Dear new student,
Congratulations on your admission to Caltech. We the Organization of Associated Students from the Indian Subcontinent (OASIS) take immense pleasure in welcoming you to the campus. We want to make your initial experience in Caltech and the United States memorable. Please feel free to contact us by emailing for any kind of concern you may have. The contact email addresses are available in the contact page.
For new Caltech students, post-docs, and faculty, there are a number of options within Caltech housing.
Undergraduates are all housed on campus or in one of the Caltech-owned properties that is within two blocks of campus. A large percentage of graduate students live on campus in the Catalina apartments. To apply for on-campus housing, one must fill out the required forms and enter the housing lottery. See http://www.housing.caltech.edu/ for the details.
For Caltech grad students and post-docs, there are a number of Caltech-owned or Caltech-leased properties that are available. The rent in these units is somewhat subsidized, i.e. lower than what one finds in the open market. Some of these units are close to campus, while others are rather far away (i.e. north of the 210 Freeway). Again, see http://www.housing.caltech.edu/ for the details.
Some students and many post-docs live off campus in apartments that are not affiliated with Caltech. To find such apartments, check the Caltech Rental Listings or Craigslist
OASIS does not have the resources to find either temporary or long-term housing for incoming students, staff, and postdocs. Our advice is to apply for Caltech housing if possible, and if not, to find an apartment on Craigslist or another rental listing service. Be aware that, at the time of writing, it is common for private one-bedroom apartments near Caltech to cost $800-$1200 per month.
OASIS organises airport pick ups for incoming students. Kindly get in touch with OASIS at least 3-4 weeks in advance of your arrival to organise this. Useful resources for getting started at Caltech can be found at http://technique.caltech.edu/. A few useful tips;
- Purchase a calling card (for example, Reliance) for calling India before you come. The concept of a "PCO" doesn't exist in the US!
More information that we feel helpful are listed in the page - Helpful Information. See you soon!