Regular Decision is the traditional way of applying to college. You submit your application by the deadline, and then you wait to hear back from the school. The regular decision deadline at Caltech is January 1. It’s important to remember that this is a firm deadline — no exceptions are made for applicants who have been accepted or rejected by other schools. There are pros and cons to applying through this route:
Caltech Regular Decision Deadline
Why not apply early decision?
While there are some benefits to applying early decision, it’s important to know the downsides as well. For example:
- You have to decide earlier. There is no waiting until May 1st or later. You will have to make your decision before you even hear back from most schools, so if you’re not sure where you want to go, then this may not be the best option for you.
- You can only apply once per cycle (unless there is a major change in your circumstances). This means that if another school has an open spot for one of its early decision applicants and wants you on their campus as soon as possible, they can’t offer it to you because they’ve already promised it away!
- If accepted under fast track admissions criteria (and many schools do), then there may be limitations placed upon how many other colleges or universities we can consider in addition to Caltech; therefore limiting our chances of being admitted elsewhere based upon those rules alone without even knowing anything about our profile yet! Now imagine what would happen if one school had offered admission just days after receiving my application while another didn’t offer until weeks later–it could make all the difference between staying put or going somewhere else instead.”
Caltech doesn’t offer any scholarships.
According to the Princeton Review, Caltech does not offer scholarships. However, it does have a financial aid office that can help with loans and other resources for those who qualify for need-based aid.
Some students may be eligible for merit-based scholarships if their SAT or ACT scores are high enough (in the top 10 percent of all test takers). If you do receive a scholarship at Caltech, it will likely be less than $5,000 per year and only offered in your junior year.
The regular decision process may be a good way for you to gauge your chances of getting into the school.
If you apply to Caltech via the regular decision process, you will be notified of your admission status in late April. If you are admitted, your offer letter will include instructions for submitting a financial aid application. We encourage all students who receive an offer of admission to submit applications for financial aid by May 1 in order to ensure that we have enough time to process them prior to July 15 (the date by which all students must commit).
If you are not admitted under regular decision, there is still hope! You may wish to consider applying through one or more of our other admission pathways: Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED). If accepted from either EA or ED programs, your notification would come in November rather than April.
Regular decision is the only option for international students.
Regular decision is the only option for international students. Since you’re not a domestic applicant, you can’t apply using any of the other application deadlines.
International applicants are ineligible for financial aid or scholarships, so if you need to cover your tuition costs, it’s going to be up to you (and your family).
Caltech looks at your in-depth accomplishments rather than your standardized test scores.
Caltech uses a holistic approach to admissions. The school wants to get to know you as a person and determine the qualities that will bring you the most happiness at Caltech. They review your application as a whole, including your high school performance and standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, essay responses and letters of recommendation.
Caltech accepts applicants using either the Common Application or Coalition Application for College Admissions. The Universal College Application is also available for students planning on applying to one of their partner schools (such as Carnegie Mellon). Students can apply online directly through QuestBridge if they qualify based on their SAT/ACT scores or GPA level.
Students should also look into alternative options like Early Decision or Early Action plans if they want to increase their chances of admission by submitting an application before any deadlines pass by!
The regular decision process can help you decide which schools to apply to.
If you’re applying to multiple schools, the regular decision process can help you decide which schools to apply to. The deadlines are earlier than ED and rolling, so if you don’t want to wait until spring or summer and are hoping for an answer by December, then regular decision may be the best choice for you.
On the other hand, if you have a top choice that is currently on their ED list, then going with ED might be worth it since they will likely accept students who have already been accepted under their current regular admission process before making offers for those still waiting in line (for example: someone who applied RD and was not admitted).
Application fees can quickly add up.
Application fees are a common hurdle for students applying to private institutions like Caltech. The application fee is $75, and if you’re applying via regular decision, you’ll be responsible for paying this amount unless you qualify for one of the following fee waivers:
- Early Decision Program applicants (it’s free to apply ED)
- QuestBridge National College Match applicants who are admitted
- National Hispanic Recognition Program admits
Caltech doesn’t offer either merit aid or need aid.
Caltech does not offer merit aid. The school is need-blind, meaning that it makes admission decisions without considering your ability to pay. The application fee for Caltech is $75 for domestic students and $80 for international students, but the school offers a free application fee waiver to all U.S. citizens or permanent residents who apply by the regular decision deadline (the deadline varies slightly by year).
Caltech also offers a free application fee waiver to all international applicants who apply by the regular decision deadline (the deadline varies slightly by year). Additionally, if you submit your application before February 1st of a given year and have a GPA below 3.5 (out of 4), then you can request an early decision waiver as well; this will give you an advantage over other applicants in terms of admission priority consideration.
Regular Decision Deadline is January 1
Regular Decision Deadline is January 1.
The Regular Decision deadline is for all undergraduate students, both domestic and international, who are applying to Caltech as freshmen or sophomores. The deadline is also for transfer students who want to be considered for admission in the fall of 2020.
Though the regular decision application is not binding on either the student or Caltech (i.e., you can apply later than this if you wish), we highly recommend that applicants submit their applications by December 1 in order to give themselves adequate time for processing (see below) as well as provide us with enough time before our early action deadlines in November to review applications from both regular decision and early action candidates.
Closing
Now that you know the facts, it’s time to decide what’s right for you. If you have a strong preference for Caltech and love the idea of being one of its first-year students, then apply early decision. But if it’s just another school on your list or if its location doesn’t suit your needs, then take advantage of the regular decision option as well. Either way, make sure that you’re following all deadlines and submitting complete applications so that when acceptance letters start rolling out in March or April next year (depending on which school), yours will be among them!