<p>While still in high school I attend UCSD, and returned to the school two decades later for graduate level courses. After graduating high school I entered UCSC, then transferred up to CAL. A decade later I attended Cal Poly, aka "Cow Poly". All of these schools were... and still are... EXCELLENT! In many ways I believe Poly is the best of the four for undergrad if, and only if, the school offers a major in an area you truly are interested in. I also think much depends upon your style of learning: Poly tends to be pragmatic and focused upon the details of doing. The UC schools, at least in the majors I studied, tended to teach toward deep thinking and a baseline for graduate level work. In general, the students at Cal Poly were more focused upon exiting college and getting a good job (Poly is especially great for after college job connections). In contrast, many of my peers at CAL were focused upon grad school. </p>
<p>The best way I know to contrast Cal Poly's "learn by doing" approach with the more conceptual "think about it" approach of the three UC's is to write about breakfast cereal (I know this might sound strange, but stay with me :-) </p>
<p>At Cal Poly SLO, the students might be asked to identify the need for a new breakfast cereal and then develop the product to final. So, we have the Ag students growing the wheat and harvesting it. The Food Sci students will research and perhaps formulate the recipe. The Engineering students will design and build the tools needed to manufacture the cereal (and probably the harvesting equipment and package equipment too!), the Graphic Arts students will design the packages and ads to sell the cereal, the Biz students will design and implement the marketing program (as well as survey to decide what kind of cereal the consumer wants and where to price the product), Architecture students will design the buildings the cereal is sold in, etc. Oh, I forgot to mention that the soil science students will be working on the prime soil mix to maximize the wheat production, or turn the wheat byproduct into a premium top mulch. And the dairy students will be intent on raising the finest cows so we can put milk on the cereal! </p>
<p>In contrast, at all three UCs, the students might be asked to ponder the implications of breakfast cereal as it relates to life in the US as compared to the rest of the World. We might research the impact of packaged products on the social fabric of the family, or look at the health impact of cereals on man and/or the environment. Or, we might write a thesis on the optimum cereal for distribution to 3rd World nations in times of famine. We'd probably need to do a semester of study abroad to gather data on this. At UCSC we might be asked to imagine a world where breakfast cereal was not an option... and then do an in-depth presentation on how and why this would be (backed up with footnotes and research data). </p>
<p>I think you can understand how Cal Poly SLO is extremely focused upon practical education. This is not to say that Poly was any easier (or more difficult), than the UC's. Rather, it is a different approach and perhaps guiding philosophy to undergraduate college education.</p>
<p>I think it valuable for interested students to consider that the "feel" of all of these schools is very different. By "feel", I mean the sense one has when walking around campus. This comes from who the students are, of course. But there is also the vastly different natural surroundings, as well as the towns where the schools are located. SLO still has a college town feel with a heavy ag influence (I suggest you stroll through downtown SLO during a Thursday night Farmer's market to see if this is what you want). UCSD is in a wonderful location above the beaches of La Jolla, yet close to all the positives... and negatives... of So Cal. Santa Cruz has a feel unique to that area --- sort of a surf meets the Redwoods and Banana Slugs sort of thing. Berkeley is, well... everything you can imagine. And perhaps more. It is the most political of all the schools. And all that the Bay Area has to offer is easy access on public transportation. It is a very forward thinking, forward moving part of the country. Truly a fabulous learning environment that encourages students to be aware and engaged in a macro sense.</p>
<p>Best advice I can think of is to visit these schools in person!</p>