<p>Anyone have any thoughts on admission to Cal Poly SLO? It is my first choice because of the architecture program, even over the Ivys that I am applying to, but I am getting the sense that because they are impacted-out of staters will be very limited, which I am.,,</p>
<p>Arch is probably the most impacted program at Poly, and coming from OOS should make it a bit harder to get in. However, if you're applying to Ivies, you definitely still have a shot. You should check out the cal poly website under admissions to see the current profile for accepted students.</p>
<p>I fit right into the profile (scores, gpa) with I guess, a little extra for having an IB diploma, if that means anything, they dont talk about OOS tho...</p>
<p>Cal Poly isn't very difficult to get into. While people often compare it to mid-tier UCs, there are striking differences, and admissions is just one of them. Cal Poly, while probably the most selective CSU, is still a CSU and is thus constrained by the admissions guidelines established by CSU.</p>
<p>Average SAT is 1700 something, GPA is most important, etc. OOS shouldn't be too much more difficult, though architecture is more difficult. If you're applying to top colleges, you should probably get into Cal Poly.</p>
<p>well if u want to do architecture, they have an incredible program, but if you for some reason wanted to do engineering, then ide say try for davis, just since davis is actually decently known outside of california.</p>
<p>Actually, I live outside of California, and in my city, far more people have heard of Cal Poly than Davis.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Cal Poly isn't very difficult to get into. While people often compare it to mid-tier UCs, there are striking differences, and admissions is just one of them. Cal Poly, while probably the most selective CSU, is still a CSU and is thus constrained by the admissions guidelines established by CSU.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Not so. It's true that CSUs theoretically have lower admissions criteria than UCs. However, practically all of the programs at Cal Poly SLO are classified as "impacted". This means that the number of qualified applicants exceeds the school's ability to enroll them, and so qualified applicants are turned away. In practice, Cal Poly can be harder to get into than mid-range UCs, despite the theoretically lower admissions standards. </p>
<p>According to US News, the SAT range for students at Cal Poly is basically equivalent to those at many mid-range UCs, e.g. UCI, UCD, UCSB, and UCSC. Yet of these schools, Cal Poly has the lowest acceptance rate: </p>
<p>47 % Cal Poly SLO
53 % UCSB
60 % UCI
68 % UCD
80 % UCSC</p>
<p>Furthermore, the rate is even lower for the School of Architecture and Environmental Design specifically. For 2006, the Architecture School had an acceptance</a> rate of only 26.2 %. And it's likely that the acceptance rate was lower still for out-of-state applicants.</p>
<p>I'm applying to cal poly too, going to submit my app this monday. like logicaldog I'm an OOS and doing the IB diploma, and am worried this may effect my chances of getting in. my ACT and gpa exceeds last year's average but my counselor told me since I'm an OOS there's a chance of me not getting accepted, plus they have impacted majors... another counselor told me I'm in the ballpark =S
I'm thinking of doing kinesiology there</p>
<p>skywalker- Kinesiology is very good program at poly. I recommend it.</p>
<p>KyleDavid- The average student selected to attend slo has an SAT of 1250 (Math plus Verbal) and a 3.8 gpa. Those numbers go up if you take out the college of ag, btw. Sounds like the admissions standards of the mid-UC's to me.</p>
<p>
[quote]
The average student selected to attend slo has an SAT of 1250 (Math plus Verbal) and a 3.8 gpa.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Er, what's your source? From what I can see, the average SAT score is 1180. That GPA is weighted. These are the only two factors that Cal Poly really cares about -- mid-tier UCs care about much more. UCSB, for example, considers GPA, rank, scores, and essays to be "very important"; ECs, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, and rigor of course load are all "important." While Cal Poly may seem about as selective in numbers, I wouldn't say it's as selective as a mid-tier UC.</p>
<p>
[quote]
This means that the number of qualified applicants exceeds the school's ability to enroll them, and so qualified applicants are turned away. In practice, Cal Poly can be harder to get into than mid-range UCs, despite the theoretically lower admissions standards.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That's all in theory, though even the selectivity that impaction adds doesn't make Cal Poly very difficult to get into. Again, it's constrained by CSU standards. GPA and SAT scores are considered "very important"; everything else is either just "considered" or "not considered" at all. (This is directly from SLO's common data set.) So even then, it's not too selective.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Yet of these schools, Cal Poly has the lowest acceptance rate:
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Acceptance rate means nothing.</p>
<p>
[quote]
And it's likely that the acceptance rate was lower still for out-of-state applicants.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>SLO even says state residency is "not considered." State residency becomes more important for the UCs.</p>
<p>Well, the '06 profile says it's a 1245 and 3.81. I did see a "preliminary profile for '07 that showed it went down, though, so I don't know waht's going on with that.</p>
<p>As for the weighted gpa, every gpa coming from a college I've ever seen has been weighted. It's a way to make themselves look better. The gpa's coming from the UC's are weighted in that they are "UC gpa's."</p>
<p>Would Cal Poly be a better place for doing Computer Engineering than UCI and UCD ?</p>
<p>According to Cal Poly's "Preliminary New Freshman Profile" for [url=<a href="http://www.ess.calpoly.edu/_admiss/Pdf/Profile07.pdf%5D2007%5B/url">http://www.ess.calpoly.edu/_admiss/Pdf/Profile07.pdf]2007[/url</a>], the average SAT1 score (verbal and math) for admitted students is 1235, with a 3.80 GPA. Numbers are higher for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design: SAT = 1253, GPA = 3.87.</p>
<p>
[quote]
While Cal Poly may seem about as selective in numbers, I wouldn't say it's as selective as a mid-tier UC.
[/quote]
Depends on your definition of "selective". US News, for example, bases its "Selectivity Rank" on three factors: SAT/ACTs, HS class rank, and acceptance rate (apparently acceptance rate does means something, at least to US News). </p>
<p>Cal Poly is competitive in SAT/ACTs and acceptance rate, but lags behind the UCs in HS class rank. US News considers Cal Poly to be "More Selective", which is the same as UCD and UCSC, but not "Most Selective" like UCI or UCSB.</p>
<p>
[quote]
SLO even says state residency is "not considered." State residency becomes more important for the UCs.
[/quote]
Typically, state residency is considered by [url=<a href="http://www.csumentor.edu/planning/high_school/%5DCSUs%5B/url">http://www.csumentor.edu/planning/high_school/]CSUs[/url</a>] as well, as per the following CSU admissions guidance:
[quote]
Nonresident students need to complete the same pattern of courses, but need a higher GPA and test score combination. See the Eligibility Index for Nonresidents for more details...Please note that California residents receive priority whenever admission space is limited.
[/quote]
Regardless of what the CDS says, I would check with Cal Poly directly to see if nonresidents are really treated equally in admissions, especially in a highly impacted program like architecture. The other Cal Poly, in Pomona, clearly has [url=<a href="http://www.csumentor.edu/campustour/undergraduate/1/Cal_Poly_Pomona/Cal_Poly_Pomona2.html%5Dhigher%5B/url">http://www.csumentor.edu/campustour/undergraduate/1/Cal_Poly_Pomona/Cal_Poly_Pomona2.html]higher[/url</a>] eligibility standards for nonresidents.</p>
<p>20LEGEND that depends on what you want to do with that degree and how much of an issue cost is. If you want to attend graduate school and don't mind spending more money on tuition then go for Irvine or Davis. However if you want to get a job, Cal Poly's program is more geared toward industry, though there are still a good amount of students here that get into good graduate schools. That being said, I am a computer science major and am planning to go to graduate school. I cannot participate in any research here, but plan to do REU's and research internships during breaks to compensate. I picked Cal Poly over Davis because of the smaller class sizes and the professors focus more on undergraduate education than on graduate students or research.</p>
<p>Also about the admissions process. Cal Poly counts freshman year grades and the UC's do not. Being a current student at Poly, I can tell you that the architecture program is selective, but most of the people here I know who are OOS students are in the architecture program so go figure.</p>
<p>
[quote]
According to Cal Poly's "Preliminary New Freshman Profile" for 2007, the average SAT1 score (verbal and math) for admitted students is 1235, with a 3.80 GPA.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That's drastically different from the Common Data Set, which is official (not preliminary).</p>
<p>
[quote]
Depends on your definition of "selective".
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I define selectivity not only by the numbers, but by how the colleges weight different factors, such as ECs, volunteer work, work experience, essays, rigor of course load, etc. Many of these are mostly irrelevant in SLO's admissions decisions.</p>
<p>
[quote]
US News, for example, bases its "Selectivity Rank" on three factors: SAT/ACTs, HS class rank, and acceptance rate (apparently acceptance rate does means something, at least to US News).
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't think US News is a very good example. It's based purely on numbers, but selectivity goes far beyond that (at least, for colleges that consider more than just GPA and scores).</p>
<p>
[quote]
Typically, state residency is considered by CSUs as well, as per the following CSU admissions guidance:
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well, as per Cal Poly's official CDS, it isn't considered.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Regardless of what the CDS says, I would check with Cal Poly directly to see if nonresidents are really treated equally in admissions, especially in a highly impacted program like architecture.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>They just might hold nonresidents to a higher standard, but probably not enough to be a true consideration in determining reach/match/safety.</p>
<p>There are two Cal Poly in California, Cal Poly SLO and Cal Poly Pomona. A lot of people get those two mixed up. I have been in engineering for a long time, Cal Poly SLO has a very good reputation in my profession. Her engineering graduate are highly sought after and perform well. Cal Poly SLO is definitely one of the hardest Cal State to get into and may in fact be more difficult than some of the mid-tier UC's. For student who intend to major in architure and engineering shall consider both UC's and Cal Poly SLO carefully as one might be a better fit than the other. From reputation standpoint you are not in any lower standing if you go to Cal Poly SLO instead of UC's.</p>
<p>"That's drastically different from the Common Data Set, which is official (not preliminary)."</p>
<p>Take a look at UCD's CDS. Their 25-75% SAT is similar to, if not lower than, Cal Poly's.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sariweb.ucdavis.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.sariweb.ucdavis.edu/</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
Take a look at UCD's CDS. Their 25-75% SAT is similar to, if not lower than, Cal Poly's.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>They're similar, yes, but again, selectivity is based on much more than just numbers. The SAT of UCD and Cal Poly is virtually the same, but what do you do about non-quantifiable factors? Look at the common data set to see how each school views the different factors. UCD considers GPA, rigor of course load, and test scores to be "very important," while essays, ECs, and a few other things are "important," others just "considered." Cal Poly has just 2-3 things considered "very important" (quantifiable factors), the rest just "considered" or not at all. And if you look at other quantifiable factors, you'd see that Cal Poly has only 39% in the top 10% of their classes and whereas UCD has 95%. Other quantifiable factors are more similar, though.</p>
<p>
[quote]
From reputation standpoint you are not in any lower standing if you go to Cal Poly SLO instead of UC's.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I disagree. Cal Poly's prestige drops considerably outside of certain regions (namely CA), and it has the tag of a CSU. The University of California has worldwide prestige, in large part because they're research universities, whereas CSUs are "terminal degree" ones.</p>
<p>
[quote]
That's drastically different from the Common Data Set, which is official (not preliminary).
[/quote]
The CDS and the "Preliminary Profile" are both valid, but they measure two different things.</p>
<p>The "Preliminary Profile" shows the average SAT/GPA for accepted students. The CDS shows the average SAT/GPA for enrolled students, which is only a subset of the first group.</p>
<p>It's normal, at any school, for accepted students to have higher scores than enrolled students. The students with higher scores are more likely to be accepted, but are less likely to enroll, because they are more likely to have attractive offers from other schools. The students with lower scores are less likely to be accepted, but are more likely to enroll, because they are less likely to get good offers from other schools. </p>
<p>If you want to evaluate your odds of admission (like the Original Poster), then the stats for admitted students are more relevant. If you want to evaluate the quality of students that actually attend the school (like US News), then the stats for enrolled students are more relevant.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Cal Poly's prestige drops considerably outside of certain regions (namely CA), and it has the tag of a CSU.
[/quote]
In general, this is true. But we're talking specifically about architecture, which is a gross exception. Cal Poly's BArch program is generally regarded as one of the Top 10 in the nation; it not only outshines the UC competition, it is competitive with Ivy League programs (as indicated by the Original Poster).</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you want to evaluate your odds of admission (like the Original Poster), then the stats for admitted students are more relevant.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't think so. For a school like Cal Poly, the "higher" students that bring the average up for those accepted are likely applying to it as a safety.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Cal Poly's BArch program is generally regarded as one of the Top 10 in the nation; it not only outshines the UC competition, it is competitive with Ivy League programs (as indicated by the Original Poster).
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I've seen rankings that place it in the top 10, top 15, sometimes not even the top 20. It's generally regarded well, though again, UC prestige carries farther than CSU.</p>