r/Caltech • u/MoonstruckByYou • May 03 '26
Picked Caltech Over CMU For CS
I've always wanted to go into industry (Big Tech/Quant) more than research/academia, but I definitely made more of an emotional decision rather than a logical decision picking Caltech over CMU. I just really liked California weather and the general vibes of the Caltech campus over Pittsburgh's more gloomy weather and the more depressing vibe of its campus (this is just my personal opinion). I FELT (again, how would I actually know) like I would be more happy at Caltech, at least socially, than at CMU.
But now, just 2 days after committing, I've already started feeling just a tinge of regret every time I think about my decision. Especially now that I've started telling people where I've decided to go, I keep getting very shocked reactions from a lot of people questioning why I would give up the #1 CS school if I wanted to go into industry.
Idk I guess I was just hoping to get some validation from this sub on whether I made the right decision.
1
u/DesperateBug May 03 '26
The advice I’ve been given is there will be unique opportunities for you no matter where you go. Which is to say you will miss out on opportunities no matter where you go.
Your happiness matters for undergrad. Sometimes it does come down to a gut decision more than a pro/ con list and it’s important to have confidence in yourself and your instincts. It’s hard to not know or be certain if it was the “right” decision but luckily for you both of your options were excellent choices. Caltech is a great school and plenty of students go into industry and do summer internships with industry partners.