptance rate: 28%
Acceptance rate (excluding early-action and early-decision students): 14%
Applications, acceptances, enrolled
Total applicants: 3,071
Total acceptances: 520
Total freshman enrollment: 191
Proportion of freshman enrolled from early action and early decision: 31%
Male applicants: 2,407
Male acceptances: 337
Male freshman enrollment: 127
Female applicants: 664
Female acceptances: 183
Female freshman enrollment: 64
Students that applied here may also have applied to:
Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Stanford University, University of California–Berkeley
Out-of-state freshmen: 60%
Qualified applicants placed on waiting list: 386
Applicants accepting a place on waiting list: 315
Students enrolled from waiting list: 45
2003-2004 Freshman Class Profile
Class rank (top 10, 25, 50)
Top 10 percent of high school class: 94%
Top 25 percent of high school class: 100%
Top 50 percent of high school class: 100%
First-year students submitting high school class standing: 63%
Average high school GPA: N/A
First-year students submitting GPA: N/A
First-year students submitting SAT scores: 100%
SAT I scores (25/75 percentile):
Verbal: 700 – 780
Math: 760 – 800
Combined: 1460 – 1580
Percent of first-time, first-year students enrolled in Fall 2003 with scores in each range:
SAT I Verbal SAT I Math
700-800 77.0% 96.3%
600-699 17.3% 3.7%
500-599 5.7% N/A
400-499 N/A N/A
300-399 N/A N/A
200-299 N/A N/A
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