<p>I want to major in Biomedical Engineering and I want a school with a learn-by-doing teaching style. As such, CPSLO is really my only option. I’ve been going to a JC for a while now and my counselor has me knocking out my GE classes, after the fall 2011 semester I’ll have earned an AA in liberal arts. I’ve heard that finishing IGETC or BREADTH isn’t recommended for engineering, so am I just wasting my time, or am I making myself just a LITTLE bit more competitive? I’m trying to raise my gpa right now ( currently only a 3.29, up from 2.69 last spring ). So far I’ve got a 4.0 this semester, so my gpa should be about 3.55 once classes are done.</p>
<p>While I’m at it, should I bother taking the SAT? Since I’m a transfer student and I’ve been in college on and off for years, would it just be a waste of time?</p>
<p>I’m not sure about making your application more competitive. I don’t really know anything about admissions. However, if you do get in, GE Area A is one of the most useful things to have. About half of the GEs you can take at Cal Poly require you to complete GE Area A. Having that done gives you a much bigger selection of possible classes you can take each quarter.</p>
<p>Oh well. At this point it doesn’t matter anyway, I’m already signed up for summer and fall classes and by the end of the fall semester I’ll have my associate’s in liberal arts and I’m already taking as many engineering pre reqs as are available to me next semester. It will help my gpa if nothing else, and give me more time to save up for Cal Poly if/when I get accepted, god knows I’m going to need the cash. Maybe it will even mean fewer classes I’ll have to take at the university level…though that may just be wishful thinking.</p>
<p>That aside though, seriously, as a transfer student should I still take the SAT or ACT? The college says they are mandatory, but since I’ve been going to college for awhile a test score predicting my college success would be kinda redundant when submitted with my gpa, wouldn’t it? Judging by all the practice questions I’ve been doing, I’d predict my score to be about a 1400 out of 1600, if that makes any difference. Anybody know one way or the other?</p>