Hello! I’m new to this site and I just recently got off the wait list for Cal Poly. I have committed to SDSU and have signed up for housing and orientation and everything but now I have a decision to make. I’m kind of a wreck because on one hand Cal Poly is closer to home, but SDSU is more of the urban setting I want. I’m visiting the campus soon and I was wondering if anyone had any input to help me make my decision? Ex- pros and cons of each school. Also, my majors are CP Communications and SDSU Journalism.
Both schools have both Communications and Journalism departments. Do you know which you actually want, and how easy it would (or wouldn’t) be to switch at each school?
It doesn’t seem to me that the distance between SLO and San Diego should be prohibitive. Going to college a 5-6 hour drive from home isn’t a terrible inconvenience. Unless there are extenuating circumstances that make it important to be closer to home, I would weight the environment you want more heavily than the distance.
There is also the question of what you would end up with, housing wise, in SLO’s first-come-first-served system.
They are both excellent schools with excellent reputations. SDSU’s 4-year graduation rate is a little higher (33% vs. 29%), but SLO’s 6-year grad rate is higher (75% vs 66%). So… a higher percentage of SLO students do ultimately graduate… but SLO students tend more toward the 5 or 6 year plan.
Assuming they are similarly affordable for you, it really comes down to fit, both academically and socially. There’s no inferior choice between the two. Don’t let SLO’s “playing hard to get” make you feel that you should switch. Do you want to switch?