Cal Polys Vs. SJSU

Transfer Students
1

Hi CC community,

So I’ve been accepted to transfer into basically my 2 top choice schools SLO and SJSU, but I’ve also been accepted by Pomona as well, though I’m not as familiar with it. I was hoping to have some input from you guys on the pros and cons of each school. I’ll try and explain my situation and what I’d like from my college experience.

General Info: I’m studying Computer Science (and maybe Physics as a double major if I can muster the motivation to get through Quantum Mechanics and Modern Physics). My finances are pretty good for school, but I definitely want to keep costs within a reasonable level.

SJSU:
I live in San Jose, so SJSU is definitely the most practical and cost efficient school for me. No need for a dorm and unnecessary expenses, so the cost will be incredibly low. I also love my city and the campus so no complaints there. Also, since it’s in the Silicon Valley, I’m confident that there will be a lot of job/internship opportunities for me.

However, I know for a fact that SJSU is terribly impacted. I didn’t even get admitted into my major upon transfer; I’m admitted as undeclared. I fear I won’t be able to get my classes and graduate within 2 years (while not terribly awful, it’s still somewhat undesirable).

SLO:
I’m quite sure SLO is the more well known/prestigious option as a polytechnic. It’s definitely a lot harder to get in than SJSU so the prestige/connections there may open more doors for me in the future if I attend there. Their classes are some of the best in the nation, some rivaling even Berkeley, and I will no doubt get a top notch education at SLO. I’ve also read that there are some good company connections with SLO, such as with Facebook and Google and the like so that is definitely a plus. Also there’s a beach, so, that can’t be bad.

However, the distance is definitely a factor. It’s a 3-4 hour drive from San Jose so I can’t visit as much as I’d like. I’d also have to get a dorm or an apartment which essentially doubles the cost of college per year. Their financial aid package is very limited, with only about 6k in unsubsidized loans if I live on campus. My friends have told me that the campus is also very isolated and not like San Jose. I’ve also read that SLO also has some issues with impaction and classses, but I’m not too sure about how reliable that information is.

Pomona:
I actually don’t know all that much about Pomona. From what I’ve heard, it’s basically around SLO’s level in rigor and prestige as a polytechnic. It’s also located around some major cities in SoCal so that could be nice.

However, it’s even farther than SLO so many of the cons with SLO also apply here.

So that’s about the extent of my research on these schools, and how I weigh the pros and cons of each. Any advice/input is greatly appreciated! I only have 3 more weeks before I have to SIR so I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me. Please help me make an informed decision!

2

Were you admitted to CS at CPSLO and CPP?

3

Yes, I believe so.

4

San Jose State entry criteria for the CS and similar majors (GPA thresholds may change next year):

Note that these are the same as last year’s transfer admission GPA thresholds listed at http://info.sjsu.edu/static/admission/impaction.html . If you did not meet the GPA threshold to get into the CS major, then you may not be able to change into the CS major after enrolling (though the less impacted CPE and SE majors may be possibilities).

5

I’m not sure if my gpa is the problem or I missed some classes towards my major or something. I can see how the gpa thing might have contributed to me getting admitted as undeclared. I have classes from two schools, one where I have a gpa lower than 3.45, but the other where I’m much much higher. The average should bring it up above 3.45, but if they just consider the individual schools, I can see how I might have been disqualified. Then again, I did make it into SLO’s CS program which is arguably more selective than SJSUs, but I don’t know.

Despite all this, I am confident that I’ve gotten better in my studies and I feel like I should be able to keep up good grades while taking classes at SJSU. With that in mind, do you still think there might be problems enrolling into the CS major at SJSU?

6

You may want to ask the SJSU departments in question to see how your courses at two prior colleges will be evaluated if you choose to attend and try to change into the CS major. Do this before you decide which school to transfer to.

If your two prior colleges are California community colleges, you can use http://www.assist.org to see whether you are missing any courses for SJSU, CPSLO, or CPP. Note that if you are missing any courses, it could take you more than 4 semesters or 6 quarters to finish after transferring.