Caltech Offers Admission to Incoming Undergraduate Class
On March 8, Caltech released its final round of undergraduate admissions decisions, offering admission to a total of 427 exceptional students.
Hailing from 41 U.S. states and territories and 27 countries around the globe, the admitted students embody academic excellence, a shared dedication to scientific inquiry, and diverse lived experiences.
Among them are numerous winners of the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and International Science Olympiad competitions, who collectively earned 56 top placements and awards in those competitions. The admitted class comprises myriad passions—including beekeeping, origami, drone piloting, and synchronized swimming. Each admitted student has demonstrated tenacity, creativity, curiosity, and a collaborative spirit, exemplifying the promise of future scientists, engineers, and leaders.
"Caltech faculty dedicate considerable time and care to reading applicant files, selecting for admission only those that spark our genuine excitement," says Omer Tamuz, chair of the First-Year Admissions and Financial Aid faculty committee and professor of economics and mathematics. "We are fortunate to be able to admit a class of students who are truly extraordinary—each uniquely talented, yet all sharing our passion for science and engineering. We were astonished by the files we read this year; the motivation, brilliance, and resilience of our admits is humbling. The students of this incoming class are quirky, remarkably creative, and scary smart—and will immensely enjoy learning and working together."
To attract and retain the brightest students from all walks of life, Caltech is committed to making its education accessible to students from all income backgrounds. Admitted students from families with an annual income below $100,000 typically receive financial aid covering their full tuition, fees, housing, and food costs. Students from families earning less than $200,000 typically receive aid that covers the full cost of tuition. This year, Caltech has also admitted three student refugees through the Global Student Haven Initiative, who all receive financial aid meeting 100% of their demonstrated need.
Additionally, low-income students admitted through the QuestBridge National College Match program receive full scholarships. This year, 17 QuestBridge scholars have committed to attend Caltech. Among them is Christian Wyatt Cavener, an incoming first year from Joplin, Missouri.
"I knew that Caltech's heavy focus on research would allow me to contribute to STEM as an undergraduate and thoroughly prepare me for later innovative success," Cavener says. "I saw the sheer concentration of brilliance in Caltech's faculty as a resource that I would want to tap into as a student."
Cavener is also a first-generation college student, which he says has motivated him to put his heart and soul into his education. In his third year of high school, he was awarded the Yale Science and Engineering Association Science Fair Award for his research project on quasars, and he says he hopes to pursue astrophysics and quantitative finance research opportunities while at Caltech. "I have always enjoyed the rigorous logic of mathematics and been captivated by the philosophical implications of astrophysics," Cavener says. "I look forward to the courses I will get to take at Caltech and the unparalleled STEM training I will receive."
Another admitted student who has already committed to Caltech is Jonathan Hu from Shanghai, China. While attending the International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles last year, Hu brought home the second place grand award in materials science and two special awards—as well as a deeper appreciation of all that Caltech has to offer.
"At the Caltech-sponsored ISEF student mixer, I was able to chat with lots of Techers who shared their experiences, and I found this particularly helpful," Hu says. "I first knew of Caltech after reading Richard Feynman's autobiography. Later, as I regularly read up on frontier research, I was struck by how often Caltech's name appeared—especially considering its small size. Since then, Caltech has always been a dream for me."
Hu has conducted research in particle physics, studying the interactions between anti-electron neutrinos and deuterons, and presented his findings at several workshops. His ISEF-winning project, however, focused on batteries. "I worked on developing self-healing flexible zinc-ion batteries using carbon cloth, hydrogel, and zinc materials," Hu says. "The rechargeable batteries I developed are very adaptive and versatile: they can withstand bending, puncturing, freezing, and cutting while safely maintaining functionality. In the future, they can potentially be implemented to sustainably and safely power wearables and biomedical devices."
Hu is also an avid birder, amateur radio enthusiast, and wildlife and science photographer. He says he looks forward to participating in a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), the puzzle hunt and amateur radio clubs, as well as house traditions.
Kate Austrian, an incoming first year from Minneapolis, Minnesota, says Caltech's supportive community is what drew her to commit. "The minute I visited during WiSTEM [Women in STEM, a summer preview program], I knew Caltech was where I wanted to spend the next four (or maybe more) years of my life," Austrian says. "Everyone was so passionate about STEM and so uplifting."
Austrian conducted an independent research project on genetic variation and cancer prevalence in Sámi populations (the Sámi are the Indigenous people of the Nordic region). "My family only recently discovered we were Sámi since many Sámi immigrants in Minnesota hid their heritage for fear of alienation," Austrian says.
"One way that I have reconnected with my ancestry is by learning more about my own genetics." Austrian says she also has a family history of Alzheimer's disease, so she began researching which genes associated with Alzheimer's are prevalent in Sámi populations. Her investigation shifted when she learned that Sámi populations have much lower risks of cancer than most other populations. In her project, Austrian explored possible causes for this lower incidence of cancer, focusing on genetic variations called orosomucoid polymorphisms. Austrian is also passionate about physics, including nuclear physics, biophysics, and optics, and will be a pole vaulter on Caltech's track and field team.
Admitted students are invited to visit Caltech and learn more about what to expect as an incoming student at Discover Caltech (DiscoTech) 2025, scheduled to take place April 13 through April 16. Students and their families will have the chance to tour campus and attend division open houses, mock lectures, social mixers, activities, and much more. Admitted students will meet fellow admits, as well as current Caltech students and faculty, and collect information to help them decide whether Caltech is the college for them.
"At Caltech, we admit students who we know will have an outsized impact on the world," says Caltech's dean of undergraduate admissions Ashley Pallie. "We want students who will become co-researchers with some of the best scientific and engineering minds in the world and who will take advantage of our intimate and highly collaborative environment. These students will be exceptional anywhere, but add in the intensive Caltech education, and we know these students will become the absolute best scientists and engineers they could ever be."