Caltech, one of the nation’s esteemed universities, has made a significant change in its admissions requirements. The university announced on Thursday that it will no longer mandate applicants to have completed calculus, chemistry, and physics courses. This decision comes as a result of recognizing that many high schools do not offer such curricula, thereby limiting access for talented students.
Instead, Caltech will offer these students an opportunity to engage in free online courses, receive tutoring, and complete a certification process through Khan Academy. This process will culminate in an assessment exam that can be used to consider their admission to Caltech.
Jared R. Leadbetter, professor of environmental microbiology and chair of the first-year admissions committee, stated, “Our objective in admissions is to minimize barriers for talented STEM students. The Caltech faculty acknowledges that some students may not have access to the STEM courses we require for admission. The new policy aims to provide these students with a path to compensate for the lack of formal coursework by engaging in effective independent study of the relevant subjects.”
Students who choose the Khan Academy program must successfully complete an exam and score above 90% to meet Caltech’s course requirements. Alternatively, they can utilize their Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test scores to fulfill the requirement.
A report from the Los Angeles Times reveals that only 65% of public high schools offered calculus classes during the 2017-18 school year, with even fewer schools providing access to physics classes, particularly in large cities and rural areas.
Furthermore, Caltech announced changes in the short-essay questions of its application. The new questions aim to give applicants the chance to express how Caltech’s values resonate with them. Additionally, the university has included guidelines on the ethical use of AI in its application process. Ethical uses of AI include employing language models like ChatGPT or Bard to generate questions, review grammar and spelling, or conduct research on the college application process. However, it is considered unethical to use these tools for drafting essay responses.
Ashley Pallie, executive director of undergraduate admissions and chief admissions officer, emphasized Caltech’s commitment to equity, saying, “Equity at Caltech means continuously considering where talent resides and how we can make Caltech more accessible to the world’s most exceptional STEM students. We recognize that educational opportunities vary for every individual, and a student’s intellect should not be limited by their local high school. The challenges facing our world are greater than these limitations, and so Caltech Admissions is thinking beyond them as well.”
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