Student Conversations: Looking Forward to the Opportunities

Riley plans to play basketball for Caltech. The Caltech jersey was made in celebration of his commitment to Caltech.

Riley Wood, class of 2021, is attending the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the fall. The College Solutions team caught up with him to have a conversation about his journey to acceptance and what he’s most looking forward to.

What did you do to celebrate when you found out you got in?

I was in my car about to leave my friend's house when I received the email about the admissions decision. I called my parents and then ran and told my friend the great news. It is somewhat ironic that I was with him most of the day because a year prior we had hung out at school most of the day when he was admitted to his first choice.

What is it about Caltech that first attracted you?

It is a great school, but more importantly, my goals align perfectly with Caltech and how they want to use science and technology to change the world.

What are you most looking forward to at Caltech?

I'm looking forward to playing basketball at Caltech and joining the Entrepreneurship Club. The weather is also a big plus. 

What are you most looking forward to about going to college in general?

I'm looking forward to using the next 4 years to set myself up for the rest of my life. Caltech has a lot of great opportunities and very smart people and I want to take advantage of everything the school has to offer.

What are you planning to major in?

I'm planning on double majoring in BEM (Business, Economics, and Management) and Computer Science.

How did the quarantine affect your college search? Were you able to visit Caltech?

I was not able to visit Caltech and my college search as a whole was based mainly on internet research about individual schools.

Without being able to visit, how did you get to know Caltech (and the others on your list)?

I was able to get to know a lot about the schools on my list through the basketball coaches, who gave me information on many different aspects of the schools.

What did you find most helpful in researching and applying to colleges?

Personally, the way to find the best fit is to figure out what you personally want out of life after college and then find schools that match your desired path.

What parts of the college search and application process were difficult?

My college search was different than most as I was trying to find a great fit academically and athletically. It was a bit difficult to balance the combination of the two, but it worked out in the end.

Now that the pressure is off, are you doing anything fun to relax?

I'm definitely more relaxed, but I wouldn't say I've changed anything since I've gotten into Caltech. It's definitely a great stepping stone for me, but I'm still working to achieve the bigger goals I have in mind for after college.

What are you planning to do this summer?

This summer, I plan on traveling and hanging out with friends before going off to college. I'm also really excited about the opportunities in subsequent summers to do internships in California.