<p>I'm unsure about whether I should take a ~10k loan to go to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a cs major or go to a community college to transfer to UCLA, UCB or one of the other UCs. Personally, I'd like to go to Cal Poly because I heard good things about it, but I don't really know the details.
What are the prospects Cal Poly vs UCs like UCLA or UCB in terms of job/intern availability and coop? What do companies think of Cal Poly and etc? From what I usually hear people say UCs are more prestigious and so look better to companies. </p>
<p>But when it comes down to it is it really that big of a difference? </p>
<p>This is the loan in detail...
LN Fed Direct Parent PLUS Loan 5,438.00<br>
LN Fed Stafford Sub Direct Ln 3,500.00<br>
LN Fed StaffordUnsub Direct Ln 2,000.00</p>
<p>Is your loan amount per year? If so, you’re looking at about $40,000 after 4 years, is that correct?</p>
<p>The choice between Cal Poly and a UC often comes down to what you’re looking for as an undergraduate experience and if you plan to get a PhD. If you plan on getting a PhD, then the CC->UC path is probably best because you’ll focus heavily on theory which will prepare you very well for graduate school. CCs have articulation agreements with UCs that will allow a relatively smooth transfer. </p>
<p>If instead you want a more practical undergrad degree and don’t plan on going on to graduate school, then Cal Poly is the place to be. There’s also a CC->CSU path, but this doesn’t work quite as well for Cal Poly because of the intense hands-on curriculum that starts from day one at Cal Poly.</p>
<p>Employers love Cal Poly grads because they can hit the ground running on the job. The learning-by-doing philosophy gives students lots of relevant, practical experience. Cal Poly has corporate recruiters on campus several times/quarter and job fairs at least once per quarter. CS undergrads are heavily recruited for summer internships. It’s difficult but not impossible to get an internship after your first year, but if your grades are good then you should have no problem finding a summer internship in the next 2 summers. You can make $10,000-$15,000 per summer, which would cover your loans in years 3 and 4.</p>
<p>The published cost of attendance at Cal Poly is on the high side; you can easily save $4-6000 per year by living off campus, buying used books, and not having a car (gas, parking). The fees are still going up every year, but you’ll find that at UCs as well.</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision.</p>