caltech supplemental essays 22 23

Caltech Supplemental Essays 2023-24 – Prompts & Advice

September 14, 2022

With a 2.7% acceptance rate (yes, truly), Caltech is one of the most highly selective schools in the country. Amazingly, they have managed to operate as a test-blind institution throughout the pandemic and will continue to do so until 2025 . This means that they do not presently consider ACT or SAT results in the admissions process. As such, the Caltech admissions committee gives extra weight to the five supplemental essay prompts that they require from all applicants.

 (Want to learn more about How to Get Into Caltech? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Caltech  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

Before we dive right in and begin examining the five required and two optional 2023-24 Caltech essays, one quick note…  the admissions committee has provided in-depth guidance for three of the five required essays , so we’ll keep our advice for those short and sweet.

Caltech Supplemental Essays – Prompt #1 (required)

Why did you choose that area of interest? (200 words)

(Note: you’ll select 1-2 areas of interest from a provided drop-down box on the application)

We all have a story of what drives us to pursue a certain academic pathway and career. How did your interest initially develop? What was the spark? How have you nurtured this passion and how has it evolved over time? If you desire to go into engineering, this is a chance to talk about everything from your childhood fascination with how things work to your participation in an award-winning robotics program at your high school. Share a compelling (and, of course, true!) narrative about how your love of your future area of study has blossomed to its present levels.

In other words, this essay should show evidence of intense hunger for knowledge that extends well outside of the classroom. How do you learn about your favorite subjects? What books have you read on the subject? Which podcasts have you listened to? What museums have you visited? What related experiences have you had?

You should also tie your passions into specific academic opportunities at Caltech including  courses ,  professors ,  hands-on research programs , or any other aspects of your desired major that appeal most to you.

Caltech Supplemental Essays – Prompts #2 & #3 (required)

At Caltech, we investigate some of the most challenging, fundamental problems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Identify and describe two STEM-related experiences from your high school years, either in or out of the classroom, and tell us how and why they activated your curiosity. What about them made you want to learn more and explore further? (100-200 words for each experience)

Main note here—you won’t be writing about both experiences within the same response (phew!). Caltech provides a separate response area for each experience, so you’ll have 200 words for STEM Experience #1 and 200 words for STEM Experience #2.

Perhaps you experienced a fascinating challenge during your engineering internship, encountered a particularly thought-provoking topic during differential calculus, or relentlessly pursued an interest in black holes or topological physics. Whatever you choose—formal or informal, inside or outside the classroom—use this opportunity to share more about your chosen experience. What fascinated you about it, and why? How has it impacted you or enabled you to build particular skills?  Whether it’s falling down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about the nature of time or consuming thousands of hours of podcasts on drone capabilities, this is a chance to illustrate the ways in which you are an obsessive learner with an endless thirst for information.

The admissions reader should emerge from reading this essay with the sense that you are a sincerely curious young person with a strong intellectual drive. If that curiosity can be tied to your intended area of study at Caltech, all the better!

Caltech Essays – Prompt #4 (required)

The creativity, inventiveness, and innovation of Caltech’s students, faculty, and researchers have won  Nobel Prizes  and put  rovers on Mars . But Techers also imagine smaller scale innovations every day, from new ways to design solar cells to how to 3D print dorm decor. How have you been a creator, inventor, or innovator in your own life? (200-250 words)

Caltech knows you’re not a PhD-level researcher or a Nobel laureate, so they’re not looking for anything earth-shattering here (unless, of course, you’ve accomplished something earth-shattering—in which case, please share). Instead, they’re simply trying to understand the ways in which you bring your creative, inventive, and/or innovative qualities to your day-to-day life. Essentially, this is a fun chance to show off that side of yourself. To do so, feel free to go beyond extracurricular activities and formal experiences—maybe you perfected a solar oven design that bakes perfectly chewy chocolate chip cookies without utilizing electricity, or offered to develop a website for your local thrift shop with online shopping options. The sky is the limit here!

Caltech Supplemental Essays – Prompt #5 (required)

Caltech’s mission – to cultivate learning, discovery, and innovation for the benefit of humanity – relies on its community members embracing our Mission-Based Values ,  which include:

1. Openness and enthusiasm for having preconceptions challenged

2. Respect and appreciation for the idea that, while we are all members of the same community, the opportunities we’ve had to develop, showcase, and apply our talents have not been equal

3. Passion for the ideal that science can and should meaningfully improve the lives of others

Share what one or more of these values evokes for you. (200-400 words)

Here, Caltech provides you with three different values to choose from. Before you begin, make sure you familiarize yourself with Caltech’s full breakdown of their values . Then, choose one of the three noted above that 1) resonates most with you and 2) allows you to share more about your own personal experiences. Although you can select more than one, doing so may make it more difficult to craft a focused response, so keep that in mind as you write.

In addition, essays that wax poetic about the general importance of a chosen ideal—without connecting it to your own past experiences or future goals—will have approximately zero needle-moving value to the admissions committee. As such, rephrase each ideal as a question in order to identify the significance and depth of your associated experiences. For example, when have you had preconceptions challenged? How did you respond? When have you been confronted with the fact that yours (or your peers) opportunities have not been equal, and how did you handle it? Have you experienced how science can and should meaningfully improve the lives of others? How so?

Caltech Supplemental Essays – Prompt #6 & #7 (optional)

We know, we know … you see optional and start to wonder if we mean it. But in this section, we truly do! See these as completely optional opportunities to show us more of your personality. 

Optional. We promise.

• If there are aspects of your life or social or personal identity that you feel are not captured elsewhere in this application, please tell us about them below. (150 words)
• Did you have a hard time narrowing it down to just one interest or hobby? We understand – Caltech students like to stay busy, too – tell us about another hobby or interest! (50 words)

Caltech’s admissions committee is quite transparent about what they are and aren’t looking for, so this is one of those rare occasions when an optional essay is truly optional. As such, if there is something significant to share about your background, identity, or interests that hasn’t already been communicated elsewhere on the application, feel free to discuss it here, but do not feel compelled to respond if you’ll be grasping at straws to formulate an answer.

How important are the essays?

Overall, Caltech lists five factors as being “very important” to the admissions process. Those factors are: the rigor of your high school coursework, test scores (even though they are test blind, which is odd) recommendations, character/personal qualities, and your application essays. In fact, the essays are rated as being of greater importance than your GPA, class rank, or extracurricular activities!

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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 Caltech Supplemental Essays

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Deciding to go to the California Institute of Technology is the dawn of a new academic adventure! Caltech is a highly selective private research university with a 4% acceptance rate . With such a competitive application pool, your very best writing is required. In this guide, we’ll go over each prompt and help you break the Caltech essays down so you’ll know exactly what is being asked. Let’s get started!

The Caltech essays

Caltech’s supplemental essay prompts are a way for you to show the admission’s readers exactly who you are and why you should be part of the next undergraduate class. Even responding to the optional prompts (Essays #5 through #9 are optional) shows Caltech that you want to be there and are willing to go the extra mile to prove that. Remember, applicants should emphasize STEM in their essays as much as possible since that’s one of the primary focuses of Caltech. 

Keep reading below to learn more about Caltech supplemental essay prompts!

“If you had to choose an area of interest or two today, what would you choose? Why did you choose that area of interest? (Max: 200 words)”

Applicants should see this prompt as an opportunity to discuss their passions in STEM or any other Caltech program. However, it’s important to discuss more than just what  your desired major is; be sure to talk about how Caltech plays a part in whatever interests are shared. What’s so unique about this major/interest that you can’t stop thinking about it? Is it daring? Are you the only one in your family to do it? Use this essay to show your drive and initiative. 

Questions to consider:

• Why do you want to study your major at Caltech?
• What is something unique about the majors that Caltech offers?
• What do you imagine when you think of studying your major at Caltech?

“At Caltech, we investigate some of the most challenging, fundamental problems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Identify and describe two STEM-related experiences from your high school years, either in or out of the classroom, and tell us how and why they activated your curiosity. What about them made you want to learn more and explore further? (Min: 100 / Max: 200 words for each experience)”

Caltech is clear in this prompt that the focus is on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). While your experiences might seem similar to other applicants, try to set yourself apart by incorporating a personal aspect to your essay. Explain to the reader where your love of STEM started or grew during your time in high school and how that might contribute to your desire to attend Caltech. 

Applicants should also explain what they want to learn more about or explore further and why. Doing so further demonstrates your interest in Caltech if you’re able to make a connection between what you’re curious about and what you love about this specific university. 

• Who motivated you to get involved in STEM? Was it a mentor or a family member?
• What about this experience made you want to pursue STEM at Caltech?
• What are you most curious or excited about in STEM?

“The creativity, inventiveness, and innovation of Caltech’s students, faculty, and researchers have won Nobel Prizes and put rovers on Mars, but Techers also imagine smaller scale innovations every day, from new ways to design solar cells to 3D printing dorm decor. How have you been an innovator in your own life? (Min: 200 / Max: 250)”

The definition of innovation is the introduction of something that’s never existed before. Remember, innovation doesn’t have to be some large, spectacular creation. Your innovation can be something new you’ve added to your life or doing something that you’ve never heard of. Even being the first person in your family to go to college could be a form of innovation–you just have to get creative! 

• Are you the first person to do something in your family?
• Have you created something that you think is fresh or different?
• Do you consider yourself a trailblazer? Why?

“The process of discovery is best advanced when people from diverse backgrounds come together to solve the greatest challenges in their fields. How do your past experiences and present-day perspectives inform who you have become and how you navigate the world? (Min: 200 / Max: 250)”

Use this prompt to consider how your background and/or cultural experiences have shaped your life. Have you had a chance to experience other cultures and learn from them? Has your background empowered you to further pursue STEM? These are questions you should think about as you write your Caltech supplemental essay.

The world has advanced from a collection of ideas from various different sources, so it would be good to share how a collaborative effort from people different from yourself has allowed you to grow and learn new things. Try to show your open-minded side as well as your intelligent one.

• What opinions have you formed about the world as a result of your experiences?
• How does your background influence who you are today and who you hope to become?
• What is the difference between how you navigate the world and how other applicants might?

“ Optional: If there are aspects of your identity that you feel are not captured elsewhere in this application, please provide that information below. (Max: 150 words)”

This prompt should take the Caltech admissions office on an exploration of the unknown, aka you. You could approach this essay in a unique way and push conventional boundaries. Alternatively, you could take a straightforward approach that positions you as an ideal candidate. Either way, the goal is to differentiate yourself from all other applicants, especially since this is one of the first optional essays that Caltech offers. 

• Why do you want to share this with the admissions office?
• How will this aspect of your identity make your application stand out?
• What should be the key takeaway from this optional essay?

Also see: How to write an essay about yourself

“ Optional: When not surveying the stars, peering through microscopes, or running through marathons of coding, Caltech students pursue an eclectic array of interests that range from speed-cubing to participating in varsity athletics to reading romance novels. What is a favorite interest or hobby and why does it bring you joy? (Max: 100 words)”

As an optional prompt, it may be tempting to skip over this essay. However, completing it can make your application more interesting while showing that you’re willing to go the extra mile to attend Caltech. Telling the admissions office about a unique interest or hobby reveals a lot about your personality and whether you fit in at the university. You could be especially interested in plants and bugs, which might show that your love of science goes deeper than just in the classroom. The same can be true for any other activity that you find joy in. 

The word count for this prompt is relatively short, but don’t over-generalize your interests. Just saying a particular aspect of STEM isn’t going to cut it, so try to dig a little deeper to highlight something different and new to your application. 

• What is an activity that you haven’t mentioned anywhere else in your application?
• What does this interest or hobby say about you and your personality?
• Why do you enjoy this experience? 

“ Optional: Did you have a hard time narrowing it down to just one interest or hobby? We understand – Caltech students like to stay busy, too – tell us about another hobby or interest! (Max: 50 words)” 

This prompt is for applicants that have multiple unique hobbies or interests. If you completed the initial prompt mentioned above, then don’t feel pressured to write about another hobby if you can’t think of one right away. However, you’ll have to simplify this interest a lot more than the first, so be sure to pick the most important one for the longer prompt.

• Why do you want to write about this additional hobby?
• Does this interest build on your first one and the rest of your application?

“ Optional: Have you had any extenuating circumstances regarding your coursework (such as limited course selection or disruptions) not described elsewhere in your application? If so, tell us about them here.”

Everyone doesn’t have the same journey when it comes to pursuing education. Sometimes, we hit bumps in the road, and Caltech offers this prompt for you to explain your story. Applicants don’t have to share every detail of their circumstances, but disclose enough that Caltech can understand what the conditions at the time were and how they affected you. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and transparent since doing so shows that you’re taking your application seriously. It can also prove your tenacity and determination if you include how you overcame this difficulty in your life and how you’ll continue to progress.

• Is there anything that you feel you need to explain about your grades or courses?
• Was there anything notable and impactful that affected your school performance?
• How have you grown or what did you learn from this experience?

“ Optional: Some Caltech applicants engage in STEM competitions locally, nationally, and internationally (such as AIME, Science Olympiad, International Science Olympiads.) If you have received any STEM honors or awards, list them here (and scores, if applicable).” 

Use this prompt as your opportunity to share your STEM accomplishments with Caltech. Don’t be afraid to include all the awards that you’re proud of! Let your accomplishments speak for themselves, and try not to exaggerate. 

There also isn’t a word limit, which can tempt you to go on and on for page after page. So, show Caltech that you still have tricks up your sleeve by giving them a small piece of what’s next. This means knowing when to bring an end to your essay, even if you haven’t listed every award.

• What are some of the awards I’ve won throughout high school?
• Why do I want Caltech to know about this specific award?
• How does this award relate to attending Caltech?

Final thoughts for applicants

As you wrap up your Caltech essays, it’s important to keep a couple of things in mind. One of the most important things is noticing word count for each prompt. A majority of the prompts are 100-200 words with only a few exceptions. This means it’s ideal to get to the main point of your essay as soon as possible. 

Potential Caltech students should also take time to read through each essay submission to check for errors or any weird issues with the flow and readability of your essays. It can be helpful to ask your teachers, peers, or family members to read over your submission and get feedback to improve on your writing and storytelling skills. The world wasn’t built in a day, so don’t overwhelm yourself! There are resources here to help.

Additional resources

Since you’re considering pursuing higher education, it’s important to have all the resources you can get at your fingertips. Check out some of these Scholarships360 links to learn more!

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• Find out about fully funding your education with scholarships
• Decide on when to submit your application to college

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Guide to Caltech Supplemental Essays 2022/23

Caltech provides prospective STEM students with a wonderful setting to set the foundation for their future careers. It is well recognized for its robust science and engineering programs, is located close to Pasadena beneath the San Gabriel Mountains, and is connected to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Caltech is an extremely selective institution as a result, so you should devote a lot of time to crafting compelling responses to its supplemental essays. The supplemental essays are the section of your application where you can demonstrate that you are more than simply grades, test scores, and a list of activities, so you should view them as your chance to stand out. Check out the guide below to learn more.

Take a comprehensive look at Caltech’s offerings on its Common Data Set to obtain a better understanding of what the university is seekinge, from enrollment and tuition statistics to data on student life and financial aid.

How to write Caltech Supplemental Essays

Tell us about a time or experience in which you encountered failure.

We would like to know more about your potential to persist through challenges and problems that you will face in the future. Qualities such as resilience and persistence can be key to solving the many problems and responding to the frequent failures that can be encountered in academics or research. In an essay about research and discovery at Caltech, “The Transformative Power of Failure”, several current and past members of our community share their anecdotes about, and perspectives on, various forms of failure.

Here are questions that may help guide your response: How do you define failure? What was the problem you were trying to solve? What did you learn from the experience? Did you seek advice or help from others? If so, did you receive any, or did you move forward without? What contributed to your resilience as you struggled, and what motivated your persistence?

(Your response should range between 100-250 words.)

There are innumerable well-known quotes about failure. They all, without exception, frame failure as a teacher and a necessary detour on the way to achievement. Whatever failure you decide to write about, your compass should point to “What I Did/What I Learned.” At least 60% of your essay should be devoted to demonstrating to the reader how you used a setback to your advantage. Failure can take many different forms. There are many different definitions of failure. Decide on the encounter that taught you the most. This essay is a fantastic opportunity to include some self-deprecating comedy if you wish.

Tell us about a life situation, media story, or topic – beyond or outside of a classroom or formal assignment – that has captivated you, inspired your curiosity, and led you to delve more deeply into learning about a subject on your own.

We would like to learn about the nature of your own curiosity and drive to learn independently. Here are questions that may help guide your response: What was the situation, story, or topic? In which ways did it spike your curiosity? Down what path did this newfound interest lead you? How did the pursuit of a deeper, more focused understanding of this prove valuable or satisfying to you?

Caltech seeks out intelligent, inquisitive, and independent students. You have the chance to demonstrate your intellectual energy in this article because that is what it seeks. Whatever subject you decide to write on, be sure:

• Your interest in your subject is sincere. Choose something you really like, not something you think Caltech will like. Genuine curiosity is simple to describe and difficult to fake!
• You’ve truly invested in the subject. You should be able to speak comfortably and spontaneously about it.
• Consider events or circumstances that prompted you to act, sparked your interest in further research, or improved your knowledge of a different topic.

Tell us about how you have collaborated with and worked together within a small group of your peers on some task or endeavor in the past, or about how you imagine you will work with your Caltech peers in the future.

We would like to know more about your potential to collaborate and work together with others as you reach your own understanding of the problem and solution, whether it be an academic assignment or a research project. At Caltech, it is often the case that problem sets assigned during the first year can be challenging enough that any one student is unable to come up with the solutions in isolation. This has fostered a tradition of small groups of students forming to work together to solve these problems, such that each team member also reaches a deep understanding, both of the solution and the path taken to get there as a collaborative group.

Here are questions that may help guide your response: What have your peers told you about the ways you contribute to working in groups? How do you approach problem solving in groups? What would your peers tell us about how you collaborate and work together with them?

(Your response should range between 100-250 words.) Three things are required from you in this question:

1. A narrative about an important previous or present partnership Any time you collaborate with others to find a solution or accomplish a shared objective counts as a cooperation. Think about prioritising an academic or research-based collaboration. If you’re having trouble coming up with a specific example, it can be helpful to list the communities you’re a part of and then consider your interactions with other members of those communities.

2. A sense of how you interact with and support organisations Are you the team member that prefers to listen to speaking, soaking up others’ thoughts before combining them into one big idea? Or are you a more assertive, front-footed person?

Here, an honest evaluation of your teamwork skills is crucial. This is why picking the right subject is so crucial. By rooting your essay in a particular narrative, choosing a particular period or circumstance that personifies your approach to collaboration will not only make it easier to write but will also help you stand out from other applicants. Your ability to provide precise insights into who you are is improved by including as many specifics and instances as you can.

3. A statement of intent with regard to Caltech You could briefly describe how you plan to work with others on campus. Consider the requirements that your chosen major or the organizations and clubs you plan to join may have for you.

Essays with Rostrum Supplemental essays are a critical part of your application, and they can be very challenging to write without any assistance. Rostrum Education’s team of highly experienced college counsellors provides assistance at every stage of the application writing process. Every one of our students receives personalised essay help, which ranges from brainstorming essay topic ideas to editing the essay. We will help you make a compelling case for yourself and your experiences to the admissions committee. Get in touch with us for a free consultation to find out more.

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California Institute of Technology (Caltech) 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 3

You Have: 

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 3 essays of 200 words; 1 essay of 400 words; 3 short optional essays

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Community , Activity , Oddball , Why , Short Answer

In addition to the personal essay in the Common Application or the Coalition Application, applicants to Caltech must complete required supplemental short-answer essays. These are questions that the Admissions Committee has devised to get to know you better as a student, scientist, and person, and ascertain who you’ll be on our campus. 

We don’t want essay writing to be intimidating, but we know it often is. We have put together some advice to help you get started writing your Caltech supplemental essays, so you can worry less and enjoy the application process.

Because of the rigorous courses in the core curriculum, caltech students don’t declare a major until the end of their first year. however, some students arrive knowing which academic fields and areas already most excite them, or which novel fields and areas they most want to explore., if you had to choose an area of interest or two today, what would you choose , please indicate your proposed area of interest at caltech. [choose an option from a dropdown list].

There’s only one trick to selecting a major or generating a straightforward list of your academic interests: be honest. If you already know what you want to major in or have it narrowed down to two choices, you’re set! Don’t waste time trying to strategize because choosing anything other than your true interests would be a misrepresentation of who you are and a disservice to yourself and the admissions office. This assignment will, no doubt, be most challenging for the undecideds, but ask yourself: how can you use this opportunity to reveal something about what excites you intellectually or academically? 

Why did you choose that area of interest?  (200 words)

You’ve only got 200 words, but if you chose wisely in the previous question, answering this one should be easy as pie. Whether you listed one or two interests, your goal here is to tell a cohesive story about your intellectual curiosity. Ideally, you should try to recount an anecdote that illustrates your engagement with your chosen field or demonstrates your ability to link together seemingly disparate fields. Perhaps you’re interested in both philosophy and astrophysics because each offers a way for you to contemplate our place in the universe. This is a great opportunity for you to explain how your intellectual interests relate to who you are as a person. Don’t waste it!

At Caltech, we investigate some of the most challenging, fundamental problems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Identify and describe two STEM-related experiences from your high school years, either in or out of the classroom, and tell us how and why they activated your curiosity. What about them made you want to learn more and explore further? (200 words each)

Stem experience/activity #1* , stem experience/activity #2*.

For these two short answer responses, we recommend using concrete sensory details to pull your reader into the story. Strong responses will not only describe the project at hand, but also make the readers feel like they’re in the room where it happened (“the room where it happened” – Hamilton ). What about the project captured your attention and curiosity? How did you develop your skills or interest in STEM as a result of your participation? How did this experience lay the foundation for your future STEM-related pursuits? If you’re applying to Caltech, we’re willing to bet you have a few experiences to choose from, so we recommend writing about the two that were most intellectually engaging for you.

The creativity, inventiveness, and innovation of Caltech’s students, faculty, and researchers have won Nobel Prizes and put rovers on Mars. But Techers also imagine smaller scale innovations every day, from new ways to design solar cells to how to 3D print dorm decor. How have you been a creator, inventor, or innovator in your own life? This question can be answered as a written response (200-250 words).*

Admissions is seeking to invite movers and shakers to campus who are excited and motivated to turn their dreams into reality. Whether you’ve been experimenting with robotics or spending your summers researching ways to integrate renewable energy into daily life, this is the place to share your story. Show admissions that you are not only planning to be an innovator, but have already taken steps to incorporate this approach in your day-to-day activities. The more specific details you can incorporate into your essay, the more sincere and personal it will feel (and be!). 

Caltech’s mission – to cultivate learning, discovery, and innovation for the benefit of humanity – relies on its community members embracing our Mission-Based Values, which include:

1) openness and enthusiasm for having preconceptions challenged, 2) respect and appreciation for the idea that, while we are all members of the same community, the opportunities we’ve had to develop, showcase, and apply our talents have not been equal, 3) passion for the ideal that science can and should meaningfully improve the lives of others, share what one or more of these values evokes for you.* (400 words).

For this prompt, Caltech wants to know how its mission resonates with you, so read over their values, then think about how they overlap with your own. This could be a great opportunity to recycle an essay you’ve written about engaging in conversation with someone who holds opposing beliefs (Value 1), embracing diversity and inclusion (Value 2), or your love for all things science (Value 3). If you don’t have any material to recycle here, don’t fret, odds are you have something to say about at least one of these three values. Maybe you’ve been developing and testing your hypotheses since you were a little kid and you are just as excited when they prove true as when they are proved wrong! Perhaps inclusivity and equity are important to you because you know what it’s like not to have the same opportunities as your peers and you’ve worked hard to achieve your goals regardless. Whatever your story is, be sure to avoid generalizations and, instead, provide concrete examples. For example, anyone can write that they are ambitious and resilient, but not everyone is going to be able to exhibit those traits with real-life examples. Specifics are what stick in admissions’ minds!

We know, we know … you see optional and start to wonder if we mean it. But in this section, we truly do! See these as completely optional opportunities to show us more of your personality. 

Optional. we promise., if there are aspects of your life or social or personal identity that you feel are not captured elsewhere in this application, please tell us about them below.  (150 words).

Caltech knows that you are a multifaceted person, that your identity cannot be boiled down to nuggets of information on an application. That’s why admissions is giving you this (albeit small) space to expand on an aspect of your identity. Scroll through your application (personal statement, activity list, major selection) and take a moment to think about what you haven’t been able to include yet. Perhaps you want to write about your identity as a first-born daughter of immigrants or the daily yoga practice that grounds you and enables you to better connect with people and places around you. Regardless of what you choose to write about, you don’t have a lot of words to play with, so we recommend brevity!

Did you have a hard time narrowing it down to just one interest or hobby? We understand – Caltech students like to stay busy, too – tell us about another hobby or interest! (50 words)

This is a great place to write about a hobby or interest that is, maybe, newer to you, one you’ve spent less time on. Have you been learning how to play guitar? Did you start taking kayaking lessons this summer? You only have 50 words for this response, so try not to choose a topic that will require too much explaining. Instead, dive right into what makes you lose track of time!

Have you had any extenuating circumstances (such as limited course selection, inconsistent grades, or disruptions), that have affected your coursework, but that are not described elsewhere in your application? If so, tell us about them here. (150 words)

This is Caltech’s version of the Additional Info essay, which means that, unless you have something crucial to explain to admissions, and there is absolutely NOWHERE else on the application for you to write about it, you should skip this essay. Think about it: if you were an admissions officer, would you really want to read one more essay per applicant? That being said, this essay is perfect for students who have encountered extenuating circumstances and need an opportunity to explain them. In fact, we recommend saving those details for an Additional Info essay, so that you can use the rest of your application to highlight other parts of your amazing personality. So, if something has happened that affected your academic performance, this is a great opportunity to give the 4-1-1 (that means “information” because, in the Stone Age of the late 1900s, we used our rotary phones instead of the internet). 

Some Caltech applicants engage in STEM competitions locally, nationally, or internationally (e.g., AIME, Science Olympiad, International Science Olympiads). If you have received any STEM honors or awards, list them here (with scores, if applicable).

This prompt is as dry as they come. If you’ve earned any STEM honors or awards, this is the place to list them. If you don’t have anything to add here, feel free to skip this prompt altogether!

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to write amazing caltech essays.

College Essays

The California Institute of Technology—or Caltech, as it's more commonly known—is a highly exclusive college. If you want to join the Beavers, you'll need not just top grades and standardized test scores, but strong writing supplements to support them as well.

Caltech accepts around 6% of students who apply, making it an extremely competitive school . The more you know about the Caltech essay prompts before you start, the better prepared you are to answer them.

Read on to learn about 2021's essay prompts, as well as some tips and tricks for maximizing their potential to impress!

Feature Image: Canon.vs.nikon /Wikimedia Commons

BREAKING: Caltech Application Changes Due to COVID-19

As a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic, many colleges have made the decision to at least temporarily stop requiring SAT and ACT scores. In June 2020, California Institute of Technology announced that they will stop considering SAT and ACT scores of applicants for the next two admission cycles (those applying in fall 2020, 2021, and 2022). This means that, not only are SAT and ACT scores not required, but, even if you submit them, they won't be reviewed and they won't be considered as part of your application. (This is what we refer to as a "test blind" policy.) Additionally, international students can now meet Caltech's English proficiency requirement by submitting either TOEFL or Duolingo scores.

Because of SAT and ACT cancellations , as well as the difficulty some students are having preparing or paying for the tests, Caltech made the decision to temporarily stop requiring standardized test scores to make admissions as fair and equitable as possible. Because test scores aren't being considered, there will be an increased emphasis on classes students took and the grades they received in them.

What Do I Need to Know About the Caltech Essays?

Caltech accepts four different applications: Coalition, Common App, Powered by Scoir, and Questbridge. In addition to the required Coalition,  Common Application, and powered by Scoir essays, Caltech also requires three short essays. ( Questbridge applicants only need to write these if they become Match Finalists and have ranked Caltech.)

You’ll write one required academic question and three required short answer questions, but you’ll also have the option to answer three supplemental short answer questions and one supplemental academic question, if you want.

Altogether, you'll be writing up to 1100 words for the required essays, and 300 words for the optional short answer questions. These essays are fairly short, so you'll want to spend a good amount of time honing your argument to its most efficient. Start early so you have plenty of time to plan, refine, revise, and proof before you submit!

Do a little preparation and you can look this happy when writing your Caltech essays, too!

What Are the Caltech Essay Prompts?

The Caltech essay prompts are fairly standard, though each one is tailored to the college's specifications. You'll see the usual "Overcoming Obstacles” and “Defining Your Fit” essay questions, but always keep in mind that you're applying to Caltech specifically, and your essays should reflect that.

Required Academic Question

Because of the rigorous core course curriculum, Caltech students don't declare a major until the end of their first year. However, some students arrive knowing which academic fields and areas already most excite them, or which novel fields and areas they most want to explore. If you had to choose an area of interest or two today, what would you choose? Why did you choose that area of interest? (Max: 200 words)

The first essay asks you share your academic passion (or passions), and how you discovered them. Many colleges understand that students change their majors throughout the course of their careers, and Caltech doesn’t want you to have to choose a major until you’re a sophomore. But they still want you to have a good idea of what you want to focus on and why it matters to you.

The key here is to be specific about your area of interest. Note that they don’t mention a major, but instead an overall field. In other words, now isn’t the time to say that you want to major in biology because you’ve always done well in school. Instead, focus on something more specific, like a problem you want to solve or an experience that changed the way you see your career. Maybe your physical science egg-drop challenge inspired a desire to create safer structures, or maybe a field trip to a NASA location made you realize you had to be in that control room one day.

Whatever the case, be as specific as you can with what you want to study, and remember that multiple majors could get you there. For example, visiting NASA could have inspired you to study mathematics, physics, or engineering. There are multiple paths to reach the same goal; do your homework, look at the different programs Caltech offers, and choose one or two that align with your dream.

Caltech is, in their own words, “an unapologetic STEM institution.” Whatever you do, make sure that your chosen area fits within these parameters.

Required Short Answer Question #1

At Caltech, we investigate some of the most challenging, fundamental problems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Identify and describe two STEM-related experiences from your high school years, either in or out of the classroom, and tell us how and why they activated your curiosity. What about them made you want to learn more and explore further? (Min: 100/Max: 200 words for each experience)

This prompt is asking you to discuss something you're passionate about. Your interests and activities outside of school and work can reveal a lot about the kind of person you are. As such, this prompt is a great opportunity to show how you exhibit the characteristics of the perfect Caltech candidate in your life experiences that don’t show up in your test scores and GPA.

Hopefully, thinking of a topic for this essay will be easy for you. You should write about a situation, story, or topic that gets you so engrossed and excited that it’s tough to tear yourself away from learning about it! Whether that’s reading up on the psychology of conspiracy theories or bird watching with your little brother, the most important thing is that you choose something that you’re deeply interested in. When you do that, admissions counselors will be able to feel your passion too!

Even though you probably could write pages and pages about the topic you choose, it’s important to keep things clear and concise here. Remember: you only have 200 words per topic to work with! To keep your essay focused, tell the story of how these experiences piqued your curiosity into the subject (or subjects) you’ve chosen to write about. You can describe your learning process, even if it’s quirky or unconventional. This is your chance to show Caltech how you choose to expand your mind when left to your own devices.

And that’s the most important thing to emphasize in your essay. Caltech is looking for students who don’t stop learning when the semester ends. The people who make a difference in the world are passionate, lifelong learners. This essay is your chance to show off your niche interests and prove to Caltech that you’re a lifelong learner too.

This guy would fit right in at Caltech.

Required Short Answer Question #2

The creativity, inventiveness, and innovation of Caltech's students, faculty, and researchers have won Nobel Prizes and put rovers on Mars , but Techers also imagine smaller scale innovations every day, from new ways to design solar cells to 3D printing dorm decor. How have you been an innovator in your own life? (Min: 200 / Max: 250)

This question is a great way for you to show off your skills! Maybe your insight helped your school’s robotics team take home first place, or maybe you found a way to streamline some part of your family’s day-to-day routine. You have a lot of options here, but make sure to keep your topic focused on STEM-related subjects. This is an excellent topic for a problem-and-solution essay: after all, your innovation will have improved a situation, right? You only have 250 words, so you’ll need to make them count! Caltech wants to see how your mind works : why were you driven to your chosen innovation? Were there any obstacles? What was the end result, and how was it received?

Remember:  you'll need to give the admissions counselors enough information that they can understand your innovation and  its impact. Be sure to answer both parts of this question so that you're fully addressing the prompt. 

It probably wasn't one of these kids who wrote these successful Caltech essays.

Required Short Answer Question #3

The process of discovery is best advanced when people from diverse backgrounds come together to solve the greatest challenges in their fields. How do your past experiences and present-day perspectives inform who you have become and how you navigate the world? (Min: 200 / Max: 250)

This is your chance to show Caltech what makes you tick, and how you’ve become who you are. Think back on the formative experiences in your life: your home, your family, your cultural background. How have they shaped you into who you are now and what you want? Show Caltech how you see the world, and why.

As always, you should remember to gear this toward STEM as much as you can: Caltech isn’t kidding when they tell you to “lean all the way in on the STEMiest of STEMmy topics.” The trick here is to show how your own lived experiences have informed your interest and perspective on the STEM subject that you’re most drawn to. Maybe you come from a family of artists, and their sense of aesthetics informs the way you design and present your projects. Maybe you have a different cultural background than most of your peers, which influences your thought processes.

Be sure to tell a story here so that you can connect with admissions counselors. For example, was there a formative experience in your childhood or youth that made you realize you stand out from your peers in some way? Was a family member or cultural tradition particularly influential?

CalTech Short Answer Questions

Along with longer essays, you'll also have to tackle a few short answer responses, too. We'll break them down below! 

Supplemental Short Answer Question #1

If there are aspects of your identity that you feel are not captured elsewhere in this application, please provide that information below. (Max: 150 words)

This is a pretty broad prompt! Unlike Required Question 3, which asks about your background, or Supplemental Question 2, which asks about your hobbies, this is about your identity, which includes both of those things and more! You have a lot of options here: think of past experiences that made you realize more about who you are and what you stand for. Maybe you stood up to a bully. Maybe you went stargazing with family or friends, and found yourself overwhelmed by the vastness of the universe. Just like with the other prompts, remember to be as specific as possible, and give examples.

Supplemental Short Answer Question #2

When not surveying the stars, peering through microscopes, or running through marathons of coding, Caltech students pursue an eclectic array of interests that range from speed-cubing to participating in varsity athletics to reading romance novels. What is a favorite interest or hobby and why does it bring you joy? (Max: 100 words)

This is a great prompt to answer, because it gives you the chance to show the admissions counselors more about who you are not just as a budding scholar but as a person. Here’s a chance to open up about, say, your passion for rock climbing or your increasingly-large collection of succulents. You only have 100 words, but try to go into as much detail as possible about how your hobby makes you feel. This is the place to be descriptive, and to show rather than tell.

Supplemental Short Answer Question #3

Did you have a hard time narrowing it down to just one interest or hobby? We understand – Caltech students like to stay busy, too – tell us about another hobby or interest! (Max: 50 words)

You've probably got more than one hobby you love. This is your chance to share that with admissions counselors at CalTech. You don't have much space, but help your readers understand why you're passionate about the hobby you choose. 

Caltech Essays That Worked

All this information is great, but it can still be tricky to understand exactly what Caltech wants to know until you've seen it demonstrated. Check out this accepted essay—and some tips from someone who took a serious risk—to learn more about what Caltech hopes to see in your essay!

Even though the example essays below respond to old essay prompts, there’s still a lot you can learn from them about how to write successful Caltech essays.

Martin Alternburg's Essay

I cross over the bridge into Minnesota. Out of my three sports, cross country is definitely my worst — but I continue to be hooked on it. Unlike swimming and track, my motivation to run is heavily intrinsic. I live for the long runs I take on by myself. While they rarely happen during our season, we were assigned a long run to complete over our first weekend of cross country. In reality, I was supposed to go six miles, but felt eight gave me more time to explore the home I had just returned to. My mind begins to wander as I once again find my rhythm. My train of thought while running is similar to the way one thinks in the minutes before sleep — except one has more control over how these thoughts progress and what tangents they move off of. While special relativity would be the "proper" thing to think about, especially at MITES, I revive the violin repertoire I had turned away from for so long and begin playing it in my head. I'm now at the edge of town in between the cornfields. The streaming floodlights on the open road give me a sense of lonely curiosity, reminiscent of the opening lines of Wieniawski's first violin concerto. I come up with adaptations of the melody in my head, experimenting with an atonality similar to Stravinsky's.

Martin Altenburg's essay is well-structured, using the narrative of a morning run to demonstrate all the things that run through his head, and, more importantly, all the unique traits that make him who he is.

From just these two paragraphs, we know he's a runner, that he's driven, that he strives for more than he thinks he's capable of, and that he knows music and composition. Because the essay is in a narrative format, we're able to follow this line of thinking and have it all wrapped up neatly at the end. We're drawn in by energetic and purposeful writing that also delivers us all the information we need.

Throughout the essay, Altenburg discusses his interests and his growth. His strategic use of locations in his hometown allows readers to understand where he comes from both literally and figuratively, especially the part about his beliefs and how the community he's grown up in have impacted them. All this is valuable information to an admissions office, who wants to see how you see yourself and why.

One thing to note about this essay is that it doesn't include any reference to Caltech. In fact, Altenburg used the same essay to apply to—and get into—eight different Ivy Leagues as well as some other schools. The essay was likely written as part of the Common or Coalition Application rather than as part of Altenburg's Caltech supplement, hence the lack of specificity. Your essays for the Caltech supplement should contain more specificity than this, as these essays are unique to Caltech and want to know exactly what draws you to that school above others.

Michelle Fan's Essay Reflection

"How do you believe Caltech will best fuel your intellectual curiosity and help you meet your goals?" If I had a few weeks, I might have done enough research to namedrop a few professors, rave about the strength of their computer science programs, and come up with a compelling story about all my professional goals. But I didn't have those few weeks, so I told them the unembellished, wholehearted truth: I said I have no idea what I want to do in life. All I knew was that I liked making calculator games and explosions and wanted to participate in the bread-throwing, water-dumping congregations otherwise known as Caltech house dinners. As it turns out, being yourself actually works. Shocker, I know. Colleges really do want to like you for you.

Michelle Fan doesn't post her Caltech essay directly, but she does talk about her process and what she discovered between her highly planned essays and the ones she wrote the day they were due.

Fan points out that her last-minute essays, the ones that she wrote from her heart rather than from her head, are the ones that got accepted. Though I definitely don't advocate for waiting until the same day that your essay is due to start writing it, it's a good message to keep in mind—when you're faced with an imminent deadline and you just need to get something out, your writing is probably more genuine than if you've been editing and revising it for ages.

But the big takeaway here should not be to wait until the last second to write your essay (please, don't do that!). The real lesson is that you should write in a way that is true to yourself, not a way that you think will impress admissions offices. You should be authentic and genuine, letting your personality and interests tell Caltech why you're a good fit.

If your essay looks like this, that's a good thing!

4 Key Tips for Writing a Caltech Essay

Like all college essays, there are some general things to keep in mind when working on your Caltech writing supplement. The earlier you get started, the better—take a little time to make sure that your essay is as polished as possible!

Brainstorming before you start writing will help you pick a topic that's both meaningful and impressive. Jotting down a list of ideas for each topic, no matter how silly they might feel at first impression, gives you options. Spend a little time away from your options so that you can pick the one that you feel most strongly about with less bias!

#2: Get People to Read Your Essays for You

Feedback is an important tool as a writer. Getting someone else to look at your work—preferably someone who will be honest about its shortcomings—will help you find logical holes, weird phrasing, and other errors that may creep into your work. When you feel like your essays are as polished as you can make them is a good time to hand them off to someone else. Remember, you don't have to make every change they suggest exactly as they suggest it, but if your reader is confused about something, see what you can do to make it clearer!

#3: Edit and Revise

Take that feedback you got from your reader and turn it into gold. Again, don't feel like their suggestions are always the right move, but do consider what's causing their confusion or dislike for parts of your essays. Fix them in your own voice, and re-read your essay, especially out loud, to catch any additional errors. The more time you can spend revising, the better!

#4: Be Authentic

Always remember that you're not just trying to impress Caltech with a bunch of statistics—you're trying to impress them as you. That means always staying true to yourself and striving for authenticity. Give Caltech an essay that showcases what it means to be you, not an essay that gives them what you think that they want to hear.

What's Next?

Need an even more in-depth guide to how to write a college essay ? Those tips will help you write a stellar essay from start to finish!

A strong essay is just one part of a successful Caltech application. Also look into Caltech's SAT scores and GPA requirements so you can draft an effective academic plan!

Before you send in your Caltech application, it's a smart idea to figure out how much money it's going to cost you to attend. How do Caltech's financial aid offerings measure up to tuition costs?

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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September 14, 2023

2023-2024 Caltech Supplemental Essay Prompts

The California Institute of Technology has released its supplemental essay prompts for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle. The school, one of the last among America’s elite universities to release their essays for applicants to the Class of 2028 , asks applicants to respond to several required and optional essays as well as short answers. These essays are, of course, in addition to The Common Application ’s Personal Statement. So, what are this year’s Caltech essays and how should they be approached? Let’s dive in!

2023-2024 California Institute of Technology Essay Topics and Questions

Required academic question.

Because of the rigorous courses in the core curriculum , Caltech students don’t declare a major until the end of their first year. However, some students arrive knowing which academic fields and areas already most excite them, or which novel fields and areas they most want to explore. (Max: 200 words)

If you had to choose an area of interest or two today, what would you choose? Why did you choose that area of interest?

This essay prompt is a straight-up-the-middle Why Major essay. Caltech’s admissions committee wants to understand the origin story of an applicant’s interest in the discipline they wish to study at Caltech. Yet, students should be sure to set that origin story during their high school years. Too often, students share stories about how they developed their academic interests as children. Admissions officers want to hear how students think now — not then.

Required Short Answer Questions

1. At Caltech, we investigate some of the most challenging, fundamental problems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Identify and describe  two  STEM-related experiences  from your high school years , either in or out of the classroom, and tell us how and why they activated your curiosity. What about them made you want to learn more and explore further?  (Min: 100/Max: 200 words for each experience)

Through anecdotes, this essay allows applicants to show rather than tell why they love the STEM fields. Students could write about a lab experiment from a physics course. They could write about independent research they did in engineering. The opportunities are endless — so long as the stories showcase a student’s passion for learning.

And note how Caltech’s admissions committee emphasizes that the examples should stem from high school. Remember when we said how examples should always stem from high school rather than childhood? Here, you’ll see the advice straight from the horse’s mouth.

As to the word count, students have 400 words for this essay. As Ivy Coach has long espoused on the pages of this college admissions blog , students should  always  use all of the real estate they’re given to make their case. Students should thus write up to the maximum word count of 400 words!

2. The creativity, inventiveness, and innovation of Caltech’s students, faculty, and researchers have won  Nobel Prizes  and put  rovers on Mars . But Techers also imagine smaller scale innovations every day, from new ways to design solar cells to how to 3D print dorm decor. How have you been a creator, inventor, or innovator in your own life?  (Min: 200 / Max: 250)

This essay is another excellent opportunity for students to share one small story about how they’ve developed something in the STEM field. And the example does not need to stem from award-winning research. It doesn’t need to be anything formal.

A great example would be seeing a problem on a bike ride to school and figuring out how to fix it. Maybe a student’s bike went over a pothole, so they designed a way to light up a grid on the road to identify when potholes were forthcoming. Caltech’s admissions committee wants to see how applicants think and how they’re creators and inventors even in life’s small moments.

3. Caltech’s mission – to cultivate learning, discovery, and innovation for the benefit of humanity – relies on its community members embracing fundamental Caltech values :

• Openness and enthusiasm for having preconceptions challenged
• Respect and appreciation for the idea that, while we are all members of the same community, the opportunities we’ve had to develop, showcase, and apply our talents have not been equal
• Passion for the ideal that science can and should meaningfully improve the lives of others

Share what one or more of these values evokes for you.  (Min: 200 / Max: 400)

In this essay, through one small example, applicants should showcase how they want to explore STEM to make our world better. Too often, students express grandiose plans — like ending climate change through the power of STEM. Instead, applicants would be better off focusing on a small issue and then highlighting how they hope to address it in their lifetime. 

Optional Short Answer Questions

1. If there are aspects of your life or social or personal identity that you feel are not captured elsewhere in this application, please tell us about them below.  (Max: 150 words)

While the United States Supreme Court outlawed Affirmative Action , Chief Justice John Roberts penned a loophole in the majority opinion. As he wrote, “Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”

This essay allows students to capitalize on this loophole by sharing their stories. And students do not need to be underrepresented minorities to have a story to tell here. Applicants could focus on their faith, community, sexual orientation, or gender identity — the possibilities are endless.

2. When not surveying the stars, peering through microscopes, or running through marathons of coding, Caltech students pursue an eclectic array of interests that range from speed-cubing to participating in varsity athletics to reading romance novels. What is a favorite interest or hobby, and why does it bring you joy?  (Max: 100 words)

While having a passion for the STEM fields is a prerequisite for Caltech, the admissions committee wants to know that you have interests beyond these disciplines. So here’s an excellent opportunity for applicants to showcase their love for poetry, history, foreign language, anthropology, or any other field. As long as applicants showcase their intellectual curiosity through their storytelling — ideally in an area outside of STEM — they’re on the right track.

3. Did you have a hard time narrowing it down to just one interest or hobby? We understand – Caltech students like to stay busy, too – tell us about another hobby or interest!  (Max: 50 words)

We encourage students to write about a hobby that highlights their intellectual curiosity. So many options would work here. It doesn’t need to be a hobby in which a student changes the world. Yet, it should showcase their intellectual curiosity. If they love tie-dying t-shirts, they should focus on the mathematics of creating extraordinary patterns.

Optional Academic Short Answer Questions

1. Have you had any extenuating circumstances (such as limited course selection or disruptions), that have affected your coursework, but that are not described elsewhere in your application? If so, tell us about them here.

While we at Ivy Coach are  always  in favor of responding to all optional essays — because no optional essay should be considered  optional  in elite college admissions — this prompt doesn’t apply to all students

 In fact, unless a student needs to explain a disruption in their learning during their high school years that is apparent on their transcript, we encourage the student not to answer this prompt. Too many students choose to answer prompts like these, and they do indeed come across as complainers. It does their candidacy a great disservice.

2. Some Caltech applicants engage in STEM competitions locally, nationally, or internationally (eg., AIME, Science Olympiad, International Science Olympiads). If you have received any STEM honors or awards, list them here (with scores, if applicable).

Hopefully, applicants have so many STEM awards that they couldn’t fit them all in the honors section of their Common Application. Here is the place to list them. And it should be a list — not an essay. It’s always critical to adhere to the directions.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Caltech Essays

If you’re interested in optimizing your case for admission to Caltech by submitting essays that will wow Caltech admissions officers, fill out Ivy Coach ’s free consultation form , and we’ll be in touch to outline our college counseling services for seniors.

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Caltech Supplemental Essays 2022-2023

Caltech supplemental essays 2022-23, quick facts- caltech essays.

• Caltech acceptance rate:   7%— U.S. News ranks Caltech as a most selective school.
• 1 (650 word) Personal Statement
• 1 (~200 word) Academic essay
• 1 (~200 word) Short answer essay
• 2 (~250 word) Short answer essays
• Caltech application: The Caltech application can be submitted via the Common App , Apply Coalition , Powered by Scoir , or through Questbridge . Make sure to check all of the Caltech application requirements. 
• Caltech supplemental essay tip: Your responses to the Caltech essay prompts are your chance to show your love of STEM . Use the opportunity to show how you would thrive in a STEM-focused environment. 

What are Caltech’s supplemental essays?

The Caltech supplemental essays are listed on the Common App website . You can also find the Caltech supplemental essays listed on Caltech’s website , alongside brief explanations of each prompt. 

Required Caltech supplemental essays and short answer questions:

1. Because of the rigorous core course curriculum, Caltech students don’t declare a major until the end of their first year. However, some students arrive knowing which academic fields and areas already most excite them, or which novel fields and areas they most want to explore.If you had to choose an area of interest or two today, what would you choose? Why did you choose that area of interest? (200 words )

2. At Caltech, we investigate some of the most challenging, fundamental problems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Identify and describe two STEM-related experiences from your high school years, either in or out of the classroom, and tell us how and why they activated your curiosity. What about them made you want to learn more and explore further? (100-200 words for each experience)

3. The creativity, inventiveness, and innovation of Caltech’s students, faculty, and researchers have won Nobel Prizes and put rovers on Mars, but Techers also imagine smaller scale innovations every day, from new ways to design solar cells to 3D printing dorm décor. How have you been an innovator in your own life? (200-250 words)

4. The process of discovery is best advanced when people from diverse backgrounds come together to solve the greatest challenges in their fields. How do your past experiences and present-day perspectives inform who you have become and how you navigate the world? (200-250 words)

Optional Caltech supplemental essays:

1. If there are aspects of your identity that you feel are not captured elsewhere in this application, please provide that information below. (150 words)

2. When not surveying the stars, peering through microscopes, or running through marathons of coding, Caltech students pursue an eclectic array of interests that range from speed-cubing to participating in varsity athletics to reading romance novels. What is a favorite interest or hobby and why does it bring you joy? (100 words)

3. Did you have a hard time narrowing it down to just one interest or hobby? We understand – Caltech students like to stay busy, too – tell us about another hobby or interest! (50 words)

4. Have you had any extenuating circumstances regarding your coursework (such as limited course selection or disruptions) not described elsewhere in your application? If so, tell us about them here.

5. Some Caltech applicants engage in STEM competitions locally, nationally, and internationally (such as AIME, Science Olympiad, International Science Olympiads.) If you have received any STEM honors or awards, list them here (and scores, if applicable).

You’ll notice that the first thing stated on the Caltech supplemental essays page is that Caltech is “unapologetically STEM.” So, Caltech admissions wants to read all about your STEM-specific experiences . When considering how to write Caltech essays, look first to the “what we look for” page on the Caltech site. This is a cohesive list of what admissions looks for in applicants. 

Notably, the Caltech supplemental essays do not ask students to write a “Why Caltech essay.” However, just because there is no “Why Caltech essay” doesn’t mean that you can’t show the admissions team why you belong at a science and engineering powerhouse like Caltech . So, think of these essays as your chance to show how you’ll contribute to the Caltech community. 

Whenever possible and relevant, reference specific Caltech programs, classes, professors, and organizations that you would take advantage of. The Caltech admissions process extends beyond the admissions office alone. In fact, the Caltech supplemental essays are read directly by faculty. With a 3:1 student to faculty ratio at Caltech, it may not be a surprise that students closely interact with their professors. 

Later in this guide, we will break down each of the Caltech essay prompts in more detail. This should give you an idea of Caltech supplemental essay examples, both required and optional.

How many essays does Caltech require?

Caltech requires students to complete four Caltech essay prompts .

These Caltech essay prompts ask students to reflect on their experiences, interests, and character. You should also use the Caltech essay prompts to discuss your STEM experiences. Prime Caltech supplemental essay examples will encompass who you are within the context of STEM programs . 

Additionally, there are five optional Caltech essay prompts that students can respond to. Caltech stresses that these Caltech essays are optional. We’ll get into specifics later about these optional Caltech essays. This may help you determine if and when to respond to each of the optional Caltech supplemental essays. 

How to Write Caltech Essays

So, how do you answer the Caltech supplemental essays?

Since each of the four required Caltech essays has a 200-250 word maximum, you will want to focus on both content and execution in your writing process. As we’ll discuss, each of the Caltech supplemental essays asks students to reflect on a particular experience or interest. 

To maximize your Caltech essays, you’ll want to offer a brief summary of each experience of an event. Then, use the bulk of your essay to reveal how this experience or event influenced your broader character. Specifically, when focusing on how to write Caltech essays, reflect on your STEM experiences. You may want to write about STEM research in your Caltech supplemental essays. The admissions committee should come away from your Caltech supplemental essays with a clear conception of who you are and the kind of community member you would be on the Caltech campus. 

Caltech Essay Prompts #1 

If you had to choose an area of interest or two today, what would you choose why did you choose that area of interest (200 words).

The first of the four required Caltech essay prompts asks applicants to write “why major essays.” Caltech makes it clear that students aren’t expected to know their major. In fact, students actually can’t declare a major until after their first year. So, undecided students shouldn’t stress too much about their choice of major in these “why major essays.” Students are in no way obligated to study the major in which they reference in their why major essays. 

To answer the first of the Caltech supplemental essays, students should reflect on why they want to attend a STEM-forward university such as Caltech. Think about more than just the Caltech ranking and Caltech acceptance rate. What made you first fall in love with STEM? What specific programs are offered at Caltech and nowhere else? Are you planning to go pre med and hoping to study science at one of the best institutions for STEM? Do some research on the Caltech website in order to reference specific details on programs, internships, research, or faculty.  

Think about the “why”

After having decided an area of interest to write about in this Caltech supplemental essay, focus on the “why” part. Successful “why major essays” will explain why you need to study that major in that particular school. They’ll draw from both personal and academic experiences. Students should also discuss how studying this major would influence their future career goals. 

Let’s say you decide to focus on chemistry. You could discuss how your AP Chemistry course challenged your previous understanding of science. Or maybe a specific experiment stands out in your mind as the point when you knew chemistry was for you. Or perhaps it was the teacher that made an impact on your life. Whatever the reason, reference an academic or personal experience that told you this was the major for you. If you can get more specific than just “chemistry,” such as organic or inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, theoretical chemistry, etc., that’s even better.

Reflection Questions for Caltech Essays:

• Do you choose an area of interest that genuinely excites you?
• Does your essay talk about Caltech specific programs and offerings?
• Do you tie your study interest to your future and career goals ?

Caltech Essay Prompts #2

Identify and describe two stem-related experiences from your high school years, either in or out of the classroom, and tell us how and why they activated your curiosity. what about them made you want to learn more and explore further (100-200 words per experience).

Similar to the “why major essays,” successful Caltech supplemental essays for this prompt will show applicants’ love of STEM. However, the difference between these two Caltech essay prompts is that the first should focus on a specific area of interest offered at Caltech. The second, however, asks students what sparked their interest in STEM in general during high school. 

We probably don’t have to mention that figuring out how to get into Caltech should start with a passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering , Math ) programs. That being said, students will likely have a number of experiences to reference in their Caltech essays. Start by brainstorming some of the most impactful STEM moments of your high school career. 

Are you in the robotics club and spend your free time tweaking your newest room cleaning robot? Or have you just led your team to the finals of your state’s math competition? Did you participate in a STEM summer program ? Or, maybe it’s nothing too outwardly dramatic. It could be something as simple as an experiment in biology class that ignited your curiosity. 

Make a list and choose two experiences that evoke emotion surrounding choosing STEM. Caltech admissions wants to see serious STEM applicants in these Caltech supplemental essays. Show through your two chosen experiences that you are passionate and committed to a STEM education.

When writing, you’ll also need to show why you want to further study STEM. How have these experiences shaped your future goals and intellectual curiosity? California Institute of Technology seeks students who will pursue their interests, contribute to a thriving intellectual community, and still love learning even when classes get difficult. 

• Does your draft sincerely convey your inspiration and excitement?
• Do you choose two specific STEM related experiences?
• Do you show how these experiences have affected your future studies?

Caltech Essay Prompts #3

The creativity, inventiveness, and innovation of caltech’s students, faculty, and researchers have won nobel prizes and put rovers on mars , but techers also imagine smaller scale innovations every day, from new ways to design solar cells to 3d printing dorm décor. how have you been an innovator in your own life (200-250 words).

When planning how to write Caltech essays, you may think that you only need to focus on STEM-related topics and experiences. Of course, Caltech admissions shamelessly states that they want to hear about as much STEM topics as possible in students’ Caltech supplemental essays. However, they also look for critical thinkers with the ability to problem solve. This prompt asks applicants to think about times when they had to create their own innovative solutions to problems. 

If you can think of STEM related instances, great. However, if not, don’t stress. Successful Caltech essays responding to this prompt will just show how you creatively found solutions to an issue you were facing. 

Let’s say your doorbell was broken for months. No one in your household seemed too concerned about it, but one day you miss an important package that you’d been looking forward to receiving. You decide to take matters into your own hands and fashion your own doorbell with some tips from the employee at your local hardware store. Problem solved. 

Solving problems

Any version of that hypothetical story will work in this Caltech supplemental essay. There’s a problem that needs to be solved, and you do so. If you’re stuck, try to focus on your strengths. Are you hard-working, creative, motivated, or curious? Highlight these strengths in the examples you come up with for this essay. 

You have to fall within 200-250 words, so you can use multiple anecdotes here. However, keep it focused—limit yourself to one or two topics. Make a list and choose the instances that show your most innovative, creative, and unique solutions to personal problems while highlighting your strengths. 

Reflection Questions for Caltech Essay:

• Does your essay show that you are innovative and creative?
• Do you discuss specific examples and solutions that you came up with?
• Does your essay give Caltech admissions a better picture of who you are and what you would bring to the campus?

Caltech Essay Prompts #4

The process of discovery is best advanced when people from diverse backgrounds come together to solve the greatest challenges in their fields. how do your past experiences and present-day perspectives inform who you have become and how you navigate the world (200-250 words).

Think about the most important parts of who you are. What makes you you? How have you become that way? Focus on your background and how it has shaped you. Are you about to be a first generation college student? Do you come from a small, close knit town? Has a certain culture or language greatly influenced your upbringing? What communities do you belong to? 

Background can refer to endless things; choose something that resonates deeply with you. It should be something that has greatly impacted you and how you maneuver through the world. Try to avoid cliche topics when writing this essay. Remember that your background can mean anything.

Maybe your mom is a chef at a five-star restaurant and you grew up in the kitchen. Paint a picture of life in a chaotic, fast-paced environment and what it taught you. Successful Caltech essays will be creative while answering the Caltech supplemental prompts. Start with a hook and then expand on how it has impacted you. 

• Do you draw on personal experiences from your background?
• Is it evident what an impact those experiences have had on who you are today?
• Do you show how your background affects your worldview or experiences?

Caltech Supplemental Essays: Optional Short Answer Questions

On their website, Caltech prefaces these optional essays by saying that they are “optional opportunities to show us more of your personality.” Before even getting into the optional Caltech essay prompts, admissions reiterates that they are in fact optional by stating: “Optional. We Promise.”

Basically, you can choose whether to answer these Caltech essay prompts or not. However, there are certain optional Caltech essay prompts that you should opt to answer if you want your Caltech application to be as competitive as possible. 

Optional Caltech Essays #1

If there are aspects of your identity that you feel are not captured elsewhere in this application, please provide that information below. (150 words).

If you struggled to fit all of your meaningful, personality-forming experiences and background information into the last Caltech supplemental essay, then this is your opportunity to add more. 

Continuing with our last example in the previous Caltech supplemental essay, let’s say that you wrote about growing up in a fancy restaurant’s kitchen because of your mom’s profession. Maybe in the last essay, you wrote about how you learned to think on your feet in a high-pressure environment, which has made you the decisive person that you are today. You may want to add onto this by talking about the different cultures that you experienced in the kitchen. Did you become close with the sous chef who was from Italy? Did it inspire a gap year or summer trip to Italy that changed your life?

Or maybe you want to talk about a completely different community that has shaped you. Maybe you’ve grown up training ballet in every moment of your spare time, which has built discipline and pushed you to achieve. If you can talk about how a certain community has formed you, and your story will add value to your Caltech application, then answer this prompt. 

However, if you were struggling with the last of the Caltech essay prompts that touched on background and feel as though you have nothing to add, then feel free to skip this essay.  

Optional Caltech Essays #2

When not surveying the stars, peering through microscopes, or running through marathons of coding, caltech students pursue an eclectic array of interests that range from speed-cubing to participating in varsity athletics to reading romance novels. what is a favorite interest or hobby and why does it bring you joy (100 words).

While the first of the optional Caltech supplemental essays is actually optional, we recommend considering the second of the Caltech essays as required. The goal of this Caltech supplemental essay is to see who you are outside of STEM-related hobbies and interests. While admissions wants to see that you love all things STEM, they also want to learn about your other interests. They understand the importance of having some sort of outlet from academics or work. 

Use this Caltech supplemental essay to talk about a hobby that you haven’t mentioned elsewhere. Basically, don’t just repeat your extracurricular activities. That certainly won’t do anything to help you beat the Caltech acceptance rate and impress admissions. Talk about something that will demonstrate a new skill or interest. Don’t forget to mention why this activity is worth writing about. What impact has it had on your life?

To start writing this essay, make a list of all of your activities. Hone in on the ones that are most important to you. Make sure they haven’t been mentioned elsewhere in your Caltech application. Then, choose the topic that interests you the most. 

Consider the following questions:

• Which activity elicits the most emotion? 
• What hobby could you not live without? 
• Which interest has made an impact on who you are today?

Successful Caltech essays will not only mention the activity but also explain why it brings joy. Feel free to get creative when responding to this prompt. Make sure that admissions can feel your passion for this topic. 

Optional Caltech Essays #3

Did you have a hard time narrowing it down to just one interest or hobby we understand – caltech students like to stay busy, too – tell us about another hobby or interest (50 words).

This is another of the optional Caltech supplemental essays that is definitely optional. No tricks here. If you are a true hobbyist and have various activities that define you, then feel free to take on this Caltech supplemental essay. 

Was your list of interests from the last essay spilling onto multiple pages? Great. Students writing their Caltech supplemental essays shouldn’t skimp on passion. However, these Caltech supplemental essays will have to be more succinct, as you only have 50 words. 

Stay creative, just as you were with your last essay. Show why this activity brings you such joy and how it has been such a formative part of your being. Just be sure to do so concisely. 

Caltech Supplemental Essays: Optional Academic Short Answer Questions

The optional academic Caltech supplemental essays are completely optional. Students should only submit Caltech essays for this section if they truly feel the need to. 

There is no word count listed on these Caltech essay prompts, so these Caltech supplemental essays should be concise. This isn’t the time to write a novel. Answer these Caltech supplemental essay prompts succinctly and comprehensively. 

Caltech Essay Prompts #1

Have you had any extenuating circumstances regarding your coursework (such as limited course selection or disruptions) not described elsewhere in your application if so, tell us about them here..

Successful essays to the previous optional Caltech supplemental essays are creative, captivating, and passionate . These final Caltech supplemental essays don’t need to tick the same boxes. These Caltech essays serve to fill any mysterious gaps in the rest of your Caltech application. 

This Caltech supplemental essay specifically asks you to explain any extenuating circumstances that may be noticeable in the coursework noted in your application . If you’ve had access to all the STEM, AP, and IB courses, then there’s no need to respond to this prompt. However, if you attended a school with limited resources and offerings, then you should mention that here. 

Some Caltech applicants engage in STEM competitions locally, nationally, and internationally (such as AIME, Science Olympiad, International Science Olympiads.) If you have received any STEM honors or awards, list them here (and scores, if applicable).

While these Caltech supplemental essays are included with the other Caltech essays, they’re not really essays. They actually want you to list your honors or awards related to STEM here. 

Only respond to this Caltech supplemental essay if you have received STEM related honors or awards. Don’t set the scene of the science competition where you won first place. There are other Caltech supplemental essays where you can do that. Simply list your specific STEM accomplishments.

How much does Caltech care about essays?

Through the Caltech essays, the admissions committee gains a glimpse into who you are as a student, peer, scientist, and individual. Keep in mind that they don’t know what you don’t tell them. Look at your application as a whole—including your Common App essay —and think critically about whether you have included as many facets of yourself as you can. Your Caltech application requirements should do more than just check boxes; they should tell your story , showing why you belong at Caltech. 

The Caltech ranking is #9 on U.S. News’ Best National Universities list. With the Caltech ranking so high, it makes sense that the Caltech acceptance rate is 4% . Every applicant will have an above average GPA and impressive extracurriculars. So, the Caltech supplemental essays are a chance to stand out . Successful Caltech supplemental essays will add to students’ application narratives. Planning how to get into Caltech involves thoughtfully and carefully answering the Caltech supplemental essays.  

Beyond the numbers

The Caltech essay prompts seek to understand who you are rather than just what’s on your resume. This demonstrates the value of the Caltech essays. Since Caltech is test-blind until 2025, you should maximize each essay as an opportunity to help the admissions team get to know you. Test blind schools, unlike test-optional schools, don’t want any ACT/SAT test scores submitted. Basically, Caltech won’t even look at standardized test scores. However, they will pay close attention to the Caltech supplemental essays. 

Check out this webinar to make sure you stand out as a STEM applicant. 

Five Tips for Writing Caltech Essays

Writing comprehensive and meaningful Caltech essays doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We’ve compiled our top 5 tips for how to write Caltech essays that impress admissions. 

Five Tips for Writing Caltech Essays: 

#1- meet the deadlines.

This may seem obvious, but there’s no way that you will figure out how to get into Caltech if you don’t submit your Caltech application requirements by the deadlines . The Regular Decision deadline is January 3rd . The Restrictive Early Action deadline is November 1st . Learn more about applying Early Action in our article .

#2- Don’t rush the writing process

Yes, you know you have to write and submit your Caltech essays by the deadline. However, that doesn’t mean that you should be scrambling to brainstorm, draft, edit, and revise your Caltech supplemental essays the night before they’re due. 

#3- Carefully choose your topics

This is why it’s important to give yourself plenty of time to write your Caltech supplemental essays. You only have one chance to impress the admissions committee. You should have various topics to choose from after brainstorming. Write essays on the topics that you are most passionate about. 

#4- Get creative

The greatest scientists are extremely creative innovators. Use your essays to creatively write on the topics you’re given. As long as you comprehensively and thoughtfully answer the prompt, a creative writing style will only bolster your Caltech essays.

#5- Ask for help

You certainly don’t have to take on your Caltech essays completely alone. Have someone else look at your completed Caltech essays. While they should check mechanics, also ask them for feedback on what they’ve learned about you through your Caltech essays. When implementing their feedback, maintain your own voice and style. 

Caltech Supplemental Essays — Final Thoughts

The Caltech supplemental essays are a key part of your application. The Caltech acceptance rate is low. Maximizing your admissions odds will take acing every part of the application process, including the Caltech supplemental essays. 

Remember to be clear, concise , and specific while telling authentic stories in your essays. Reference STEM-related subjects as much as possible. However, do so in a natural manner. Use the essays as a chance to supplement the quantitative parts of your application such as your grades and GPA with qualitative attributes of who you are as a student, person, and peer.

This Caltech essay guide on was written by Sarah Kaminski. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeA d visor.com can support you in the college application process.

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Blog > Essay Advice , Private University , Supplementals > How to Write the Caltech Supplemental Essays

How to Write the Caltech Supplemental Essays

Admissions officer reviewed by Ben Bousquet, M.Ed Former Vanderbilt University

Written by Alex McNeil, MA Admissions Consultant

Key Takeaway

The California Institute of Technology, or Caltech for short, is a small but highly selective school that focuses primarily on STEM disciplines.

The Caltech supplemental essays are divided into two groups: required and optional. You’ll have five required essays to write (that’s quite a few!) and three optional essays to choose from.

Let’s start with the required essays.

Required Caltech Essays

Before you write anything, Caltech asks you to use a drop-down menu to choose an academic area that interests you. Don’t worry—this isn’t a declaration of your major. In fact, at Caltech, you don’t have to declare a major until the end of your first year.

But your first essay question revolves around the academic area you select, so choose whatever calls most to you right now.

Here’s the first prompt:

Why did you choose that area of interest? (200 words)

In this why this major or academic interest essay, you’ll want to be clear about the why behind your interest in that particular area.

Were you inspired by an experience or person? Is there a question that fascinates you? Is it related to a career goal?

In your answer, feel free to highlight any relevant accomplishments you have. For example, if you chose chemical engineering and you spent your junior year summer helping a chemistry professor with research, then bring it up!

This is also a place to draw upon any related references to Caltech itself. What about their program entices you? Are there any specific opportunities you’re interested in?

The next two questions go hand in hand. You’ve got 200 words to answer each of them. Here’s the main prompt:

At Caltech, we investigate some of the most challenging, fundamental problems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Identify and describe two STEM-related experiences from your high school years, either in or out of the classroom, and tell us how and why they activated your curiosity.  What about them made you want to learn more and explore further?

STEM experience/activity #1

STEM experience/activity #2

These essays are your opportunity to highlight special projects or accomplishments that show magnitude, reach, and impact .

Because Caltech asks for STEM-related experiences or activities, you’ll need to choose something that relates to science, technology, engineering, or math. This isn’t the time to take a creative twist on the prompt (”Writing poetry was like science to me!”) because your essays will be read alongside applications from some of the best high school scientists in the world.

As you answer, don’t forget to address the three main questions of the prompt:

Identify and describe the experience. It can be in or out of the classroom.

Explain how it “activated your curiosity.”

Explain how it made you want to learn and explore more.

Feel free to nerd out a little and go in-depth on a topic you’re passionate about. It can complement, be related to, or be completely different from your answer to prompt #1. Just think about how all of your supplemental essays will work together to form one overall narrative .

The creativity, inventiveness, and innovation of Caltech’s students, faculty, and researchers have won  Nobel Prizes  and put  rovers on Mars , but Techers also imagine smaller scale innovations every day, from new ways to design solar cells to 3D printing dorm decor. How have you been an innovator in your own life? (250 words)

In your essay, you can take “innovator” literally or figuratively. Either way, you’ll want to balance your answer to this question with your answers to the previous two.

If you’ve literally innovated something, now’s your time to shine. Did you create an app to help your classmates study for your French final? Did you design a website for your mom’s small business or develop a code to count cars ? Draw out the key points for your admissions officers, and make sure it’s clear why your innovation mattered (to you and to those around you).

Or, if you haven’t literally innovated something, you might think about innovation more metaphorically and use this prompt to show admissions officers a softer or more creative side of yourself. Maybe you innovated a new way to teach algebra to your tutee or rediscovered the design for The Apple Picker 5000 that you drew up when you were five years old. Just be sure to draw out what it all means for who you are as a technical innovator now.

The process of discovery is best advanced when people from diverse backgrounds come together to solve the greatest challenges in their fields. How do your past experiences and present-day perspectives inform who you have become and how you navigate the world? (250 words)

By this point, you’ve shown Caltech admissions officers your academic and technical side and maybe let them in on a few important stories from your life.

With this final required prompt, it’s time to dig a little deeper. This is a diversity essay .

Caltech admissions officers will know from the rest of your application why you’ll make a good scientist. Now you need to show them who you are as a person.

Feel free to write about any area of your identity that has shaped your perspectives. Also pay attention to the wording of the prompt: admissions officers want to know about your past experiences AND present-day perspectives. What’s more, they specifically want to know how they inform 1) who you’ve become, and 2) how you navigate the world.

You could write about a particular part of your upbringing, what it’s like to live in the world with a particular identity, or even an impactful experience you had that changed your perspective.

Optional Short Answer Questions

Here’s what Caltech says about the “optional” designation: “Optional. We promise.”

Take their word for it. Choosing not to answer these questions won’t automatically get your application tossed into the reject bin.

But choosing not to answer them is also a choice not to add to your cohesive application narrative . Answering the questions can give admissions officers more information to get to know you with (and therefore more data to base an admissions decision on!).

Let’s take a look at the optional prompts.

If there are aspects of your identity that you feel are not captured elsewhere in this application, please provide that information below. (150 words)

You may have covered everything you needed to cover in the last required prompt, but this prompt gives you more space if there’s something else you want to convey.

Applicants answering this prompt might choose to write about gender identity or sexuality, race or ethnicity, ability or disability, class, or general background information.

Whatever you write about, make sure there’s a clear takeaway for admissions officers.

When not surveying the stars, peering through microscopes, or running through marathons of coding, Caltech students pursue an eclectic array of interests that range from speedcubing to participating in varsity athletics to reading romance novels. What is a favorite interest or hobby and why does it bring you joy? (100 words)

The other required and optional prompts are all pretty straightforward. But this one gives you leeway to show some personality.

Note the emphasis on “joy” in the prompt. This isn’t just about a hobby that you’ve excelled at or participated in for a long time. It’s about describing something that makes you genuinely happy, even if it’s not a world-changing activity.

Think of your answer to this prompt as the sprinkles on top of your application. It’s a way to have some fun and add a little narrative diversity.

Did you have a hard time narrowing it down to just one interest or hobby? We understand – Caltech students like to stay busy, too – tell us about another hobby or interest!  (50 words)

And here you can elaborate just a little more on a secondary hobby if you’d like. Just make sure it’s actually adding valuable information to your file, otherwise admissions officers may simply skim it and move on.

And with that, you’ll have written all your Caltech supplemental essays! Remember: you have to answer the first four, but you aren’t required to write any in the last set unless you want to.

Whichever ones you write will all work towards your cohesive application narrative , so think about them each as an opportunity to advocate for your admission. Make them count.

You’ve got this!

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How to Write the Caltech Supplemental Essays 2020-2021

We’ve updated this post! Read the  2021-2022 Caltech essay guide .

Ranked #12 (tie) in National Universities by the US News and World Report, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is one of the best STEM schools in the country. Just 11 miles northeast of LA, the Pasadena-based college is known for everything from excellent weather and student-served dining traditions to theory-focused coursework and a large diversity of research. With just a 6.2% acceptance rate, the university remains extremely selective in their admissions.

The actual application for Caltech has four main supplemental essay questions primarily aimed at understanding the applicant’s STEM experience and fervor. As you begin thinking about writing the Caltech supplemental essays, it’s important to think of them as a portfolio working together, where the content should balance well without seeming repetitive. Overall, they are looking for someone who will stand out in their tech community, but that doesn’t preclude you from showing other important facets of your background and interests in the application as well. Want to know your chances at Caltech? Calculate your chances for free right now.

Want to learn what Caltech will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take? Here’s what every student considering Caltech needs to know.

How to Write the Caltech Essays

Prompt 1: Describe three experiences and/or activities that have helped develop your passion for a possible career in a STEM field. Use the separate spaces provided below, one for each STEM experience and/or activity. (10-120 words each)

Prompt 2: Much like the life of a professional scientist or engineer, the life of a “Techer” relies heavily on collaboration. Knowing this, what do you hope to explore, innovate, or create with your Caltech peers? (250-400)

Prompt 3: Caltech students are often known for their sense of humor and creative pranks. What do you like to do for fun? (250-400)

Prompt 4: The process of discovery best advances when people from various backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives come together. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity of Caltech’s community? (250-400)

All Applicants—Prompt 1

Describe three experiences and/or activities that have helped develop your passion for a possible career in a stem field. use the separate spaces provided below, one for each stem experience and/or activity. (10-120 words per activity).

This essay functions as a set of three mini essays , which allows Caltech to take their own spin on the popular activity-based prompt without the usual 150 word cap on a singular activity. As you approach this set of prompts, think about which three experiences you would like to expand on as an opportunity to include a few more details that would not fit in the character-tight Common App activities list.

Similarly to your activities list, you should order them based on overall significance/priority and make sure that you are not including any repeat information. For example, if you are part of a robotics team as both a member of the drive team and also a CAD designer, you should still consolidate separate roles as just one STEM activity – robotics.

Since the word count for each activity is still limited to just 120 words each , your descriptions should be direct and carefully thought out to maximize space. Although the prompt is asking for you to explain activities that have helped you develop your passion, that doesn’t mean you need to touch base on how exactly they developed your passion in each since you won’t have enough room. Caltech has also eliminated any need to transition between activities by adding three different text box spaces to keep them segregated.

Once you have drafted these mini essays, double check to make sure someone reading them from an outsider perspective will have a clear understanding of the activity . Clarify your acronyms and use terms that will be accessible especially if you are referencing something local or unusual in your activity descriptions.

All Applicants—Prompt 2

Much like the life of a professional scientist or engineer, the life of a “techer” relies heavily on collaboration. knowing this, what do you hope to explore, innovate, or create with your caltech peers (250-400 words).

Admissions officers can already tell from your activities list, grades, and test scores that you’re willing to put your intellect to work to achieve your goals. Still, success in most fields requires playing well with others alongside a solid drive. Remember, universities want to build a well-rounded class of students who possess the communication skills needed to contribute their unique talents to a collective cause.

Collaboration is one of Caltech’s professed values, and this essay is your chance to show that it’s one of yours too. 

Additionally, this prompt contains a bit of a “Why Caltech” element, as they are seeking to understand which resources and opportunities you will take advantage of in engaging with your Caltech community. As with any “ Why This College? ” prompt, the key here is specificity, specificity, and more specificity . There are plenty of fantastic STEM-focused schools out there —MIT, Johns Hopkins, and Harvey Mudd, to name a few, so what makes Caltech special to you, and how will you contribute to their special community?

With your 400-word limit in mind, feel free to briefly touch upon your past collaborative experiences, but focus on your takeaways regarding which elements of these experiences you most enjoyed, what you learned from them, and which collaborative skills you’ll bring to the Caltech campus. Here’s where you get into your interests within STEM, making sure to mention the specific opportunities—including research, academic offerings, programs, and facilities—which will allow you to reach your goals while working with others. 

Since Caltech values contribution as well as collaboration, don’t shy away from potentially starting something new! Perhaps you would like to start a new club, company, or nonprofit; just make sure it will bring something truly original and previously unexplored on the Caltech campus. 

For example, you could discuss your dream of creating a company that uses neural networks to conduct customer research through use of the resources at Caltech’s CAST, or Center of Autonomous Systems and Technologies. While you have deep knowledge and experience in neural networking, you’ll turn to your classmates for their skills in web design, data analysis, and more, which you recognize as equally essential skills. 

Explain what you’ll bring to the table and show healthy humility in exploring what you hope to learn and gain from the classmates you collaborate with. After all, one of the best things about college is the people you meet there. 

All Applicants—Prompt 3

Caltech students are often known for their sense of humor and creative pranks. what do you like to do for fun (250-400 words).

This prompt can be one of the most entertaining to write and read because of the opportunity to present the admissions office with an amalgamation of weird topics. Applicants can explore their quirky side with this prompt by writing about unique hobbies or interesting personality oddities.

The main point of the question is to invite students to take a more relaxed approach to writing about themselves. It brings the application to life by asking you to write only about your own personality and humor , which feels more open than other essays that ask you to answer a specific question on something like a challenge you’ve faced or a person you admire. While answering both of those prompts still offers insight into who the author is, they are fundamentally centralized around another topic or person, which is why Caltech cuts straight to the chase with this prompt to get you know you better.

The admissions office is looking for an authentic and fun 400 word portrayal of your character that could distinctly identify you from a crowd of essays. If you got to meet your admissions officer in person, and only had 60 seconds to pitch yourself without using anything from your activities or awards, what would you say first? Think of this essay’s tone as similar to the “letter to your roommate” type essays where you want to showcase quirky qualities and experiences related to your hobbies.

When thinking of unusual activities to include, we advise applicants to be careful with content related to contentious topics or politics (i.e. if one of your hobbies is to photograph/meme political campaign signs around your hometown or to actively moderate a controversial subreddit, don’t indicate which party/ideology/position you tend to support even through jokes or minor references).

While including pastimes that are extremely common like watching Netflix or pranking your friends might not stand out, adding specificity will. For example, you could talk in more detail about these activities by explaining how you love to memorize passages from Netflix comedy specials to pull out random Ali Wong impressions whenever possible or how you have a child-like obsession for food pranks and once ate an entire mayo-container full of vanilla pudding in front of your robotics team on the bus, etc. These “mini anecdotes” can elevate even the most generic topics throughout your essay.

Overall, if your essays starts to feel too “list-y,” remember to break up the examples with more detail and insights into your own personality as well!

All Applicants—Prompt 4

The process of discovery best advances when people from various backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives come together. how do you see yourself contributing to the diversity of caltech’s community (250-400 words).

In this final prompt, Caltech asks applicants to directly address their own background and demonstrate that their contributions in high school will continue once they attend college as well.

For example, a student could talk about how they grew up obsessed with oral storytelling and how that has helped their roles as a speaker during group projects and presentations as well. Expansion on the imagery behind stories they once told and additional detail on the engineering/research/robotics projects where they have used these skills since then could provide the main essay points leading into their hypothetical future contributions at Caltech.

One critical note is that this prompt can quickly morph into a response that is very similar to prompt #2 where applicants are answering what they “ hope to explore, innovate, or create with [their] Caltech peers?” Since these both reference how the student will contribute to Caltech in the future, it’s helpful to make sure the content does not overlap at all. Focus on the key differences in what they are asking, where one is targeted more specifically on collaborating with innovation, and another asks about diversity and background contributing to a community.

This prompt also leaves the door open for particularly interesting responses. CollegeVine’s 2016 Caltech Essay guide encouraged students to approach this type of question by talking about how you will enhance Caltech’s diversity of thought through how you generate ideas, how you analyze problems, or how you approach academic challenges.

Ideally, these topics would paired with some sort of supporting anecdote , and then tied to your ability to solve typical engineering or academic problems. An example also given in the previous guide shows how you could answer this prompt by discussing how your observational nature allowed you to find several potential water leaks in your basement that no one else did, allowing your family to prevent the leaks. Then, you could link your powers of observation to a potential role as a trouble-shooter on academic projects.

Some questions about this type of prompt that we see from students are:

Q: Should we write about how our background influences what we want to major in for this prompt?

A: While you do not need to write about your intended major for this prompt, it could serve as a good way to wrap up your application package if you think your interest hasn’t been clearly indicated already.

Q: Is it better if I center it around one key element of my background/perspective?

A: Since this prompt doesn’t specify choosing one, you do have the option to touch on a few different elements or ideas if you can clearly draw a connection or overarching theme between them. Be careful not to lose depth or end up listing instead of utilizing anecdotes.

Q: How can I use this essay to talk about my research/internship/extracurricular if I haven’t been able to include information about it elsewhere?

A: Many students have been involved in internships, summer programs, etc. that they would like to highlight somewhere in their application. If you don’t provide more detail in the above essays, you may want to incorporate it into this prompt without losing focus on how it relates to your background. It can be difficult controlling how much information you give to explain the program or activity since you really need the word count for connecting it to your perspective and the future elements. We also tend see a lot of generalizations for brevity like, “it was difficult”, or “it was extremely inspiring”, without painting the picture of why with imagery or tangible examples to add evidence.

As you work on these essays, try to choose topics that you genuinely care about. This will help you in devoting much more time to them, resulting in higher quality essays . Since Caltech admissions are extremely selective, there’s a good deal of pressure on both the content and execution of all your application’s essays.

Remember that it is the admissions office’s job to read through thousands of these essays each year and discern whether you would be a good fit, so avoid topics that are even vaguely cliché. As you read through your finals essays, be brutally honest with yourself about whether you would enjoy the essay you’ve written from an outsider’s perspective. Pay close attention to your opening sentences and comb through each section carefully for grammar errors. Overall, do your best to put in the effort on essays that you feel are unique, meaningful, and well-organized.

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Caltech Supplemental Essays 2024 | Strategies and Insights for Success

With a minuscule 2.7% acceptance rate, Caltech stands as one of the most fiercely competitive institutions in the country. Remarkably, Caltech has upheld its test-blind admissions policy throughout the pandemic, a stance expected to persist until 2025. This means that the admissions committee does not currently factor ACT or SAT scores into their decision-making process. Consequently, Caltech places significant emphasis on the five supplemental essay prompts required from all applicants.

Before delving into an exploration of Caltech’s 2023-24 essay prompts, it’s important to note that the admissions committee has provided detailed guidance for three of the five required essays. Therefore, our advice for these particular essays will be succinct yet insightful.

Also read Caltech Acceptance Rate | Strategies and Insights for Admission Success 2024 

Caltech Supplemental Essays

Prompt #1: choosing your area of interest (required).

Why did you choose that area of interest? (200 words)

Craft a compelling narrative detailing the origin and evolution of your passion for your chosen academic pathway. Share personal anecdotes, experiences, and influences that have shaped your interest. Highlight your hunger for knowledge beyond the classroom and tie your passions to specific academic opportunities at Caltech.

Prompts #2 & #3: STEM Experiences (Required)

Identify and describe two STEM-related experiences from your high school years, either in or out of the classroom, and tell us how and why they activated your curiosity. (100-200 words for each experience)

Share engaging accounts of STEM-related experiences that ignited your curiosity and propelled your learning journey. Whether formal or informal, inside or outside the classroom, delve into the specifics of each experience and its impact on your intellectual growth. Illustrate your insatiable thirst for knowledge and your commitment to exploring the realms of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Prompt #4: Creativity and Innovation (Required)

How have you been a creator, inventor, or innovator in your own life? (200-250 words)

Showcase your creative prowess by recounting instances of innovation and ingenuity in your daily life. Highlight projects, initiatives, or endeavors where you demonstrated resourcefulness and originality. Whether big or small, share how your inventive spirit has manifested itself and contributed to your personal growth and development.

Prompt #5: Embracing Mission-Based Values (Required)

Share what one or more of these values evokes for you. (200-400 words)

Choose one of Caltech’s Mission-Based Values and reflect on its significance in your life. Ground your response in personal experiences and anecdotes that illustrate your alignment with the chosen value(s). Demonstrate your openness to challenging preconceptions, your respect for diversity and equity, and your passion for leveraging science for the betterment of humanity.

Prompts #6 & #7: Optional Essays (Optional)

Feel free to use these optional opportunities to show us more of your personality.

• If there are aspects of your life or social or personal identity that you feel are not captured elsewhere in this application, please tell us about them below. (150 words)
• Did you have a hard time narrowing it down to just one interest or hobby? We understand – Caltech students like to stay busy, too – tell us about another hobby or interest! (50 words)

Respond to these optional prompts if you feel they provide an avenue to showcase aspects of your personality, background, or interests not captured elsewhere in your application. Use this space to share additional insights or anecdotes that highlight your uniqueness and complement your overall candidacy.

In navigating Caltech’s supplemental essays, authenticity and depth are paramount. Take advantage of each prompt to provide a well-rounded portrayal of yourself as a curious, innovative, and mission-driven individual primed to thrive in Caltech’s rigorous academic environment.

Also see Best Online High Schools In The US 2024

The Importance of Caltech’s Essays

In Caltech’s meticulous admissions process, five factors stand out as “very important” determinants of an applicant’s candidacy. Among these critical elements are the rigor of high school coursework, recommendations, and character/personal qualities. Surprisingly, even though Caltech operates as a test-blind institution, test scores are still considered. However, it’s the application essays that shine as a beacon of importance, surpassing even GPA, class rank, and extracurricular activities in significance.

Caltech’s emphasis on essays underscores their pivotal role in shaping the admissions committee’s perception of each applicant. Through these essays, candidates have a unique opportunity to offer insights into their character, values, and aspirations, providing a holistic view of their potential as future members of the Caltech community.

Thus, aspiring Caltech students should approach the essay-writing process with diligence and authenticity, recognizing the unparalleled opportunity these essays afford to leave a lasting impression on the admissions committee. In the competitive landscape of Caltech admissions, the essays emerge as a powerful tool for applicants to distinguish themselves and demonstrate their readiness to contribute to the university’s academic excellence and innovative spirit.

The essays hold a paramount position in Caltech’s admissions process, rated as “very important” alongside other critical factors. Aspiring applicants should recognize the unique opportunity the essays present to showcase their character, values, and aspirations to the admissions committee. By approaching the essay prompts with authenticity and diligence, candidates can effectively differentiate themselves and strengthen their candidacy for admission to Caltech. Ultimately, the essays serve as a gateway for applicants to convey their readiness to contribute to Caltech’s esteemed academic community and embody its ethos of excellence and innovation.