Cal Poly SLO, UCSC, UCR, UC Merced and SDSU which one should I choose?

College Search & Selection
1

I’m admitted to Cal Poly SLO and UC Merced, waitlist both UCR and UCSC. And I’m still waiting for SDSU (omg it’s almost the end of March)…

Probably I will take Science or Engineering as my Major in college, and Music as a Minor (or no Music Minor, I just want to join the Full Orchestra and/or Wind Ensemble)

Can somebody give me some advice, which one of those colleges I listed above should I attend?

2

Have you visited UCM or Cal Poly SLO? What major did you get into for SLO? If you are leaning toward Math/Engineering, then SLO wins hands on.
Do you have cost constraints? I would also send a friendly email to SDSU admissions and ask when you could expect an admission decision.

3

i have never visited any colleges because I don’t know should I go visit or not…I put Mathematics (BS) for SLO.

4

I wrote an email to SDSU last week but they never replied me.

5

If you are happy with being a Math major at SLO, then I would say that would be my top choice. If you plan to switch into Engineering, it may not be so easy so you should take it into consideration. You definitely need to visit each school before committing to the 4 years. SLO is a great small town near the coast, but most people either love it or hate it due to being slightly isolated with no large cities nearby. UC Merced is in the Central Valley, again isolated and agricultural. Both complete opposites of SDSU or UCR.
You really need to make a point in visiting and not rely on posters to make that decision for you. If you are happy at the college you attend, your chances for success are much higher. My son’s are complete opposites in personality and choice of colleges. One son is at UCD and loves the small town, the other at SDSU and couldn’t be happier being in a big city.

Good Luck.

6

Thank you! But I like small town more than urban. Small town has fresh air and great environment, big city is just too crowded with a lot of people.
And one more question: Can I switch to other major other than Math when I go to college even though I put Math in my app?

7

Yes, you can switch but for the more competitive majors, there is no guarantee that you will be able to switch especially at SLO. Something to consider when making your decision. UCM will be easier to switch majors since they are the newest UC and not nearly as competitive.