So apparently, relaxing in a hammock with three friends (all of us are students) on a Friday night is illegal now? We were just peacefully reading papers by Parsons-Gates when security rolled up and told us to pack it up. No explanation, just "you can't be here."

Like... are we not allowed to enjoy campus anymore? Is there a secret curfew no one told us about? Are hammocks considered a structural hazard? A national security threat?

Anyone else had similar run-ins with the anti-hammock patrol? Or should we start an underground hammock resistance?

Edit: I wanted to add that the security guard told us that hammocks are banned everywhere on campus, but she said it was especially bad because we were near the administration building.

I applied to the Applied Physics PhD, and I was wondering if anyone has had experience being advised by a professor in a different department? I would be interested in working with a lot of the professors in Computational and Mathematical Sciences doing machine learning. I have a bachelor's degree in physics but have also worked for over a year as a software developer so I have good programming skills.

I have seen some other posts on here about this being a possibility, but there doesn't seem to be much official online. Would machine learning in CMS be too disparate with "normal" physics that the physics department wouldn't allow it?

What do postdocs usually do for housing? I’d be looking for a one-bedroom. I know there’s Caltech affiliated housing but there’s a long waitlist I assume? How long does it usually take to get an offer? I assume it’s best to be there to find a place but then where do people stay in the interim? Any advice would be appreciated! I’m starting in the Fall and moving in the summer.

Hi all,

I recently got accepted to Caltech for the Chemistry PhD program, as well as another top program on the east coast. It's going to be a hard decision for sure, so I'm looking for any information that will help me decide. So if you're a PhD student in the chem department (or another related department), I would love to hear your thoughts about the program. Some context about me is that I am a current 4th-year undergrad at a top 10 research institution. I am interested in organic synthesis/methods/catalysis. Some example questions:

1. What was the deciding factor for you when it came to committing to Caltech for your PhD?

2. What is your favorite and least favorite thing about Caltech?

3. Do you feel adequately supported by your PI, and do you feel like they care about you as a scientist and as a human being? How about by your lab mates?

4. What has your experience been like in the graduate level courses?

5. Are you on track to graduate in 5-6 years? Do many students take longer than that to graduate?

6. Any labs to avoid? And any labs that you really like?

7. How many hours a week would you say you work on a light week, on a normal week, and on a very busy week? Does this line up with what your PI expects from you? How often do you go into lab on weekends?

8. What are your plans for after graduation, and do you feel that Caltech gives you useful opportunities (alumni connections, chances to do internships/visiting scholarships) to get there?

9. If you had to do-over your decision, would you still decide to come to Caltech? Or would you pick another institution? Why?

10. Are you satisfied with the stipend and your housing situation?

These are just a few things I'm wondering about, so feel free to answer whichever questions you want, or to tell me about anything else you think is important. You can also PM me. I will be visiting all my choices for grad schools soon, so hopefully that will help my decision.

Hello, I just had a zoom interview with a professor and Caltech is flying me out to visit the MSE department and interview with a couple other professors. I didn't realize universities did this before offering admissions and I'm wondering if this is more to find a PI I fit with or if getting in is still a long-shot. This seems kind of unusual from what I've heard and I'm wondering if someone has some insight into their process.

I've just been rejected by MIT, Stanford, and U Chicago in the same day so I'm hesitant to get my hopes up.

Hi all, been accepted to Caltech for a PhD and wondering what housing options there are. I saw that there is guaranteed housing for first year grad students, but I have some questions:

• can first year grad students get 1 BR apartments unfurnished without roommates? Will be moving with my partner but we are not married or in a domestic partnership
• for off campus housing, what websites are best to find apartments? Are there specific landlords that rent to caltech students?
• are there FB groups or lists that I can hook to find apartments?
• when is the best time to find apartments?

I’m moving from across the country and never been to Pasadena or the LA area, thanks in advance!

Hi! Are students at Caltech in ROTC? I still haven't came across Caltech students in ROTC on the web yet and was wondering the amount of students doing ROTC

Hello everyone, I could not find any statistics on GALCIT admissions for recent years. Can anyone who does Aeronautics PhD inform me, please? Much appreciated.

Everyone says that Caltech cs is not good, and the school is mostly for hard sciences. How true is that? What is the problem of caltech cs can anyone tell me. I want math major, but cs as well. Is it not worth applying

I've submitted my application and am eagerly awaiting a response. Caltech has always been my dream school, and I would be thrilled to be part of the community. However, I understand that rejection is a possibility, and I'm prepared to accept that outcome graciously. As I wait, I wanted to express my enthusiasm and patience. Regardless of the decision, I will remain committed to my goals and am confident that I will find the right opportunity. Caltech, I may not join you now, but I'll continue striving to make my dreams a reality.

Hi there! I am a student contributor with CalMatters and I'm looking to interview a student about their experiences amidst the LA fires, evacuation, and what the future holds. If you are interested in being interviewed, please message me so I can provide more details! Through this article, I hope to create a space of empathy, information, and understanding of the unique experiences of students at this time

Hope you all stay safe ❤️❤️❤️

If I use Caltech Secure or eduroam, IMSS can see the domain names of the webpages I visit. Is this information stored? If so, for how long—perhaps a year?

I checked the data retention policy but found no information on this. I’m quite paranoid, so this is important to me.

To be clear, I’m a parent. I have a question for anyone who took CS 21 freshman year. Looking back on it, were there any advantages to taking it freshman year, in terms of making higher level courses available earlier, opening the possibility of research opportunities earlier, anything? (This question assumes knowing Data Structures and Algorithms thoroughly before taking the course and a preference for analytical track courses.) Alternatively, I would appreciate anyone willing to DM me on the topic. Thanks.

Hi! I'm hoping to join caltech later this year from England. We do A levels here, so basically an extensive dive into 3 or 4 subjects of your choice so for me it's maths, chemistry and physics. I do have a good understanding of biology etc but I'm out of practice having not done it for 2 years. How do you students find the core curriculum? Thanks

Hi all,

Happy New Year!

I'm currently a uni student and will be interning at JPL next year around ~August-December. Given I'm still a uni student I feel like it could be super cool to live in a sharehouse with some people from Caltech (you guys seem awesome!).

I was wondering if anyone had any advice on finding accommodation while I live in the US. Are there any programs/organisations/people/groups I should reach out to? Realistically I'd be looking to stay near the JPL offices (e.g. Pasadena/Altadena) because I don't have a car, so I would be either catching public transport or cycling in to work. And my budget isn't anything crazy since I am still studying.

I appreciate any/all help :)

Hi, I'm looking for an in-person tutor in Pasadena. We can come to you for the sessions. 1-2 hours per week. $50/hr. Please DM with credentials if you are interested. Thanks!

As a senior, our lawns and trees seem less vibrant—or perhaps I’ve just grown jaded.

I heard you can view ur admissions file. Please can I know how to do this? I know its advised against im just aching to see mine lol

Pretty much what the title says. I missed the club fair so I wanted to know how can I join clubs or join the mailing list of them

I’m an incoming student and I was wondering how competitive clubs are at Caltech? Are they a large part of student life?

Hoping to find more info about this conference https://aiscienceconference.caltech.edu/. I've emailed with no response. Is this something that tends to be open to the general public to register and attend?

Hey I’m a frosh and I was thinking of taking up work in the winter term. I’m already doing Rise program with CaltechY but it doesn’t pay a lot (well, it pays good but not a lot of hours). What are some other options I can look towards. I know I can do house waitering. Are there any other things I can do?

hihiiiiii ~

i was admitted to caltech rea n im looking at classes ! im interested in math as my primary major (particularly number theory and combo), i also have little interests in polisci (mostly theoretical) and history (cold war, asian, and modern).

i am interested in pursuing both quant and a math phd after graduating (not at the same time LOL)...

what classes would u guys recommend for pre-quant at caltech? esp those that satisfy SS reqs / writing intensives !

tyyyy

Hi! I just got admitted to Caltech in REA and have some questions about the academic/scientific experience here! I thought posting in the admitted student Discord would be a bit awkward since some questions are personal, so I chose to post on Reddit. Some questions are lowkey naive, but I deeply appreciate your feedback, and it will help me make a decision!

1. Caltech is notorious for its fast-paced, bombarding style of teaching. Do you feel like you are truly learning/absorbing the material in this pressure cooker? For people who need to sit down and think (for a while) to learn, will they survive/adapt?
2. What is the value of pursuing a theory-based education when engineering is about the real world? Is it for you to be able to think “outside the box” instead of applying the same principles when you encounter a novel situation in reality? But doesn’t experience rather than theory help you improvise (like surgeons)?
3. Rumors say that Caltech professors are more concerned with research than undergraduate teaching, lowering the teaching quality. Is that true in your experience? How rare are cases where the professor fails to communicate/teach properly?
4. Can you survive Caltech not being a genius? Can passion and hard work help you succeed, or is it simply not enough? How much of a raw talent/hardware do you need?
5. Did you have to relearn how to study and change your habits drastically? What are some helpful tips for surviving this school?
6. Every school claims to be “collaborative”. How is Caltech’s form of collaboration special, and do you think it truly creates a non-toxic/non-cutthroat environment?
7. Did you become a “real” scientist? Do you still have a burning passion, or did workload/reality break you? How did Caltech shape your thinking or perspectives, and do you want to dedicate your life to science now?