<p>Cal Poly is not a backup to UCs and other colleges. I chose Cal Poly over…</p>
<p>USC -a contender, but received no financial aid. Our EFC was over $60K; it is not worth double the cost.
UC Davis
UCSD
UC Irvine
Santa Clara University - small merit scholarship, but not nearly enough to even consider.</p>
<p>You will find that Cal Poly is populated by kids that have had the same choices as you, calpolybruin. Our son turned down great merit money from good schools and a Regents Scholarship because he knew Cal Poly was the right choice for him. He has never doubted his decision and his freshman year has been fabulous. All the best to you as you start your journey.</p>
<p>I turned down…</p>
<p>UCSD
UCD
and UCI</p>
<p>I wasn’t accepted at UCB, but I would have turned down their offer of admission as well. I can’t wait to be a mustang this fall. =)</p>
<p>Turned down…</p>
<p>UCSD
USC
UCSB
…and a couple privates.</p>
<p>Cannot beat the location and academic programs especially for engineering.</p>
<p>Sent from my LG-P505 using CC</p>
<p>is: “I chose Cal Poly over”
s/b" “My d chose Cal Poly over”</p>
<p>She will be an incoming freshman majoring in Industrial Engineering. She is extremely excited and so ready to experience all that Cal Poly has to offer.</p>
<p>I chose Cal Poly over…</p>
<p>CSU Chico
CSU Fresno
Cal Poly Pomona</p>
<p>LOL nothing to brag about, just wanted to join in on the conversation! ;)</p>
<p>For engineering, my son chose Cal Poly SLO over:</p>
<p>UCLA
UCSD
UCSB
UCI (honors)
UCSC (merit scholarship)
Cal Poly Pomona (honors)</p>
<p>He had no interest in out of state schools and most privates. Specifically wanted a hands on program.</p>
<p>I chose Cal Poly over:</p>
<p>UCSD, UCSB, Cal Poly Pomona and Bucknell</p>
<p>When I stepped on campus I felt a home.</p>
<p>For engineering, my daughter chose Cal Poly over:</p>
<p>University of Colorado at Boulder (merit scholarship)
Colorado School of Mines (merit scholarship)
UCSD</p>
<p>We live in Colorado, but my daughter felt that Cal Poly was the best fit for her. She is so excited to be a Mustang!</p>
<p>For engineering, my son chose Cal Poly over:</p>
<p>UCSD
UCI
SCU ($7K merit)
LMU ($15K merit/honors)
Chapman ($35K merit/honors)
and an assortment of others</p>
<p>My son is considering applying to both UCSD and Cal Poly. He’s interested in mechanical engineering. What advantages would Cal Poly SLO have over UCSD? Are both schools equally impacted?</p>
<p>For Business in 2010 D turned down:</p>
<p>UCD
UCSB
USD
SCU </p>
<p>And and several others. Of the above schools, some gave merit $$ which would have brought the costs to within the CP SLO range. As Engineerisme said</p>
<p>
D walked onto campus and state she was ‘done looking’ this was it.</p>
<p>Ucsd
UC (all lower ones)
Carnegie Mellon (no $$)
Grinnell
Oberlin</p>
<p>@cg60jegr – My son is a freshman mechanical engineering major at Cal Poly right now. UCSD was our #2 choice after Cal Poly SLO. The advantage of Cal Poly over UCSD is very clear. Learn by doing, hands on. That means lab after lab and more labs after that. Contrary to what you will hear from the UC’s about Cal Poly, there is a strong emphasis on theory at the school. The difference is that at Cal Poly you learn theory and then demonstrate it in the lab as opposed to ending the discussion in lecture and in print (more often than not). Learn by doing is extended to all classes including English and Communications. For example, my kid had to cold call executives in industry “as far up in the food chain as possible” and interview them. At Cal Poly you student will have 100% professors and professional lecturers and zero TA’s. Yes, let me repeat that - ZERO TA’s. Additionally, your student will have his first classes in his major the first week of his first quarter in his freshman year. There is no two years of GE’s prior to getting involved in your major. Additionally, club activities. I cannot emphasize this enough. My kid, as a freshman, was able to participate in the Shell Eco-marathon Supermileage competition in Houston in March of this year. They took third place out of 94 competitors from all over the United States and 50 in their division (gasoline powered) and by far the most competitive. They beat every California school including all the UC’s teams.</p>
<p>UCSD excellent program. Great reputation. Nothing wrong with it at all. If he had not made it into Cal Poly SLO it would have been a choice between UCSD and Cal Poly Pomona. I will say this, none of his HS buddies who are engineering majors at a UC have had any of the opportunities he has yet.</p>
<p>According to UC Davis, comp sci and comp engineering majors do take programming and software development their freshman year. I will have a freshman at Cal Poly in computer engineering and a freshman at UC Davis in computer science and engineering next year. It should be interesting to see the differences. Btw my d will also be a freshman at Boston College next year.</p>
<p>i chose cal poly over </p>
<p>UCLA
UC BERKELEY
UC DAVIS.</p>
<p>yep, don’t regret it =]</p>
<p>^ major???</p>
<p>Majoring in Architecture and i choose cal poly slo over</p>
<p>UCLA (almost full ride)
BERKELEY( almost full ride)
UC SANTA BARBARA ( almost full ride)
UC SANTA CRUZ ( almost full ride)
CAL POLY POMONA(half)
SAN DIEGO STATE(half)
TULANE UNIVERSITY(no $$$)
PENN STATE( no $$$)</p>
<p>learn by doing motto, accredited program, best school for my major in the west coast and one of the best in the nation, don’t regret it one bit:)</p>
<p>I said goodbye to UCLA, UCSD, UCD and SJSU…
But Cal said goodbye to me XD</p>
<p>My dd chose CalPoly over Miami, UNCW, New College of Florida, College of Charleston, etc.</p>