The California Institute of Technology
StudentsReview ::
The California Institute of Technology - Graduate (MS/PhD) Ratings | |||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
|
Total Grad Surveys | 4 |
Females | 2 |
Males | 2 |
Avg years at University | 2.0 |
Research Quality | B+ (7.6) |
Research Availability | B (6.6) |
Research Funding | A (9.6) |
Graduate Politics | A (9.2) |
Not Errand Runners | C- (3.5) |
Degree Completion | A- (8.2) |
Alternative pay [ta/gsi] | C- (3.5) |
Sufficient Pay | C- (4.0) |
Competitiveness | D+ (3.5) |
Education Quality | C (4.3) |
Faculty Accessibility | C- (4.0) |
Useful Research | C- (4.0) |
"Individual" treatment | C- (4.0) |
Friendliness | C- (3.6) |
Safety | C- (4.1) |
Campus Beauty | C- (3.7) |
Campus Maintenance | C- (4.0) |
University Spending | C- (4.1) |
Extracurriculars | C- (4.0) |
Scholastic Success | D+ (3.4) |
Surrounding City | D+ (3.4) |
Social Life/ Environment | D- (1.9) |
I had no problem getting into a Postdoc and then remaining at a NASA field center, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. I note that one of the "dropouts" in my year was still provided with a "terminal" MS degree and works as an astronomy- and space-science oriented programmer at JPL.
Now, all that said, I add that I had two roommates with entirely different experiences in Biology and Chemistry. In either department, one joined the inner group of your faculty advisor and there you stayed through your entire graduate-student career. My biology buddy put up with a major "name" with all of his elitist tendencies and royal pretentions, but did well with the extremely good recommendation this guy provided his subsequent career: "OMG, you did your work with Dr. ____ and you survived!"
My chemistry buddy was so despondent, he dropped out without even a Master's degree and disappeared from the face of the earth so far as science is concerned.No matter what area of science or engineering you're in, you are nowhere else going to find so many Nobel laureates per square km, and so many scientifically notable people in the faculty club (which you CAN join as a graduate student, for a fee...just like the slightly higher-paid faculty). Before coming, talk to the people you're going to work with, unless you just want the prestige and figure you'll deal with the personality quirks one way or another. Talk especially with other graduate students!
# | University | |||
1 |
| |||
2 |
| |||
3 |
| |||
4 |
| |||
5 |
| |||
6 |
| |||
7 |
| |||
8 |
| |||
9 |
| |||
10 |
| |||
11 |
| |||
12 |
| |||
13 |
| |||
14 |
| |||
15 |
|
Are you a student and about to sign the very first lease in your li... more→