Applying to Caltech Physics
An unofficial guide by grad students
What you need to apply to Caltech Physics
(and most other astro grad programs) in approximate order of importance:
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Online application form (Caltech can waive the application fee)
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3 letters of recommendation
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CV/résumé
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Transcript(s) (unofficial transcripts are fine for Caltech)
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Personal statement
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General GRE
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Physics GRE (“strongly recommended” but not strictly required for Caltech, and
many agree that it’s the least important part of your application)
Application timeline: what to do and when to do it
Now: Start getting materials together
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Think about where to apply.
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You might want to organize your thoughts. Here’s an example
spreadsheet that summarizes some things to look for.
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Feel free to reach out to people!
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You can contact faculty you’re interested in working with. Ask
about their research, see if they’re taking students, etc.
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You can also ask current grad students what it’s like working with
Prof. [insert name], what the culture of a department is like, etc.
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Start working on your CV.
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Here’s a guide about what can go in it (Caltech has a guide too)
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Here’s a sample CV (we recommend making yours in LaTeX if you can)
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Figure out what tests you need to take:
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You will need to take the regular GRE at some point. This test is
computerized and offered at lots of locations and times.
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The physics GRE (PGRE) subject test is NOT formally required for
Caltech Physics, but a high score can help your application.
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Some schools do still require PGRE scores (see a list here). If you decide to
take the PGRE, register early for the September and/or the October test.
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Study tips: Take the official practice tests, especially the most recent ones!
Some of us also found the book Conquering the Physics GRE to be useful.
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If your first or native language is not English and you don’t have a
degree from a US institution, you may need to demonstrate English
proficiency with the TOEFL. Dates and locations vary by country.
September-ish: Letters of recommendation
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Ask for letters of recommendation.
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Who to ask?
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Best: past research supervisors
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Good: academic advisors or professors who know you well
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Not ideal: professors who don’t know you well (even if you got
an A in a class they taught)
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How to ask?
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Ask early! They might be able to suggest places to apply
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Explicitly ask if they can write you a “strong” letter
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Once you’ve decided where to apply, send your letter writers info:
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A list of places and deadlines to send letters (update regularly!)
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Your CV/résumé and a copy of your transcript, along with
whatever extra information they ask for
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If you have any extenuating circumstances that might explain
other parts of your application, consider asking your
recommenders to mention them in their letters
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Although this list is in what we grad students think is roughly the order of
most to least importance, the admissions committee will judge your
application as a whole. Excellent parts of your application can help make up
for other parts of your application.
October-ish: Fellowships and essays
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Check out this list of fellowships and see if any might be right fits
for you.
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Don’t think you’ll get a fellowship? Apply anyway, if you can. It never
hurts, and it’s really useful when writing other applications.
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For US citizens, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research
Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) is a great opportunity. The
application is due October 25 for physics and astronomy.
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For more tips on applying for the NSF GRFP, check out this useful
website. Even if you don’t apply, you might want to check out the
great example essays hosted here.
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Work on your essays / statements of purpose.
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DO (or at least try to):
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Express your career goals & research interests
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Briefly describe past research, emphasizing your contributions
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Explain why a particular program is a good fit for you
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Name drop professors who you might want to work with
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Ask people to look over your statement!
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Especially ask grad students, postdocs, and/or professors
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Get a friend to check for clarity and grammar
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Send them to your letter writers once you have drafts
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DON’T (or at least reconsider):
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Be overly flowery—it’s not an undergraduate application essay!
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Use clichés (especially the “I fell in love with physics as a child” one)
November-ish: Work on applications
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Send your transcripts.
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Fellowship and grad school applications both typically require
transcripts. Depending on your university, it can take a long time to
get official transcripts sent; get it done early and avoid rush charges.
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Note that Caltech Physics will accept unofficial transcripts!
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Make sure your letter writers get recommendations in!
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Caltech’s online form will send you a notification when a letter has
been submitted on your behalf. If they are not in yet, gently remind
your letter writers; they’re busy and might have forgotten.
December: Send in your applications
Application deadlines are usually in December-January (note that for
some US schools, deadlines for international students may be earlier
than for US students). The Caltech Physics deadline is December 15.
After submitting applications: try not to stress!
January-March: Wait to hear back
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For some schools, you may be interviewed over video chat if you
make it to the short list.
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At Caltech, committee members will ask you about your research
experience. They will ask you to explain various aspects of your
research and ask how you think joining the program at Caltech will be
mutually beneficial to you and to our department.
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Decisions for physics graduate programs usually start coming in
late January. Caltech will post all final decisions by April 1.
March-April: School visits
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If you are accepted, someone from the university will be in touch
about visiting the department (all expenses will be paid for you).
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Check out these tips for visiting graduate programs, and this list
of good questions to ask on grad visits.
For US schools, April 15 is the deadline to decide on a grad school.
Before April 15, take your time to make a decision! But if you’re sure that you want to reject
an admission offer, please let the school know as quickly as possible. This lets them admit
students off the waitlist and gives these students more time to consider their options.
FINALLY:
Remember that grad school admissions are often driven by factors you have
no control over (funding, which professors are looking for students, etc.)!
You are not defined by the schools you do or don’t get into, and plenty of
astronomers (including some of us) didn’t go to grad school right away. You
can be successful no matter what you decide to do.
This timeline is just a rough guideline, and you don’t need to follow it exactly.
Also, this process is stressful, so don’t forget to take care of yourself!
2019-20 EDITION
Questions? Comments? Contact Cora at [email protected]
Some other resources: Astrobites post, Ivanna Escala’s powerpoint
