Guide/04 School-by-School Supplements
Caltech Supplemental Essays 2026–27
Caltech's 2026–27 STEM-focused short answers (area of interest, scholarly character, scientific drive, and community) and how to write for faculty readers.
Caltech's 2026–27 supplement is all about how you do STEM: your area of interest (100–200 words), how you learn when there's no easy answer (collaboration or process), two of three "scientific drive" prompts (a STEM rabbit hole, a question you've pursued over time, or something you made), what you'd contribute to the community (150–200 words), and an optional question about your academic context.
Caltech says its faculty review applications, so feel free to get technical. This guide shows how...
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What’s in this chapter
- 1The prompts at a glance
- 2What Caltech is really looking for
- 3How to approach each section