FASA Office

PALAISEAU, France — Rafael Crespo (BS ’26) traded the familiar backdrop of California’s San Gabriel Valley for the suburban outskirts of Paris for a term. As an exchange student at École Polytechnique, known on campus as “L’X,” Crespo found an environment that challenged his Caltech routine in many ways. The sprawling campus sits on a plateau near Palaiseau, a 40-minute train ride outside Paris. The institution traces its roots back to 1794 during the French Revolution, and is one of the wo

Arabella Camunez arrived in Denmark ready for a different style of learning. She also found a welcoming community, an abundance of castles and winter days with only a few hours of daylight. Arabella, a member of Caltech’s Class of 2027 studying chemical engineering, spent fall 2025 at the Technical University of Denmark, known as DTU, through Caltech’s Copenhagen Scholars Program. “I have really enjoyed my time at the Danish Technical University,” Arabella wrote. “Both the international studen