quadsbaby

I just visited UIUC today. Everyone was very nice, but I did get the distinct impression there wasn't a lot to do outside of bars + sports. I think I would miss mountains and beaches too much. I agree with the comments that the campus seemed relatively urban for being in the middle of nowhere. Some buildings (such as the micro-nano tech lab) were very nice, large, spacious--others (geology department) seemed a little like they were falling apart. The weather was clear today.

Engineering is 15% over all disciplines

As I understand it, all those offered first round interview received email, all those rejected got snail mail. If you haven't gotten anything yet, I'm pretty sure it's a reject.

Hi purplesmoke. I'm a Caltech undergrad in EE (rising senior). 3.65 is (as far as I know) a relatively reasonably GPA (meaning it's a possibility, but it's definitely not going to be stand-out). Also, how your GPA is considered does depend somewhat on where you went for undergrad--a 3.65 at MIT is more impressive than a 3.65 at Florida State. Who are you working with for your SURF? I would try as hard as possible to connect with your professor--Caltech is small enough that if you develop a good rapport with the prof and he wants you to work with him/her, you'll most likely get in. If you're working at JPL, at the very least meet with profs you're interested in.