Caltech or Cambridge?
Hey!
I got an offer from Cambridge and recently got admitted to Caltech, and, while I am extremely happy about this outcome, this has got me in a bit of a dilemma. I would be very thankful for any input/experiences/opinions you might have, even if just about your feelings about US v. UK :)
I am an EU student, thinking of studying EE, currently leaning towards Caltech quite a bit!
Caltech:
Pros:
- More financial aid, so would be cheaper (nearly no debt after graduation)
- Many undergraduate research opportunities at places like NASA JPL, LIGO
- Unconditional offer
- Weather is much nicer
- Much smaller (could also be a con)
- Professors are very approachable
- Ability to take a minor in another subject
Cons:
- Very far away from home
- Located in suburbs, not a very "student city" feeling (I have not been on campus, though)
- Not such a diverse atmosphere (few international students, generally STEM majors)
- Not such a wide range of clubs
Cambridge:
Pros:
- Much closer to home (geographically and culturally)
- 4 years for a masters degree
- Very diverse atmosphere (a lot of international students, STEM among humanities, etc. majors)
- Cambridge is an amazing city
- Wide range of clubs
- Supervisions
Cons:
- Conditional offer (won't know if I got admitted for 100% until August)
- More expensive
- Not as much freedom in choosing what classes to take/switching majors, taking a minor
- Not as many opportunities for undergraduate research
Stay at home :)