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 [email protected], 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. 

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.

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.

Finalists who do not match cannot be considered for admission through Restrictive Early Action to Caltech, but instead can be considered in the Regular Decision process.

Follow the instructions below to apply through Regular Decision.

Finalists who ranked Caltech and submitted all materials (but did not match to a binding college)

Finalists who did not rank Caltech

If you choose to use your QuestBridge application and Supplement, there is no further action that needs to be taken for this section.

If students choose the Common Application, select “Regular Decision” as the admission round.

If you choose to use your QuestBridge application, you must submit a Caltech-QuestBridge Supplement (only if Caltech was selected in the QuestBridge Regular Decision Form). Through the Beaver Breakroom, you can access, complete, and submit a new Caltech-QuestBridge Supplement.

The Supplement consists of required questions that require 200-250 words max. Fall 2024 applicants will be asked to review Caltech’s guidelines on the ethical use of AI before submitting the required and optional essays listed here. Experiencing writer’s block? Check out Caltech's Essay Writing Advice.

If students choose the Common Application, select “Regular Decision” as the admission round.

Caltech requires letters of recommendation from two secondary school teachers. Their strong preference includes one letter each from the subjects below:

• STEM: math (calculus or beyond preferred), physics, chemistry, or biology
• Humanities/Social Sciences: English, history, government, or economics

Caltech recommends requesting letters from teachers who taught you in your final two years of high school, who know you well, and can speak knowledgeably about your skills and performance in their classroom. Caltech would like your humanities or social science teacher to comment on your writing skills, so be sure to ask a teacher from a class with a significant writing component. Examples of classes that meet Caltech's requirements for teacher evaluations are available here.

If a student applies through the QuestBridge Application, Caltech will consider the letters of recommendation that were sent from QuestBridge.

If your QuestBridge recommendations do not meet Caltech's requirements, you are expected to reach out to a teacher to request a letter for the missing field and ask them to submit by January 3.

If a student applies through the Common Application, then their recommender can submit a copy of the letter of recommendation that was submitted to QuestBridge to [email protected]. Please ask the recommender to include the applicant’s full name and date of birth in their email.

Recommenders are welcome to check out Caltech's writing advice page.

Caltech requires letters of recommendation from two secondary school teachers. Their strong preference includes one letter each from the subjects below:

• STEM: math (calculus or beyond preferred), physics, chemistry, or biology
• Humanities/Social Sciences: English, history, government, or economics

Caltech recommends requesting letters from teachers who taught you in your final two years of high school, who know you well, and can speak knowledgeably about your skills and performance in their classroom. Caltech would like your humanities or social science teacher to comment on your writing skills, so be sure to ask a teacher from a class with a significant writing component. Examples of classes that meet Caltech's requirements for teacher evaluations are available here.

If a student applies through the QuestBridge Application, Caltech will consider the letters of recommendation that were sent from QuestBridge.

If your QuestBridge recommendations do not meet Caltech's requirements, you are expected to reach out to a teacher to request a letter for the missing field and ask them to submit by January 3.

If a student applies through the Common Application, then their recommender can submit a copy of the letter of recommendation that was submitted to QuestBridge to [email protected]. Please ask the recommender to include the applicant’s full name and date of birth in their email.

Recommenders are welcome to check out Caltech's writing advice page.

Students should request a school official to submit an update including recent grades. 

If a student applies through the Common App, we prefer that the transcript is submitted through the Common App. Only if this is not possible, a school official may email the transcript directly to our office at [email protected]. Please ask a school official to include the applicant’s full name and date of birth in their email. Caltech does not accept transcript submissions from applicants.

Students must request an official transcript to be sent to Caltech from their high school(s) and any other institution where they have taken courses. To prepare for the core curriculum, which is the foundation for all majors, students must demonstrate a 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.

If a student applies through the Common App, Caltech prefers that the transcript is submitted through the Common App. Only if this is not possible, a school official may email the transcript directly to our office at [email protected]. Please ask a school official to include the applicant’s full name and date of birth in their email. Caltech does not accept transcript submissions from applicants.

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.

We accept both the SAT (paper and digital versions) and ACT tests for the standardized testing requirements, and neither is preferred over the other.

Students applying through Regular Decision must submit their SAT or ACT scores to Caltech before December 31, 2024. 

Please visit Caltech's Standardized Tests page. 

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.

We accept both the SAT (paper and digital versions) and ACT tests for the standardized testing requirements, and neither is preferred over the other.

Students applying through Regular Decision must submit their SAT or ACT scores to Caltech before December 31, 2024. 

Please visit Caltech's Standardized Tests page. 

Finalists who ranked Caltech and submitted all materials (but did not match to a binding college)

Finalists who did not rank Caltech

US Citizens and Eligible Noncitizens

Submit the following to IDOC. Please note that the IDOC service does not become available until October 1, 2024.

• Signed copy of your parents' 2023 IRS Tax Return Transcript and W-2 forms.
• Caltech Supplemental Application
• Verification Worksheet
• Parents' & Student's Income Tax Transcript

If your parents own a business or farm:

• Business/Farm Supplement

If applicable:

• Student Non-Tax Filer's Statement
• Parent Non-Tax Filer's Statement

For Residents of California only