<p>Poly is quickly rising to the top of my son’s list of potential schools to study engineering. Just so there are no surprises, what don’t you like about Poly?</p>
<p>I have very few complaints about Poly. I mainly have love for the place. The positives outweigh the negatives by 10 to 1. </p>
<p>The things I don’t like are on-campus food, some professors are horrid (but that’s true everywhere) and I end up teaching myself on certain classes, a small % of students in the less rigorous majors are ill suited to be at Poly (unmotivated, not serious about academics, party WAY too much), we get unjustified flak for being part of the CSU (only when we are away from SLO we feel this), and the school can be more diverse in student composition.</p>
<p>The biggest negative would be that for the rest of his life he will want to move back to San Luis Obispo and nothing will ever compare :)</p>
<p>SLO seems like an ideal university setting. As with any place, there are always a few drawbacks. For us, one would be OOS tuition. Couple that with the lack of merit aid and the possibility of more than four years, and the finances could be an issue.</p>
<p>compared to …??</p>
<p>If you’re comparing to a private college, then the biggest issue would be getting the classes in the sequence you need them to graduate on time. This is an issue with every public college, including the UCs.</p>
<p>If you’re comparing to another public… hard to think of any downsides other than issues of personal preference, like preferring urban environments to rural ones, etc.</p>
<p>Agree with DunninLA, but do want to say getting classes in sequence isn’t a problem for many students, mine and her roommates included. Going into 4th year, she could have graduated early, but chose to give her senior research project her full attention in Spring quarter and also take the GRE this fall with some time in her schedule for study. It isn’t that uncommon for kids to be on track or ahead.</p>
<p>Thanks! It sure seemed like everyone we encountered there looked happy.</p>
<p>Oh, and what sucks…</p>
<p>High cost of rentals in the area (by our standards, coming from another state with lower cost of living all around)
High cost and inconvenience of flying into SLO</p>
<p>The lower tuition cost of the school (compared to private), the excellent education she is receiving, and the absolutely wonderful quality of life she enjoys completely justify these costs/inconveniences. </p>
<p>The “learn by doing” model works for her. From the very beginning she has had so many “real” experiences in and out of class, allowing her to understand the job she will eventually be doing and how her courses are relevant to that calling. Way beyond my expectations- I thought this was just a slogan. I couldn’t have been more wrong.</p>
<p>My son just finished his first year as an incoming ME. My mind has been bouncing the question of ‘What’s up with Cal Poly?’ for the last year. San Louis Obispo is the stomping grounds of the likes of Jack Kerouac, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Burt Rutan & thousands of other free spirits who heard the beat of a different drum. San Louis Obispo has that spark of California that got lost in LA, the Bay Area and other major hubs of the state 50 years ago. The city is a time machine, providing transportation back to the golden days of the state. The school is anchored in the agriculture and engineering that made California the ‘Golden State’ before any of us were born. Cal Poly offers our kids the sound of a different drum, out of step with the other great institutions the state, yet many of the best & brightest are flocking to ride the time machine. Record numbers of applications from students bringing record GPA’s & SAT/ACT scores. What’s sucks about Poly? It sucks that so few of us will have the good fortune to take that ride back through time to see the amazing future Cal Poly will bring to our sons and daughters.</p>
<p>
novel perspective that rings true to me. Population density seems to have passed SLO by. Slower pace, less crowded, yet all the technological benefits one would find in a dense urban area.</p>
<p>Yet, for every point, there is a counterpoint. There are no professional sports franchises. There are no world class restaurants, or Philharmonic orchestras, or reknowned art galleries. There won’t be six Ford dealerships (or even one Maserati dealership, especially not the one with a car that will go 185) with which to negotiate the best deal, nor will there be that specialty shop that only carries French wine and aged cheeses at $28/lb, or the designer clothing/accessories shops like those found on Rodeo Drive.</p>
<p>well i do know that engineers rarely graduate within 4 years. i think it was about only 20% of engineers who do graduate within 4 years, and so if u do end up staying another year, you’re going to have to pay another 25k D:</p>
<p>The beach is 10 minutes away. 5 minutes would be better. ;)</p>
<p>As a current student at Cal Poly, here are some things that I dislike about it:
- Rotation schedule : It is hard to get all the classes you need. I notice that there are some classes where even if you are 2nd rotation, you will end up being on the waitlist (some Area F, C4, etc).
- Bus system : I didn’t bring a car to Cal Poly. On the weekends, it takes an hour for the bus to come and sometimes, it is late. It takes forever to go to some places.
- Food stores: The only food store near by (if you don’t have a car) is Albertson. It takes a little bit longer to go to Food 4 Less, Trader Joes (40 minute bus ride), Ralphs, or Fresh and Easy.
- If you don’t have a car, the bus costs money to go to the beach and it takes about an hour to get there.</p>
<p>I actually don’t mind the food. I realize that by cooking my own food, it takes up so much time.</p>
<p>Thanks!!!</p>
<p>The beach is cold, windy, and foggy. You won’t be sunbathing there.</p>
<p>If you are from a large city, SLO…is very slo. Very small, isolated and there are quite a few locals that seems to despise college kids, even tho it must be the top employer. Go too far from campus and you notice the freaky meth head culture.</p>
<p>@ SoCalDad2 You make me laugh, if you are from anywhere other than SoCal, Hawaii or the Gulf Coast SLO is balmy. All the kids from the North West, Midwest or East Coast are pinching them selves to see if they are dreaming. And oh by the way, have you been stuck on the 405 or the 5 lately? SLO is a breath of fresh air, literally. But you are correct, each school has it’s pluses and minuses.</p>
<p>Sorry, I have to disagree with the post that SLO’s beaches are foggy and cold.</p>
<p>Pismo beach is just simply breathtaking. The endless white sand shoreline and the blue blue sky with the blazing sun are simply breathtaking. You can’t beat Pismo beach unless you are comparing to beaches in San Diego.</p>
<p>I can just lay on Pismo beach forever and listen to the surf while I sun myself.</p>
<p>If weather is a top priority, yes much better than most inland areas. First year, it was exciting as a student to be something like one third the local population. But I guess once you add the next year or two, everything seems isolated and small. Many of my professors seemed to be there as the last stop before retiring, because the weather is nice. So, come for the beaches, you can’t beat it.</p>
<p>Slo is small, but because it is small and not as influenced by a large city, I’ve found that there are fewer superficial people. Of course there are still some, but I feel like definitely less than in most places. Every time I have been to a beach (Pismo or Avila), it has been sunny. Morro Bay tends to be foggy, but that’s not really a beach most people go to just to hang out. As an out of state student, I’ve flown in and out of Slo quite a few times. I chose to fly from Slo primarily for convenience. Going straight to San Francisco or LA and getting a direct flight to my hometown might be cheaper, but it would also mean an additional four hours at least of travel time. I do sometimes get annoyed by flying through Slo, but it’s a unique experience that I might actually miss. Although it was nicer when US Air had cheaper flights than United…Out of state tuition is higher too, but what did you expect? It’s still cheaper than most private schools, although there might not be as much aid available. I never had trouble getting classes, but that probably has a lot to do with my major. I was also persistent in crashing classes though, and I was able to get every class I did crash, even the ones that I did not meet certain prerequisites for. Not having a car can be somewhat annoying though. So I’d say the worst thing about the school is that almost all the on campus food is overpriced for what you get get. The quality is not very good. But dining is notorious for ripping you off, so only get a meal plan if you’re a freshman living on campus and are required to do so.</p>