Cal Poly/ U Washington/ UCSB

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
1

<p>Im trying to decide which of these three fantastic institutions to attend in the fall and was wondering what some of you thought. I am currently undecided on what major I want to pursue in college although I applied to Cal Poly for Agricultural business. I probably want to eventually get my MBA at hopefully some highly ranked MBA school. Here’s my concerns with each of the schools:</p>

<p>Cal Poly:
-Hard to change majors
-not well recognized outside of the west coast
-a lot of people from my school are probably going there (none that I am particularly good friends with)
U Washington:
-weather, rains a lot (I am a very active person and like to be outside)
-large size of school
-a lot of people who go there are from Washington (Im OOS) and have their own cliques from high school
UCSB:
-worried about the craziness of parties, people from SBCC in IV
-no real undergrad business program</p>

<p>If someone chose one of these schools over the others and could help me out a bit with my decision I would very much appreciate it. Also if you are reading this at the end and don’t feel like commenting, please resist the urge to click that back button and just write down a few words of advice :D</p>

<p>Thank you all for your comments</p>

2

<p>Cal Poly: not as hard to change majors as they make it seem.
-probably not as well recognized outside the west coast for some majors, but in the end where you went to school doesn’t matter as much as your experience (work, internships, etc.)<br>
-you’ll probably rarely if ever see the people from your high school if you don’t want to. And if you do, just say hi, no reason to hang out with them or anything. Cal Poly is a good size in that it’s big enough to meet tons of new people, but small enough to not feel like the school is its own town.</p>

<p>Washington: I don’t think it rains quite as much as some people think it does. Visited there once, saw a graph a national park measuring rain fall for different places throughout the county. Washington had the same amount as some places in the midwest.<br>
-I doubt people will keep their same cliques from high school. It’s inevitable that they’ll meet new people, from out of state/country, or just from different high schools, so I wouldn’t worry about that.</p>

<p>UCSB: don’t know much about it. I’ve heard the party stereotype though. not sure how true it is.</p>

3

<p>Do you think that an undergrad business from cal poly would be just as reputable as say an economics degree from UCSB or a business degree from U Washington? Also what are the obstacles one has to pass in order to change majors from the Ag department to the business?</p>

4

<p>

I would view UDub biz and Cal Poly Biz as equivalent, and UCSB non-business as a step behind. Econ has as much to do with business as physics does with medicine… not much. However, if you do not intend to go into business directly out of undergrad… that is, to go get a masters immediately, I’d bring UCSB up to be even with CPSLO an UDub.</p>

5

<p>Honestly, I don’t really know how the schools/programs compare as far a reputation goes, but Cal Poly has a fairly well known business school, especially on the west coast. A lot of companies recruit business graduates for jobs and internships, including the big 4 for accounting. </p>

<p>To change majors, the process varies between majors/colleges. You usually have to take a couple intro classes for the major you want to switch into and maintain a minimum GPA. You might also have to complete an individual change of major agreement, which basically states that if you fulfill certain requirements, you can switch. The best advice for switching is to start on it as soon as possible.</p>

6

<p>Cal Poly’s is ranked nationally at #64 by Bloomberg, along with Cal and UCR (the only 3 publicly ranked b-school in CA). So SLO has a decent b-school, may be not super awesome to some people. </p>

<p>Do you intend to work in the West Coast? If you are then SLO’s reputation won’t be an issue.</p>

7

<p>I was an international business major and have an MBA from a top university so I can answer this with authority.</p>

<p>Cal Poly – Not as hard to change majors as you may think. The school may be ranked 64th nationally, but it is in the top 5 West of the Mississippi for all schools and even higher for the public. In CA it is probably #2. The difference is that it is a learn by doing program which is absolutely critical in business. Theory in business is useless unless you plan to teach. Kind of like a boxer that has only trained in the gym, but never been in the ring. You gotta be on the front lines where it is real. Business is a contact sport. As much as I love the Cal Poly program, they lack international business. For outdoorsy people, SLO is paradise year round.</p>

<p>UW – I have close friends that have graduated from there. Seattle is a great town full of people that love the outdoors. Yes, it rains and it is cold. Winters are long and dark. However, if you like extreme sports go climb Mt. Rainier or hike in the Cascades. UW will have a distinct advantage for international business and law especially for Asian business and languages. However, for practical application Cal Poly has the edge. Lots of tech firms, interesting culture. Pot is legal, but not on campus.</p>

<p>UCSB – Gorgeous campus. On the beach. A good solid UC. No business program. Econ is a social science not business. I know several people who went there and absolutely loved it. For a memorable life experience and an education that will not prepare you for business in the real world, choose this school.</p>

<p>The value of an MBA. I went to a school that did not prepare me for business. It was a large research university much like a solid UC. After graduation, I lived overseas for years and got some real business experience on the ground. It was very difficult and I had to unlearn so much in order to be successful. My undergrad degree gave me language and cultural skills, but did not prepare me for business. I then went to the top international business program in the US to get my MBA and it prepared me to be successful in getting a job at a large corporation in a management position, but not as an entrepreneur. I had to learn that on my own. Trial and error.</p>

<p>When it comes to business, I strongly suggest you get a hands on education and really learn what it is like on the front lines. Do as many internships as you possibly can and find a successful mentor that can guide you. Business really follows the apprentice model more naturally than the educational model. However, you still need certain basics that you can learn in school. Take accounting, especially managerial accounting and financial statement analysis. The language of numbers is the language of business. Take marketing and understand it. But never forget that “sales” and “marketing” are not the same and sales is far more important. No sales = no revenue = no company = no job. Sales pays for all the overhead and the cost centers of the business (like management and legal, etc.).</p>

<p>The MBA is a great networking tool. I loved every minute of my education, made friends for life and use the knowledge I got from there every day. But it was only a start that opened the door. I never really “mastered” anything. That took years of experience in the real world. The MBA, and I don’t care where you get it, even Harvard, is just a piece of paper. It should not be call a Master of Business Administration. It should be called a “Qualified to Start Learning Business Degree.”</p>

8

<p>I have a daughter in her senior year at UCSB. She has no interest in business, so I can’t speak to that, but I can speak to her overall experience at UCSB. It’s a beautiful campus, peaceful. Students who attend are very bright, but studies are balanced w extracurriculars. Athough UCSB is a research institution, they have a huge focus on undergrads–much more so I think than many of the other UC’s. Her professors have been very approachable!
I, as a mom, was also concerned about the party rep (my daughter was not a partier). What we have learned is that if you want to party, you can party–IV has thousands of college kids in a very small area, so everything is amplified. BUT, there are many kids who prefer to explore the area on the weekends–hiking, beach sports, biking, etc. But part of the charm of UCSB IS the fact that most of the college kids live on campus or a short bike ride to school.
She loves UCSB and will miss it when she graduates! Good luck to you wherever you go!</p>

9

<p>Is $$ a concern. If you are from CA, Cal Poly might be the cheapest option. Save your $$ for grad school. </p>

<p>Check the four year grad rates for each school–especially if you are planning on spending a extra 2 years in grad school.</p>

<p>Cal poly seems to attract a certain “type of student” (ie white, middle class, california) either rah rah school spirit or high achieving nerdy engineer. Yes I know, a generalization…bad on me, but honest impression. </p>

<p>UCSB has IV, which is kinda gross. But the school does have dorms and alot of kids live NOT in the middle of the party. On the bright side, IV is nice good option to live off campus and still bike to school and live with spitting distance of the ocean. </p>

<p>UW has everything (world class rep, fabulous city, international vibe, et al)…allot of everything…including big tuition bills. Pricey if you’re OOS. </p>

<p>At either of these schools, if you want “hands on experience” seek out summer internships. Build a resume. Study aboard. </p>

<p>Go visit. Take a second look at each. Don’t go to the admitted students sales pitches. Spend as much time on campus as you can. Talk to as many students as you can in different settings. Talk to teachers. Do you know anyone who will let you spend the night with them on campus? Bring a book and hang out in the lib. Eat in cafe. Go to the offices and ask about internships and grad school advising.</p>

10

<p>I am an UW grad, live 3 miles from the university and have a son at CalPoly.<br>
Here are additional thoughts – UW out of state tuition is high, while CalPoly in state is cheap.<br>
It can be over emphasized – during the first two years at UW the grade competition is brutal. Everyone is competing for grades in order to get into their programs. Many classes are on curves (something I don’t agree with --you either mastered the material or did not), which makes the competition more fierce. </p>

<p>Cal Poly has a nice college town feel. Most of the students stay on campus for the weekends. The beach is nearby, but not so close that people are always there. Lots of school events, but not many are heavily attended. Small greek system, but seems to be the focus of the social life. GREAT WEATHER. no too hot or cold. Big enough to avoid people you don’t want to socialize with. </p>

<p>The University of Washington campus is beautiful – I mean unbelievably beautiful. Great building and tons of libraries and places to study. The campus empties out on weekends. Red square looks like a ghost town on the weekends. Large greek system. One of two universities in the country where most greek members live in all four years. The social life resolves around greek row. One plus, almost anyone can get in a house – just don’t be too picky. Some years the sorority system has a 100% pledge rate. There are two or three fraternities that are 100% serious students Not much student attendance at theater and Olympic sports, but great attendance at football and men’s basketball. </p>

<p>At both schools , people where their school sweatshirts. Lot’s of school pride.</p>

<p>If you were an engineering student - I would say go to Cal Poly. As a business student – go to the less expensive school.</p>