<p>My son is deciding btwn: 1. usc - electrical engineering (don’t love the area) but nationally known and prestigious 2. Cal Poly - EE - love the area but seems a little quiet - ranked well regionally and 3. CU Boulder - engineering physics (or EE) - love the area very energized - school not ranked high but engineering dept and physic dept highly regarded.
Any advice/opinions are welcome and appreciated!!</p>
<p>My son is at Cal Poly majoring in EE. He loves Cal Poly and feels he is getting an excellent education. He is very social and has found plenty to do I SLO. For EE, I believe Cal Poly is more highly regarded than USC in the industry. But ultimately he needs to decide.</p>
<p>I should start by saying that I have 2 daughters, one that is a 2nd year ARCE student at Cal Poly, and the other will be starting Cal Poly in the fall as a GENE major. So I am a bit biased. I don’t really know how all the EE departments compare between the 3 schools your son is considering, but I have lived in Colorado for the past 15 years, and am originally from L.A. so I can give you my perspective. My younger daughter got accepted to the engineering schools at CU Boulder, Colorado School of Mines, Cal Poly, and UCSD. There were pros and cons to all 4, but ultimately she decided on Cal Poly. CU Boulder’s engineering program is the highest ranked in CO, but I believe not as high as Cal Poly and UCSD. Also, although Boulder is a beautiful city, I believe CU’s reputation suffers a bit from the 4/20 (marijuana) thing, party atmosphere, and perception of having alot of rich out-of-state students. It’s also very big (close to 40,000 students) which can be overwhelming. And here is my personal opinion of USC. After graduating from UCLA in the 80’s, I started taking graduate-level courses at USC (my company had a work/study program and paid 100% of my tuition), and at the end of one semester, I unfortunately got mugged in the parking lot on my way to class. It was a traumatic experience, as you might expect, and really tainted my view of that school. Although this happened many years ago, I am still not comfortable with the surrounding area. I know this shouldn’t reflect on the school’s academic reputation, but it is something to consider. Regarding Cal Poly, I know that my daughters will be getting a first-rate education for a reasonable price, at a perfect-sized school (not too big or small), in a safe and beautiful city by the ocean. And there really is alot to do in San Luis Obispo - hiking, biking, beach activities, nice downtown, some nightlife, etc. And the newly upgraded rec center is fabulous! This is just one person’s opinion, but I would definitely choose Cal Poly over both CU Boulder and USC.</p>