The 

SAT (/ˌɛsˌeɪˈtiː/ ess-ay-TEE) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the

United States. Since it was debuted by the College Board in 1926, its name and scoring have
changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called
the Scholastic Assessment Test, then the SAT I: Reasoning Test, then the SAT Reasoning
Test, then simply the SAT.
The SAT is wholly owned, developed, and published by the College Board, a private, not-for-profit
organization in the United States. It is administered on behalf of the College Board by
the Educational Testing Service,[4] which until recently developed the SAT as well.[5] The test is
intended to assess students' readiness for college. The SAT was originally designed not to be
aligned with high school curricula,[6] but several adjustments were made for the version of the SAT
introduced in 2016, and College Board president, David Coleman, has said that he also wanted to
make the test reflect more closely what students learn in high school with the new Common Core
standards.[7]
The SAT takes three hours to finish, plus 50 minutes for the SAT with essay, and as of 2019 costs
US$49.50 (US$64.50 with the optional essay), excluding late fees, with additional processing fees if
the SAT is taken outside the United States.[8] Scores on the SAT range from 400 to 1600, combining
test results from two 200-to-800-point sections: Mathematics, and Critical Reading and Writing.
Although taking the SAT, or its competitor the ACT, is required for freshman entry to many colleges
and universities in the United States,[9] many colleges and universities are experimenting with test-
optional admission requirements[10] and alternatives to the SAT and ACT.[11] Starting with the 2015–16
school year, the College Board began working with Khan Academy to provide free SAT preparation.
[12]

Function[edit]
The SAT is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors.[13] The College Board states that the
SAT is intended to measure literacy, numeracy and writing skills that are needed for academic
success in college. They state that the SAT assesses how well the test-takers analyze and solve
problems—skills they learned in school that they will need in college. However, the test is
administered under a tight time limit (speeded) to help produce a range of scores.[14]
The College Board also states that use of the SAT in combination with high school grade point
average (GPA) provides a better indicator of success in college than high school grades alone, as
measured by college freshman GPA. Various studies conducted over the lifetime of the SAT show
a statistically significant increase in correlation of high school grades and college freshman grades
when the SAT is factored in.[15] A large independent validity study on the SAT's ability to predict
college freshman GPA was performed by the University of California. The results of this study found
how well various predictor variables could explain the variance in college freshman GPA. It found
that independently high school GPA could explain 15.4% of the variance in college freshman GPA,
SAT I (the SAT Math and Verbal sections) could explain 13.3% of the variance in college freshman
GPA, and SAT II (also known as the SAT subject tests—in the UC's case specifically Writing,
Mathematics IC or IIC, plus a third subject test of the student's choice) could explain 16% of the
variance in college freshman GPA. When high school GPA and the SAT I were combined, they
explained 20.8% of the variance in college freshman GPA. When high school GPA and the SAT II
were combined, they explained 22.2% of the variance in college freshman GPA. When SAT I was
added to the combination of high school GPA and SAT II, it added a .1 percentage point increase in
explaining the variance in college freshman GPA for a total of 22.3%.[16]
There are substantial differences in funding, curricula, grading, and difficulty among U.S. secondary
schools due to U.S. federalism, local control, and the prevalence of private, distance, and home
schooled students. SAT (and ACT) scores are intended to supplement the secondary school record
and help admission officers put local data—such as course work, grades, and class rank—in a
national perspective.[17] However, independent research has shown that high school GPA is better
than the SAT at predicting college grades regardless of high school type or quality.[18]

This map of the United States shows the states in which (blue color) more seniors in the class of 2006 took the
SAT than the ACT, and the states in which (red color) more seniors took the ACT than the SAT.

This map of the United States shows the states in which (blue color) more seniors in the class of 2018 took the
SAT than the ACT, and the states in which (red color) more seniors took the ACT than the SAT.

Historically, the SAT was more widely used by students living in coastal states and the ACT was
more widely used by students in the Midwest and South; in recent years, however, an increasing
number of students on the East and West coasts have been taking the ACT.[19][20] Since 2007, all four-
year colleges and universities in the United States that require a test as part of an application for
admission will accept either the SAT or ACT, and over 950 four-year colleges and universities do not
require any standardized test scores at all for admission.[21][22]

ACT (test)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

This article is about the college admission test in the United States. For the company which
administers this test, see ACT (nonprofit organization).

This article needs to be updated. Please update this to reflect recent events

or newly available information.
Last update: June 2019 (June 2019)

ACT
Type Paper-based and computer based standardized test

Developer / ACT, Inc.

administrator

Knowledge / English, math, reading, science, writing (optional).

skills tested

Purpose Undergraduate admissions (mostly in the US and

Canadian universities or colleges).

Year started 1959

Duration English: 45 minutes,

Math: 60 minutes,

Reading: 35 minutes,

Science: 35 minutes,

Non-Graded Test: 20 minutes,

Optional writing test: 40 minutes.

Total: 3 hours and 55 minutes (excluding breaks). [1]

Score / grade Composite score: 1 to 36,

range Subscore (for each of the four subject areas): 1 to 36.

(All in 1-point increments.)[2]

Optional Writing Score: 2 to 12. (Sum of two graders’

scoring from 1-6)

Offered US and Canada: 7 times a year.[3]

Other countries: 5 times a year.[4]

 Countries / Worldwide[5][6]

regions

Languages English

Annual  Over 1.91 million high school graduates in the class

number of test of 2018[7]

takers

Prerequisites / No official prerequisite. Intended for high school

eligibility students. Fluency in English assumed.

criteria

Fee Without writing: US$46.00.

With writing: US$62.50.

Outside US: $47.50 surcharge in addition to the above

amounts[8] (Fee waivers are available for 11th or 12th

grade students who are US citizens or testing in the

US or US territories, and have demonstrated financial

need.[9])

Scores / Colleges or universities offering undergraduate

grades used programs (mostly in the US and Canada).

by

Website www.act.org

The ACT (/eɪ siː tiː/; originally an abbreviation of American College Testing)[10] is

a standardized test used for college admissions in the United States. It is currently
administered by ACT, a nonprofit organization of the same name.[10] The ACT test covers
four academic skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and scientific reasoning. It
also offers an optional direct writing test. It is accepted by all four-year colleges and
universities in the United States as well as more than 225 universities outside of the
U.S.
The main four ACT test sections are individually scored on a scale of 1–36, and a
composite score (the rounded whole number average of the four sections) is provided.
 The ACT was first introduced in November 1959 by University of Iowa professor Everett
Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).[11] The ACT
originally consisted of four tests: English, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Natural
Sciences. In 1989, however, the Social Studies test was changed into a Reading
section (which included a social sciences subsection), and the Natural Sciences test
was renamed the Science Reasoning test, with more emphasis on problem-solving
skills as opposed to memorizing scientific facts.[12] In February 2005, an optional Writing
Test was added to the ACT. By the fall of 2017, computer-based ACT tests were
available for school-day testing in limited school districts of the US, with greater
availability expected in fall of 2018.[13]
The ACT has seen a gradual increase in the number of test takers since its inception,
and in 2012 the ACT surpassed the SAT for the first time in total test takers; that year,
1,666,017 students took the ACT and 1,664,479 students took the SAT.[14]

Contents

 1Function
 2Format
o 2.1English
o 2.2Math
o 2.3Reading
o 2.4Science
o 2.5Writing
o 2.6Averages
o 2.7Highest score
o 2.8College admissions
 3Test availability
 4Test section durations
 5Score cumulative percentages and comparison with SAT
o 5.1Score vs Percentile for English Section
o 5.2Score vs Percentile for Mathematics Section
o 5.3Score vs Percentile for Reading Section
o 5.4Score vs Percentile for Science Section
 6See also
 7References
 8External links

Function[edit]
ACT, Inc., says that the ACT assessment measures high school students' general
educational development and their capability to complete college-level work with
the multiple choice tests covering four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and
science. The optional Writing Test measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.
[15]
 Specifically, ACT states that its scores provide an indicator of "college readiness",
and that scores in each of the subtests correspond to skills in entry-level college
courses in English, algebra, social science, humanities, and biology.[16] According to a
research study conducted by ACT, Inc. in 2003, there was a relationship between a
student's ACT composite score and the probability of him or her earning a college
degree.[17]
To develop the test, ACT incorporates the objectives for instruction from middle and
high schools throughout the United States, reviews approved textbooks for subjects
taught in Grades 7–12, and surveys educators on which knowledge skills are relevant to
success in postsecondary education. ACT publishes a technical manual that
summarizes studies conducted on its validity in predicting freshman GPA, equating
different high school GPAs, and measuring educational achievement.[18]
Colleges use the ACT and the SAT because there are substantial differences in
funding, curricula, grading, and difficulty among U.S. secondary schools due to
American federalism, local control, the prevalence of private,
distance, homeschooled students, and lack of a rigorous college entrance examination
system similar those used in some other countries. ACT scores are used to supplement
the secondary school record and help admission officers put local data—such as
coursework, grades, and class rank—in a national perspective.[19][citation needed]
The majority of colleges do not indicate a preference for the SAT or ACT exams and
accept both, being treated equally by most admissions officers.[20] According to "Uni in
the USA," colleges that also require students to take the SAT Subject Tests do so
regardless of whether the candidate took the SAT or ACT;[20] however, some colleges
accept the ACT in place of the SAT subject tests[21] and some accept the optional ACT
Writing section in place of an SAT Subject Test.[22]
Most colleges use ACT scores as only one factor in the admission process. A sampling
of ACT admissions scores shows that the 75th percentile composite score was 24.1 at
public four-year institutions and 25.3 at private four-year institutions. Students should
check with their prospective institutions directly to understand ACT admissions
requirements.
In addition, some states and individual school districts have used the ACT to assess the
student learning and/or the performance of schools, requiring all high school students to
take the ACT, regardless of whether they are college bound. Colorado and Illinois were
the first to incorporate the ACT as part of their mandatory testing program in 2001.
Other states followed suit in subsequent years. During the 2018–2019 school year, 13
states will administer the ACT test to all public school 11th graders, and another six
states will fund ACT test administration as an option or choice for districts.
While the exact manner in which ACT scores will help to determine admission of a
student at American institutions of higher learning is generally a matter decided by the
individual institution, some foreign countries have made ACT (and SAT) scores a legal
criterion in deciding whether holders of American high school diplomas will be admitted
at their public universities.
This map of the United States shows the states in which more seniors in the class of 2018 took the SAT than
the ACT (colored in blue), and the states in which more seniors took the ACT than the SAT (colored in red).

The ACT is more widely used in the Midwestern, Rocky Mountain, and Southern United

States, whereas the SAT is more popular on the East and West coasts. Recently,
however, the ACT is being used more on the East Coast.[23] Use of the ACT by colleges
has risen as a result of various criticisms of the effectiveness and fairness of the SAT.

Format[edit]
The required portion of the ACT is divided into four multiple choice subject
tests: English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. Subject test scores range
from 1 to 36; all scores are integers. The English, mathematics, and reading tests also
have subscores ranging from 1 to 18 (the subject score is not the sum of the
subscores). In addition, students taking the optional writing test receive a writing score
ranging from 2 to 12 (this is a change from the previous 1–36 score range); the writing
score does not affect the composite score. The ACT has eliminated the combined
English/writing score and has added two new combined scores: ELA (an average of the
English, Reading, and Writing scores) and STEM (an average of the Math and Science
scores).[24][25] These changes for the writing, ELA, and STEM scores were effective
starting with the September 2015 test.[26]
Each question answered correctly is worth one raw point, and there is no penalty for
marking incorrect answers on the multiple-choice parts of the test; a student can answer
all questions without a decrease in their score due to incorrect answers. This is parallel
to several AP Tests eliminating the penalties for incorrect answers. To improve the
result, students can retake the test: 55% of students who retake the ACT improve their
scores, 22% score the same, and 23% see their scores decrease.[27]

What is the Difference Between the ACT and the SAT?

If you’re preparing for college admissions, you might be curious about the difference between the
ACT and the SAT. While both are standardized tests that colleges and universities use as a
benchmark when making admissions decisions, there are some differences. Read on for a guide
that will help you determine whether you should take the SAT or ACT as you get ready to apply to
college.
The SAT has a Stronger Vocabulary Focus, While the ACT Tests
Advanced Math and Science
Vocabulary is weighted much more strongly on the SAT than it is on the ACT, with many questions
designed to take several reads to understand. On the other hand, the ACT includes a science
section designed to test reading and reasoning skills, and tests higher level math than the SAT
(trigonometry as well as the basic arithmetic, algebra I and II, and geometry are tested on the SAT).
If you have a strong academic preference for language over math and science or vice versa, that
may help you decide which test to take.

The ACT is Shorter

If you have trouble focusing for a long period of time, you may consider the ACT, which lasts two
hours and 55 minutes compared to the three hours and 45 minutes of the SAT. In addition, research
suggests that students with learning disabilities tend to do better on the ACT. Also, the writing
section on the ACT is optional, while it’s required on the SAT, which may feed into your decision
depending on how strong of a writer you are.

The SAT is More Complex

The ACT is a straightforward content test, which may make it easier for students who are familiar
with the content tested. The SAT focuses on logic and reasoning rather than content, which might
make it a better bet for students who do well with puzzles and are willing to learn SAT-specific
strategies to raise their scores.

Scoring Differences
The SAT is scored on a scale of 600 to 2400, with a score of 200 to 800 possible on each of the
three sections. The ACT is scored with a composite of one to 36 based on average scores from the
four test sections, each of which is also scored from one to 36. On the SAT, you get one quarter of
a point subtracted from your score for each wrong answer, with no penalty for questions left blank;
the ACT scores only those questions which you answer correctly, with no penalty for wrong answers.
When you take practice tests, remember to compare your score to the national percentiles to get a
sense of which test you perform better on.

Learn more about the SAT and ACT on their official websites. Most four-year colleges in the United
States accept both ACT and SAT scores. In making your decision, one strategy is to take practice
tests for both and choose to take the test on which you score better and with which you’re more
comfortable. The difference between the ACT and the SAT is most important when considering
which test will give you the best possible results.
0406Clark

DAD0E7C1

last updated October 6, 2020

[Download the PDF version]

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering Institute that marshals some of the world's
brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions and
pressing societal challenges. Caltech's extraordinary faculty and students are expanding our
understanding of the universe and inventing the technologies of the future, with research interests
from quantum science and engineering to bioinformatics and the nature of life itself, from human
behavior and economics to energy and sustainability.

Caltech is small but prizes excellence and ambition. The contributions of Caltech's faculty and
alumni have earned national and international recognition, including 39 Nobel Prizes. The
Institute manages the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for NASA, sending probes to explore the
planets of our solar system and quantify changes on our home planet; owns and operates large-
scale research facilities such as the Seismological Laboratory and a global network of
astronomical observatories, including the Palomar and W. M. Keck Observatories; and
cofounded and comanages LIGO, which, in 2016, observed gravitational waves for the first time.

The Institute has one of the nation's lowest student-to-faculty ratios, with 300 professorial faculty
members offering a rigorous curriculum and access to varied learning opportunities and hands-on
research to approximately 1,000 undergraduates and 1,250 graduate students. Caltech is an
independent, privately supported institution with a 124-acre campus located in Pasadena,
California.

Mission
The mission of the California Institute of Technology is to expand human knowledge and benefit
society through research integrated with education. We investigate the most challenging,
fundamental problems in science and technology in a singularly collegial, interdisciplinary
atmosphere, while educating outstanding students to become creative members of society.

History
Founded as Throop University in 1891 in Pasadena, California, and renamed the California
Institute of Technology in 1920.

Research and Education

Academic Divisions

 Biology & Biological Engineering

 Chemistry & Chemical Engineering
 Engineering & Applied Science
 Geological & Planetary Sciences
 Humanities & Social Sciences
 Physics, Mathematics & Astronomy

Academic options (majors)

Faculty1
Approximately 300 professorial faculty
More than 600 research scholars
3:1 student-faculty ratio

Honors
Nobel Laureates2: 40
National Medal of Science Recipients2: 58
National Medal of Technology and Innovation Recipients3: 13
National Academies Memberships3: 121

Students1
901 undergraduate students
1,330 graduate students
99% placed in the top tenth of their high school graduating class

Class of 2023:

 8,008 applicants
 225 members of the freshman class
 46% female / 54% male (sex assigned at birth)

Affording Caltech
Students receiving need-based assistance: 51%
Average need-based financial-aid package: $52,493
Average indebtedness for class of 2020: $16,950

Living Alumni
Over 24,000 in the U.S. and around the world

Global Facilities
Jet Propulsion Laboratory

 Founded by Caltech in the 1930s and managed for NASA since 1958
 Current missions include the InSight, Mars Science Laboratory, Juno, Jason 3, and NuSTAR
 More than 100 research and mission collaborations with Caltech faculty

Caltech Seismological Laboratory

 Internationally recognized for excellence in geophysical research

 Provides research centers for seismic studies, high-performance computing, and mineral physics
 Preeminent source for earthquake information in Southern California and around the world

International Observatory Network

 W. M. Keck Observatory, Hawaii

  Palomar Observatory, California
 Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, Hawaii
 Owens Valley Radio Observatory, California
 Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), Washington and Louisiana
 Chajnantor Observatory, Chile

Employees1

 Caltech: 3,900
 JPL: 6,500

1
2020–21 academic year
2
Faculty and alumni
3
Includes trustees

COLLEGES IN
CALIFORNIA
Your Online Guide to Colleges & Universities in the Golden State

CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY
California Institute of Technology , often referred to as Caltech, was founded in 1891 and is
located in Pasadena, California. The private research university has six academic divisions that
focus primarily on engineering and science.

MISSION/VISION
The mission of California Institute of Technology is “to expand human knowledge and benefit
society through research integrated with education”. The academic programs offered at Caltech
focus predominately on solving fundamental problems in technology and science.

CAMPUS SETTING
The suburban Caltech campus spans 124 acres in Pasadena. Downtown Los Angeles is 11
miles southwest of campus. Students attending their first year at Caltech are required to live on
campus. Around 95 percent of the students remain living on campus, and the faculty allow
students to do take-home tests based on the campus honor code.

ACADEMICS
Caltech is a private non-profit educational institution that separate its academics into six different
divsions. The six research-oriented divisions of academics at the university include Physics,
Mathematics and Astronomy, Humanities and Social Sciences, Chemistry and Chemical
Engineering, Biology and Biological Engineering, Geological and Planetary Sciences and
Engineering and Applied Science. Caltech has an estimated enrollment of 950 undergraduate
students and 1275 postgraduate students.

Caltech has been recognized as a top-tier academic institution by at least four national
publications and three global publications, including the Times and Forbes. The Quarterly
Journal of Economics ranked Caltech behind Harvard as its No. 2 preferred university in the U.S.
Nearly 40 Caltech faculty members and alumni have been recognized as Nobel Laureates.
There have been 70 faculty or alumni who have been awarded with the U.S National Medal of
Technology or Science. There are currently 300 professional faculty members.

ATHLETICS
The university teams, better known as Caltech Bears, are part of the NCAA Division II. The
Caltech Bears compete mostly against other schools within the Southern California
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Caltech participates in 13 sports sanctioned by NCAA
Division II. The team colors for the Caltech Beavers are orange and white. Some of the sports
students participate in include basketball, fencing and volleyball.

TUITION & FINANCIAL AID

The tuition for Caltech is high but students who qualify may be eligible for financial aid such as
loans, grants or scholarships. Please refer to the college website for up-to-date tuition and
financial aid information.

ACCREDITATION
The college was first accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in 1949.

ADMISSIONS
Caltech requires freshman to submit one recommendation from a math or science teacher and
one from a social science or humanities teacher. Students are also required to submit SAT or
ACT scores. Caltech typically accepts around 230 freshman and 10 to 15 new upperclassmen
each fall semester. The faculty reviews the applications and select undergraduate students
participate on the admission committee.
 For more information about admissions to California Institute of Technology contact the
university directly at:

California Blvd. MC 10-90

Pasadena, CA 91125

Phone: 626-395-6341

http://www.admissions.caltech.edu/

KZCZSJKC;KZXMVCC/X.

ZKLCNSLJDHFCD

Our Vision
Search

Main menu
 Home
 Vision Themes 
 About 
 Microsites 
Stanford's Long-Range Vision
Fueled by optimism, ingenuity and a sense of
responsibility, we seek to accelerate our
purposeful impact in the world.
The scale and urgency of challenges facing us today require that
Stanford reach farther and move faster to accelerate our purposeful
impact in the world. We need a new way of working that enables us to
tackle long-standing issues facing our society and our planet and
allows us to be nimble when faced with unexpected threats. 
Our Vision amplifies Stanford’s contributions through a new model for
research universities: not only accelerating the creation of knowledge,
but also eliminating the lag time in translating knowledge into solutions
and speeding the transfer of those solutions beyond our walls.
The strategic imperative of embedding ethics in everything we do is
integrated across Our Vision, which is focused on:

 accelerating Solutions to the world's most

pressing problems
 enhancing our Knowledge of the world and
ourselves

 advancing Education for our students, who
are determined to make a difference
  supporting our diverse Community of
faculty, students and staff, who underlie the
university's beneficial impact in the world.
Read the 2019-2020 LRV Annual Report (SUNetID required)

Our Vision Themes

Solutions
Accelerating solutions for urgent challenges through initiatives that
tackle pressing issues in the world and create partnerships to scale
solutions beyond our walls.
Solutions Initiatives

Knowledge
Enhancing our knowledge of our world and ourselves through
initiatives that empower fundamental work in the arts, humanities,
social sciences, sciences and engineering.
Knowledge Initiatives

Education
Advancing education for our undergraduate and graduate students by
increasing access and creating a community that supports diverse
students throughout their academic journey.
Education Initiatives

Community
STANFORD UNIVERSITY MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT
ANALYSIS
Stanford University mission statement is “to extend the frontiers of knowledge,
stimulate creativity, and solve real-world problems, prepare students to think
broadly, deeply and critically, and to contribute to the world, and deploy Stanford’s
strengths to benefit our region, country, and world.” The statement explains
everything that the institution focuses on in the three areas, research, education, and
service. It has the following components:

1. Improving lives
2. Changing the world

By providing the students with the best research environment to explore their potential,
Stanford gives them an opportunity to improve themselves. It also hones this through
its specialized education programs led by experienced experts. In this way, the university
gifts the world with creative minds with leadership traits and can contribute
constructively to it.

INTRODUCTION
Stanford University is a California based private research institution, whose mission and
vision statements reflect the influence and the leadership position that this institution
occupies in the academic and research industry. Its vision of being a change agent in an
ever-changing world is consistent with the definition of a corporate vision statement. 

Similarly, the focus of its mission statement that emphasizes on research, education, and
service agree with the definition of a corporate mission statement as one that reveals the
strategies that lead a firm towards its vision.  Moreover, Stanford University has
remained at the top since 1981 due to the additional guidance by its core values that
works together with the mission and vision statements to keep this institution as the best
in the sector.

VISION STATEMENT
Stanford University vision statement is to be “a purposeful university knowledge,
learning & innovation for a rapidly changing world.” The statement by Stanford
reveals the progressiveness of this university when it comes to positive contributions to
the world. The statement comprises of these main elements:
SEE ALSO  Apple  Nike  

Google  Amazon  Starbucks

 Walmart
1. Purposeful training
2. Rapidly changing world

The structuring of the academics at Stanford is an indication that the university

acknowledges the importance of addressing specific global issues. Stanford does this to
ensure it equips its scholars to be fit when it comes to dealing with the unpredictive
contemporary world, and make it a better place for everyone.

CORE VALUES
Stanford University core values comprise “ethics, boldness, and foundations.” The
presence of these values has transformed this academic and research institution as a
globally recognized entity. This is because it represents a strong culture that respects
human welfare, boldly advances its mission but also remains open to learning from
others.
 California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
vs Stanford University Comparison
Planning to study at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) or Stanford University? Check this
comparison for California Institute of Technology (Caltech) vs Stanford University based on the QS
World University Rankings 2020 to discover the latest insights based on cost, quality of faculty,
university size, research opportunities, and national & international student strength.

Overview
 ABOUT
COVID-19 Information:

Caltech is continuing to accept international students, although all arrivals at the university will have
to initially follow self-quarantine guidelines that apply to all travellers. All admission-related campus
visit activities have been suspended until further notice.

The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is a world-renowned science and engineering

research and education institution, located in Pasadena, California, around 11 miles northeast of
downtown Los Angeles. 

Caltech has a high research output as well as many high-quality facilities such as the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (owned by NASA), the Caltech Seismological Laboratory, and the International
Observatory Network.  It’s among a small group of institutes of technology in the United States
primarily devoted to teaching technical arts and applied sciences, and its fiercely competitive
admissions process ensures only a small number of the most gifted students are admitted.

The university was founded as a preparatory and vocational school by Amos G. Throop in 1891, with
the mission “to expand human knowledge and benefit society through research integrated with
education”. It became a major hub of US scientific research in the early 20th century and was
instrumental to the United States’ war effort during World War II. 

Today, it is home to the Einstein Papers Project, an initiative seeking to preserve, translate and
publish selected papers from the estate of Albert Einstein. It has also established an energy
innovation hub that aims to discovery revolutionary methods of generating fuels directly from
sunlight. 

Caltech’s 124-acre campus is within walking distance of Old Town Pasadena and the Pasadena
Playhouse District, and the two locations are frequent getaways for students. Life on campus is rich
with social activities, clubs, associations and recreational facilities. Intercollegiate sport is taken very
seriously, with the Caltech Beavers (the beaver – nature’s engineer – is the college’s mascot)
competing in 13 intercollegiate sports. 

Caltech also offers excellent opportunities for the study and performance of music, theater, and the
visual arts, all activities that play a vital role in realizing Caltech’s mission to role in realizing the
Institute's mission of "educating outstanding students to become creative members of society".
Providing a touch of grandeur, the Athenaeum is a stately building in the center of the campus where
members can go for formal and informal dining, meetings, rendezvous and private parties. 

The balance at Caltech between a rigorous academic curriculum and activities that promote
personal development ensures time spent there for students is both formative and an invaluable
staging post to a successful career.  Although it may lack the reputation of Ivy League universities or
the likes of Oxford and Cambridge, Caltech is undoubtedly one of the best universities in the world, a
fact reflected in all the university rankings, which regularly single out technology and engineering as
the school’s key academic strengths. 

The Stanford Office of Undergraduate Admission has been closed until further notice. Applications
continue to be processed, however, and the office can be contacted via email. All tours, programs
and information sessions for prospective students have been cancelled and the Visitor Center is also
closed until further notice.

Located 35 miles south of San Francisco and 20 miles north of San Jose, Stanford University is in
the heart of Northern California’s dynamic Silicon Valley, home to Yahoo, Google, Hewlett-Packard,
and many other cutting-edge tech companies that were founded by and continue to be led by
Stanford alumni and faculty. Nicknamed the “billionaire factory”, it is said that if Stanford graduates
formed their own country it would boast one of the world’s largest ten economies. 

Covering 8,180 acres, Stanford has one of the largest university campuses in the US, with 18
interdisciplinary research institutes and seven schools: the Graduate School of Business; School of
Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences; Graduate School of Education; School of Engineering;
School of Humanities and Sciences; Law School; and School of Medicine. 

Stanford University was founded in 1885 by California senator Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane, to
“promote the public welfare by exercising an influence in behalf of humanity and civilization”. The
couple’s only child had died of typhoid, and their decision to build a university on their farm was
intended as a memorial. From the start the university was non-sectarian, co-educational and
affordable, teaching both the traditional liberal arts and the technology and engineering that was
shaping the new America at the time.  
Fast forward more than a century, and Stanford counts 19 Nobel laureates within its community and
is regularly ranked among the top three universities in the world. Nicknamed “The Farm” from the
days when horses roamed there, Stanford’s campus is now a thriving community of more than
11,000 creative and accomplished people from around the world. Nearly all undergraduate and 60
per cent of graduate students live on campus, so it is hardly surprising that student life is rich and
diverse, with over 625 organized student groups. 

Sport is popular, with students, faculty and staff enjoying state-of-the-art recreational facilities and
wellness programs. Stanford students compete in 36 varsity and 32 club sports, including baseball,
football, basketball, and squash. Sports teams are referred to as the “Stanford Cardinal”.

Stanford also has a rich tradition of fostering creativity and the arts: there is a vibrant campus arts
district and two world-class museums which host regular exhibitions.  Eight dining halls, a teaching
kitchen and organic gardens provide the campus community with healthy, sustainable meals. The
close-knit communal nature of life on campus has even given rise to “Stanford speak”, a special
language only spoken on campus. 

University Highlights
FAST FACTS ABOUT CALTECH HISTORY
1. When was Caltech founded?
Caltech was founded in 1891 as Throop University by Amos Gager Throop
(pronounced T-R-O-O-P). The name was changed to Throop Polytechnic
Institute (1893-1912) and then to Throop College of Technology (1913-
1919).

2. When did Caltech receive its present name?

Caltech became the California Institute of Technology on February 10, 1920.

3. Where was Caltech's first campus?

In its first year, 1891, the school occupied rented quarters in the Wooster
Block—a building which still stands on the southeast corner of the
intersection of Fair Oaks and Green Street. In 1892 the campus was moved
to a site bordered by Raymond Avenue to the west and Chestnut Street to
the south. This location today is across Raymond Avenue from St. Andrew's
Church and bordered on the north by the 210 Freeway. In 1910, with the
building of Throop Hall by the architects Elmer Grey and Myron Hunt on the
present site, the old campus buildings were leased and then finally
demolished in the 1920s.
4. Who were Caltech's presidents?
In the early years, the chief executive officers were Millard M. Parker, Vice
President (1891); Charles H. Keyes, President (1892-1896); Walter A.
Edwards, President (1897-1907); Arthur Henry Chamberlain, Acting
President (1908); and James A. B. Scherer, President (1908-1920). After the
school became the California Institute of Technology, the presidents were:
Robert A. Millikan, Chairman of the Executive Council (1921-1945 — Millikan
never held the title of President); Lee A. DuBridge, President (1946-1969);
Harold Brown, President (1969-1977); Robert F. Christy, Acting President
(1977-1978); Marvin L. Goldberger, President (1978-1987); Thomas E.
Everhart, President (1987-1997); David Baltimore, President (1997-2006);
Jean-Lou Chameau, President (2006-2013); Edward Stolper, Interim
President (2013-2014); Thomas F. Rosenbaum, President (2014-).

5. Who received Caltech's first doctoral degree?

Caltech's first PhD was awarded to Roscoe Dickinson in chemistry in 1920,
who went on to become a chemistry professor at Caltech and was the
doctoral advisor to Nobel laureate Linus Pauling and to Arnold O. Beckman,
inventor of the pH meter.

6. Who was Caltech's first Nobel laureate?

Robert A. Millikan was Caltech's first Nobel laureate, winning the prize for
physics in 1923, during his tenure as Caltech's president (1921-1945).

7. Did Einstein teach at Caltech?

Einstein was a visiting professor at Caltech for three winter terms only —
1931, 1932, and 1933. When Einstein decided to settle in the United States
permanently, he accepted an appointment at the Institute for Advanced
Study in Princeton, NJ.

8. Where did Einstein live in Pasadena?

During his first winter of residence in 1931, Einstein lived in a bungalow at
707 South Oakland Avenue. During the following two winters, he resided at
Caltech's faculty club, the Athenaeum.

9. Who was the first woman to receive a PhD from Caltech?

The first female recipient of a Caltech PhD was Dorothy Ann Semenow in
1955. Her degree was awarded in chemistry and biology.

10. When did Caltech first admit women undergraduates?

Women undergraduates were admitted in the fall of 1970, four of them
receiving bachelor's degrees in 1973.
11. What are the major areas of study at Caltech?
There are 6 main divisions: biology and biological engineering; chemistry
and chemical engineering; engineering and applied science; geological and
planetary sciences; the humanities and social sciences; and physics,
mathematics, and astronomy.

12. Who are some of Caltech's distinguished faculty and alumni?

David Baltimore: Sharing the 1975 Nobel Prize in medicine—at age 37 for

his work in virology and the discovery of the—enzyme reverse transcriptase,
Baltimore was already a renowned biologist when he was invited to become
Caltech's president in 1997, where he would serve until 2006, and where he
continues his work on recombinant DNA research.

Frank Capra: Better known as an Academy Award winning film director for

such popular films of the 1930s and 1940s as It's a Wonderful Life and Mr.
Smith Goes to Washington, Capra graduated from Throop College of
Technology in 1918 with a bachelor of science degree in chemical
engineering.

Richard Feynman: A professor of physics from 1951 until his death in

1988, Feynman won his scientific renown through the development of
quantum electrodynamics, or QED, a theory describing the interaction of
particles and atoms in radiation fields. As part of this work he invented what
came to be known as the "Feynman Diagrams"—visual representations of
space-time particle interactions, for which he would be awarded the 1965
Nobel Prize in physics, together with J. Schwinger and S. I. Tomonaga.

William A. Fowler: He spent many years at Caltech, first receiving his PhD
in nuclear physics in 1936, followed by being appointed associate professor
in 1942 and professor in 1946, and finally Institute Professor of Physics in
1970, which he held until his retirement in 1982. In 1983, Fowler would
share the Nobel Prize in physics for his research into the creation of chemical
elements inside stars.

Murray Gell-Mann: Within a year of his arrival to Caltech in 1955, Gell-

Mann at age 30 would become the youngest full professor in Caltech’s
history, where he would remain for the next thirty-eight years, until his
retirement in 1993, during which time he would receive the 1969 Nobel Prize
in physics for his work on the theory of elementary particles.

George Ellery Hale: Playing a major role in transforming the Throop

Polytechnic Institute into the California Institute of Technology—a
distinguished school of research and teaching in science and engineering—in
1906 Hale became a trustee of Throop and was instrumental in inviting
Robert Millikan to lead Caltech. As a renowned astronomer, Hale became
director of the newly established Mount Wilson Observatory in California,
where he served from 1904 to 1923. He spent the last 15 years of his life
organizing the equipping and building of the Palomar Observatory in
California and in the pursuit of his solar researches in his private observatory
in Pasadena. He influenced the creation of the Henry E. Huntington Library
and Art Gallery and worked on the master plan for Pasadena's civic center.

Paul MacCready: Known as the father of human-powered flight, being the

creator of the Gossamer Condor (1977) and the Gossamer Albatross (1979)
—both times winning the Kremer Prize—MacCready received both his
Masters in physics (1948) and his PhD in aeronautics (1952) from Caltech.
He would go on to create solar-powered aircraft such as the Gossamer
Penguin and the Solar Challenger.

Linus Pauling: After receiving his PhD from Caltech in physical chemistry

and mathematical physics in 1925, two years later he accepted a position
here as an assistant professor in theoretical chemistry. It would be the work
done here at Caltech regarding the nature of chemical bonding and the
structure of the atomic nucleus that would lead to his being awarded the
Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1954. And in 1962, he would also receive the
Nobel Peace Prize for his work against above ground nuclear testing.
Pauling’s forty-one year association with Caltech—both as a student and
professor—would end in 1963 with his resignation.

Charles Richter: Originally trained as a theoretical geophysicist, he joined

the Caltech-Carnegie Seismological Laboratory in 1927, and received his PhD
from Caltech in 1928. In 1932, collaborating with Beno Gutenberg—a
renowned German geophysicist who joined the Caltech geology division—
together they developed an earthquake magnitude scale, better known
today as the Richter Scale. Richter would serve Caltech as professor of
seismology from 1952 to 1970.

Gerald J. Wasserburg: A Caltech professor of geology and geophysics

joining the faculty in 1959, one of Wasserburg’s primary research endeavors
was his isotope studies of lunar materials collected by the Apollo missions—
done in his lab known as the Lunatic Asylum at Caltech—which was in
conjunction with his long association with NASA throughout the 1970s and
1980s as a member of the Lunar Sample Analysis Planning Team and Lunar
Sample Review Board. In 1986, Wasserburg won the prestigious Crafoord
Prize in geosciences.
 13. What is JPL and how is it connected to Caltech?
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a federally funded research and
development center managed and operated by Caltech under a contract
from NASA, a partnership that began in 1958. Its history can be traced back
to 1936, when the first set of rocket experiments were carried out in the
Arroyo Seco, located north of Los Angeles. Today, its primary function is the
construction and operation of robotic planetary spacecraft, as well as to
conduct Earth-orbit and astronomy missions. JPL-run projects have included:
the Ranger and Surveyor missions to the moon; the Mariner missions to
Venus, Mars, and Mercury; the Galileo mission to Jupiter and its moons; and
the Mars rovers.

14. What is GALCIT?

Originally, the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory at Caltech (GALCIT) was
a research institute created in 1928 with funds provided by the Daniel
Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics. In 1930, Theodore von
Karman was invited to become its first director, until his retirement in 1949.
In 1936, GALCIT’s Rocket Research Project was created, which led to US
government financial support in 1939 to research rocket-assisted take-off of
aircraft. Starting in 1943, the Army Air Force asked GALCIT to study the
possible use of rockets to propel long-range missiles as well as develop
missiles for field use—work that would lead to the eventual development of
the Private, Corporal, and Sargeant missiles. In 1961 the name was changed
when two new laboratories, the Firestone Flight Sciences Laboratory and the
Karman Laboratory of Fluid Mechanics and Jet Propulsion were established,
thus creating the new GALCIT—Graduate Aeronautical Labo

 Facebook
 Twitter
 LinkedIn
 Email this page

by Judith Goodstein
California Institute of Technology

The California Institute of Technology is a small, independent university of research

and teaching in science and engineering, with 900 Ph.D. level researchers, including
almost 300 regular faculty, 900 undergraduates, and 1,000 graduate students. In spite
of its small size, it has become one of the world’s leading institutions of scientific
research and education.
Caltech’s beginnings are rooted in a modest little college founded in Pasadena in 1891
by wealthy former abolitionist and Chicago politician Amos Throop. Initially named
Throop University, the school changed its name to Throop Polytechnic Institute in
1893. In its first fifteen years, Throop served the local community, teaching a great
variety of subjects, from arts and crafts to zoology, with considerable emphasis on
vocational training. By 1906, Throop needed a fresh sense of purpose. The American
astronomer George Ellery Hale, the first director of the nearby Mount Wilson
Observatory and a newcomer to Pasadena, would provide it.

Student-Faculty Programs

Menu 
Home  /  Programs
Programs
PROGRAMS

SURF

SURF@JPL

Amgen Scholars

WAVE Fellows

LIGO SURF

Exchanges

JPL/NASA Programs

VURP

Academic-Year Opportunities

SURF
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) program is one of the "crown jewels"
of Caltech. For over 40 years, SURF students have had the opportunity to conduct research under
the guidance of experienced mentors working at the frontier of their fields. Students experience
the process of research as a creative intellectual activity from beginning (defining and
developing a project) to end (presenting their results at SURF Seminar Day). SURF is open to
both Caltech and visiting students.

WAVE Fellows Program

Caltech is committed to promoting diversity within its educational programs and activities.
Caltech's WAVE Fellows program aims to foster diversity by increasing the participation of
underrepresented students in science and engineering Ph.D. programs and making Caltech's
programs more visible and accessible to students not traditionally exposed to Caltech. The
program is extended, but not limited, to underrepresented minorities, women (in certain fields),
first-generation college students, geographically underrepresented students, educationally or
financially disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities. This program is open only to
visiting (non-Caltech) students.

Amgen Scholars Program

Discover your potential as part of Caltech's Amgen Scholars program. The Amgen Scholars
program provides visiting (non-Caltech) students the opportunity to conduct research in biology,
chemistry, and bio-technical related fields under the guidance of a Caltech faculty mentor. The
program offers students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. a great opportunity to
participate in cutting-edge research as part of a cohort of young scholars.

Exchange Programs
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships Exchange Programs were developed in order
to enhance and broaden Caltech students' undergraduate experiences by giving them the chance
to live in another culture, conduct research in a different academic/research environment, and
prepare for careers that will most certainly involve international cooperation and collaboration.
Caltech students have the opportunity to do research at the University of Iceland or the Gwangju
Institute of Science and Technology (GIST).

LIGO SURF
Undergraduate students are encouraged to participate in the development of gravitational-wave
astronomy through LIGO - the Laser Inferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory. This
intensive summer program takes place each year at Caltech, funded in part through the Research
Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program of the National Science Foundation.
Undergraduate students from all institutions (both U.S. and foreign) are invited to apply.

NASA/JPL Summer Programs

The Student-Faculty Programs office provides administrative support to several NASA/JPL
summer programs, which includes the NASA Space Grant, NASA SUPPR, and JPLSIP
programs. Students apply directly to these programs. However, once admitted, students may live
on the Caltech campus and will join a large community of undergraduate researchers.

Academic-Year Opportunities
For Caltech undergraduates, research doesn't need to be a summer-only experience. Students can,
and should, get involved with research throughout the academic year. Nearly 1/3 of our students
do!

RESEARCH
Faculty Listing

Academic Divisions

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Student Research

Centers & Institutes

Technology Transfer & Corporate Partnerships

Sponsored Research

Research Facilities

Faculty Listing

Caltech's professorial and research faculty engage undergraduate and graduate students in
diverse learning and research opportunities. Learn more about our world-class faculty, their
individual expertise, and their current areas of focus through each division's faculty listing site.
Biology & Biological Engineering Faculty
Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Faculty
Engineering & Applied Science Faculty
Geological & Planetary Sciences Faculty
Humanities & Social Sciences Faculty
Physics, Mathematics & Astronomy Faculty