Hello everyone! I’m Ria Patel, a blogger for the Caltech Admissions blog and a tour guide on
campus. A little bit about me, I am a sophomore in Page House double majoring in Computation and
Neural Systems & Business, Economics, and Management (BEM). I grew up in Gainesville, Florida (I
seem to not be able to escape the sun). During my time here so far, I have tried to take
advantage of all of the incredible opportunities Caltech has to offer. That’s why this past
summer, I participated in a SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship) through
Caltech at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory just 15 minutes from campus.

Outside of class, I’ve gotten involved on-campus with the Society of Women Engineers and
Caltech Data Science Organization. I am also currently in training to become a Health Advocate
for my house.

In my free time, I love hanging out with friends, hiking, photography, exploring LA and
Pasadena, and trying out new food spots! The workload at Caltech can certainly be hard, which
is why I make it a priority to fit these things into my week. Exploring the LA area was what made
me extra excited when committing to Caltech, and I can say that it has not disappointed. The
area is great for finding buying last-minute tickets to your favorite artists performing in concerts,
trying amazing new food spots, and getting to both the ocean and mountains within an hour!

I’m excited to share my experiences at Caltech with all of you through this blog!