"Caltech was a meat grinder like I could never have imagined"

Vernon L. Smith's quote about Caltech being a "meat mill" is a metaphor for the intense academic environment at the California Institute of Technology. Smith is indicating that the scholastic rigor at Caltech is so extreme that it is like a device that grinds up and processes raw material. The metaphor recommends that the students at Caltech are put through a rigorous and tough academic program that is tough to make it through. Smith's quote indicates that the scholastic environment at Caltech is so demanding that it is practically unimaginable. It is a testimony to the high standards of the institution and the dedication of its trainees. Smith's quote is a pointer that Caltech is a place of quality and that it takes a great deal of hard work and dedication to prosper there.