<p>SAN LUIS OBISPO - Cal Poly has been named one of Americas top colleges and universities by Forbes magazine.</p>
<p>The list, released this week, puts Cal Poly at No. 201 out of 600 colleges and universities.</p>
<p>Cal Poly is the highest-ranked California State University campus on the list. It is the second year Forbes has produced the list. Cal Poly jumped up from No. 369 on last years list.</p>
<p>Other California public schools that made the top 300:</p>
<ol>
<li>UC Berkeley</li>
<li>UC Los Angeles
<ol>
<li>UC San Diego</li>
<li>UC Irvine</li>
<li>Cal Poly SLO</li>
<li>UC Santa Barbara</li>
<li>UC Davis</li>
<li>UC Santa Cruz</li>
<li>UC Riverside</li>
<li>Cal State San Bernadino</li>
</ol></li>
</ol>
<p>That’s excellent for Cal Poly! However, this list seems a little strange. For example, what honestly makes Berkeley and LA only in the 70s? They are excellent Universities, and while the top 100 is great, I think they easily exceed top 50. Strange.</p>
<p>Anyway, I severely regret not applying to Cal Poly. I’m going into Engineering at UCSB, and of course, it is a great Engineering school, and I’m not saying I would or would not have chosen Cal Poly over it, but to be honest, they only reason I didn’t apply because it was a “state school”. Stupid decision on my part. Cal Poly is an excellent school.</p>
<p>The important thing is the direction Cal Poly is heading in these polls - UP. Perhaps one explanation for the weirdness of this particular poll is contained in the characteristics of the #1 school, West Point, and the publisher.</p>
<p>Congrats to all that did get into the college/university of their first choice. For those that had to choose an alternative school and got in, the very best to you. For incoming freshman, I think you’ve got to set your sights on getting into a college/university; whether it’s your first of fifth choice. Just get in and work hard from there. It’s what you do with your education, free time, and college degree that will take you somewhere.</p>
<p>The ranking on this Forbes list is kind of skewed, and is severely lopsided toward private schools, and the military (probably due to those privates and military schools funding forbes). But I think in relationship to the Public universities, this is quite accurate. </p>
<p>I think in relationship to the UC system, Cal Poly would be in the top 5, somewhere near UCSD.</p>
<p>“One-sixth of the rankings are based on four-year college graduation rates–half of that is the actual graduation rate, the other half the gap between the average rate and a predicted rate based on characteristics of the school”
Graduate in 4 years? May I point and laugh for a moment? In engineering around here, it can’t be done. Period. And, that’s a good thing, no matter what Forbes or the advising center say.</p>
<p>So I haven’t been on college confidential in awhile but after reading your post I feel inclined to respond. Although you’re defending Cal Poly, which I appreciate, it’s not out of the question to graduate in four years. I’m a fourth year EE student in the BS-MSEE 4+1 honors program and I will comfortably graduate with a BS and MS all in 5 years. On top of that, I can think of 7 different engineers that are good friends of mine that are all either graduating in 4 years or with a Masters in 5. So anyone reading this thread, please don’t just automatically think that if you major in engineering you can’t graduate in 4 years. I honestly find it funny how the person who wrote the post above me is so adamant that “it can’t be done.” It’s really not that difficult, but I guess that’s just my opinion.</p>
<p>I know all of a half dozen folks in CSC who were able to do it. Out of the whole department, including folks who acctually know what they are doing. If you do 16 units a quarter, never fail anything, and get everything you want when you need it, you in theory can do it. That’s a big if though. Even if you do everything right, it’s entirely possible you get blocked behind something that’s a prerequisite for half the classes in your major. </p>
<p>I’m human. I can’t do 16 units, work and play in the symphony, so I take fewer units at a time. I’ve retaken units due to freshman stupidity. And, I’ll have to re-do a few more by the virtue of the upper division being hard and that my coding skills are slow to develop. </p>
<p>I suppose it’s possible to make it out in 4 years. But, it’s not typical. Don’t count on it. Now, if only the brass in the college could figure that out drop this ‘graduate on time’ nonsense.</p>