Hello everybody I really need help with this because I’m still very unsure of where I should go. I am planning on studying Political Science. Occidental College is probably significantly better in this field however I’m still not convinced if I should go because it is significantly more expensive and I’m not sure if I will like Los Angeles. Cal Poly also has some issues because it is a stem school and I don’t know how strong Political Science is there. Also it seems more exclusive towards engineering and architecture and those fields so I don’t want to feel left out. I love SLO and in terms of campus size and location and the student body I prefer Cal Poly, but Occidental just seems like the correct choice based purely on education. Does anyone have any advice on this? It would be greatly appreciated, I’m very worried and stressed about what I should do.
I know Occidental is quite expensive (as most private schools are). Did you get financial aid or are your parents footing the bill?
I got a decent amount of financial aid, but it would still cost approximately $10k more than Cal Poly
So about $40,000 total more than Cal Poly, right (over 4 years). What do your parents say? Also, have you visited both schools?
My parents want to leave the decision up to me although I think that they prefer Occidental. I haven’t been able to visit the schools themselves but I’ve been in both SLO and LA multiple times so I’ve just been doing the online virtual tours. And yes it is that much more over 4 years
It’s too bad you can’t visit both schools- it’s so hard to get a sense of the school without visiting. I visited Oxy with my nephew last year and really liked it- lovely campus, lots of study abroad (or study in DC) opportunities and it seems like they have a good internship program. Is grad school in your future? I would say you would probably get better guidance from a smaller school (Oxy) than SLO…
Yes I’m most likely going to go to grad school. I’ve heard from many friends who go to Cal Poly or Oxy that they really enjoy the campuses and I am unfortunately unable to take a college tour because I am very busy studying for IB exams at the moment. I agree with you that the guidance would be better at Oxy, but would it really be worth all the extra money? Also Cal Poly’s political science program is fairly small so I think the guidance could be similar.
As a parent, I’m all for saving money. I can’t answer whether an Oxy degree would be worth an extra $40,000. Typically graduate school is funded (assuming you are going for a PhD) so it’s not like med school where you’d be wise to save $40k to pay for med school.
Can you reach out to profs or the political science department head at each school and ask, for example, the percent of students that go on to graduate school and where? I do think you’re right about SLO being more STEM oriented, as it is a polytechnic university, while Oxy is more geared to the liberal arts.
How much of that 10K per year will be debt? If your parents are willing to pay more - and they’re even preferring the more expensive option - and it’s not debt for you, I wouldn’t think about cost, but rather the other factors being discussed here.
And for it’s worth, my son did not prefer Oxy when we visited because of it’s size; it’s like the size of his high school., maybe smaller. As a parent I see the benefits of that, but for his purposes - social - it felt too small.
I’m not exactly sure how much would be in debt to be honest. One of my doubts for Oxy is the size. I feel like I’d rather be surrounded by a large campus as there are so many more opportunities to be social. I’m really not sure. Does anyone know anything about political science at Cal Poly?
Oxy has the benefit of being a small private for your field, but are funds guaranteed for all 4 yrs? The Pasadena/Glendale area is upscale LA/suburban, nice and somewhat maneuverable. If you are adventuresome, you will have access to experience all LA has to offer. I am assuming you are from Seattle, would you rather be in the city or smaller town, similar to U of O size? We live in LA, my D is at Poly, she definitely wanted a college town.
Aside from the usual LAC vs. U differences – class size, prof contact, available majors and classes, and school/campus size – academically, I would imagine Cal Poly is better at STEM and Oxy is better at the soft sciences and Humanities.
I’m sure Oxy teaches Physics well and Cal Poly teaches English well, but overall, i’d stand behind my statement about relative academic advantages.
I don’t recommend SLO for humanities or social sciences because it doesn’t have a reputation in those areas, but then if you like the location and students at SLO you might not like the scene at Occidental. Historically poli sci at Oxy has been good, and it will have more pull in grad school applications. LA does not have to be a factor. Occidental is kind of tucked away in a place called Eagle Rock and you can have a campus experience with minimal LA contact. The campus does not blend into the city. You have to drive out to spend time doing things in LA. Still, I do think you are right to think about size and where you might feel more comfortable, especially since some people do not want to be at a LAC. Oxy is great for those who want a LAC experience with access to a city, but it’s not for all.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/cal-poly-san-luis-obispo/1981351-cal-poly-slo-for-english-major.html#latest This thread contains information on doing Liberal Arts at Cal Poly and made me want to go to Cal Poly SLO more.
Edit: Changed Liberal Studies to Liberal Arts. (I think Liberal Studies is a major, not a college within the university. My bad. You’d be in the college of Liberal Arts as a Political Science major.)
Since you are looking to study poli-sci Oxy really is a better option. Let me state that I went to Oxy and my own experience is that Oxy not only provided so many opportunities, but also prepared me for grad school, and working in the social sciences. Academically, Oxy is challenging but your problem solving and writing skills will be top notch when you graduate. I attended an Ivy League for grad school which I found to be easier academically than Oxy. I also don’t like LA, but I loved Oxy. Because it is so small it has the added benefit of being able to provide opportunities for students to explore LA and the surrounding areas. You definitely won’t be lacking for campus activities or experiences in LA. As for size, that really depends on what you want. Oxy was about half the size of my high school but it never feels too small; no you won’t now everyone on campus when you graduate. It is a significant financial investment. I was on full scholarship/loan but I would do it all over again. Oxy was an even better investment than my grad school at Columbia. It really depends on what you are looking for in a college experience. But if you are set on studying politcal science and becoming an effective writer in your field, Oxy is definitely worth the investment.