California Institute of Technology

Finalists who rank Caltech
If you are a Finalist who ranked Caltech, your National College Match application will be sent to Caltech, and you will need to submit the following requirements to the school by November 1. If you have questions after reviewing the information below, please learn more about Caltech's QuestBridge process or reach out to the school directly.
Requirements
California Institute of Technology Application Status Portal Activation
QuestBridge will send Finalists’ applications to college partners on October 16, and California Institute of Technology may need a couple of days to import them into their system. Once processed, Caltech will then email you instructions to log in and activate your applicant portal, where you can track the status of the materials you submit.
Finalists who want to participate in the Match and have ranked Caltech will receive an email about the Beaver Breakroom, where they can access, complete, and submit the Caltech-QuestBridge Supplement. The Supplement consists of required questions with responses between 150-250 words. Fall 2025 applicants will also be asked to review Caltech's guidelines on the ethical use of AI before submitting the required and optional essays listed here.
Caltech requires letters of recommendation from two teachers:
- STEM: math (calculus or beyond preferred), physics, chemistry, or biology
- Humanities/Social Sciences: English, history, government, or economics
If your QuestBridge recommendations do not meet Caltech's requirements, we highly recommend, but do not require, that you obtain an additional letter from a teacher in calculus, chemistry, physics, biology, or a humanities subject. If you are unable to secure an additional letter by the deadline, we will review your application using the two letters of recommendation submitted through your QuestBridge application. Should you choose to request an additional letter, please ensure your recommender submits it by November 6 via email to admissionsdocuments@caltech.edu, including your full name and date of birth.
Caltech recommends requesting letters from teachers who taught you in your final two years of high school, know you well, and can speak knowledgeably about your skills and performance in their classroom. You can review examples of classes that meet Caltech's requirements for teacher evaluations.
An official high school transcript (a transcript sent from a school official) is required along with official transcripts from any other institution where you have taken courses. If a counselor or school official already sent an official transcript through QuestBridge, there is no need to submit another.
In preparation for Caltech's core curriculum, which is the foundation for all majors, Caltech expects you engage academically with the most advanced and rigorous coursework available to you in high school. To prepare for core, students must demonstrate mastery in the following subjects:
- Four years of math, including one year of calculus*
- One year of physics*
- One year of chemistry*
- One year of biology (recommended)
- Four years of English
- Two years of history and/or social sciences (3+ years recommended)
*If a student is unable to take a calculus, chemistry, and/or physics course in high school because it is not available to them or they experience unresolvable course conflicts, Caltech will accept examination scores or certification showing proof of knowledge in the subject in lieu of an academic course requirement, provided both the student and their counselor document the underlying unresolvable issue(s). Learn more about this and Caltech's Academic Requirements.
Beginning for Fall 2025 entry, Caltech will require first-year applicants to submit either the SAT or ACT for admission to Caltech. The writing section of the ACT is not required.
SAT or ACT scores must be submitted to Caltech by October 31, 2024. This deadline includes any test re-submissions.
There is no preferred exam and there is no cut-off score. Caltech accepts both the SAT (paper and digital versions) and ACT tests for the standardized testing requirements, and neither is preferred over the other.
Please visit Caltech Standardized Tests website for detailed information.
2025-2026 CSS Profile
CSS code: 4034
Available Oct. 1
Complete and submit only if you are NOT a U.S. Citizen or Eligible Noncitizen and cannot submit a FAFSA.
Please select "Early Action" as your admission application type.
Through your portal, the Beaver Breakroom, upload the signed 2023 Parent Tax Return; or, if your parent(s) have not filed a tax return, the Parent Non-Tax Filer's Statement.
2025-2026 FAFSA
FAFSA code: 001131
Submit as soon as available
The FAFSA will open this fall. Please complete the FAFSA as soon as it is available and submit it directly to Caltech.
Complete and submit if you are a U.S. Citizen or Eligible Noncitizen.