<p>I live about a five hour drive from the campus but think that it’d be well worth it to attend one of these. I’m still waiting on other universities, but really really want to go to Cal Poly, and maybe this will seal the deal for me.</p>
<p>The Polycultural Weekend (April 4 - 6) sounds amazing. It costs $40, but we get to stay over night and have someone of the same ethnicity/major host us. There are academic panels, tours of the campus/area, as well as a showcase of all the clubs.</p>
<p>The Open House + Shadow Program (April 10 - 12) also gives me the chance to get a feel for the campus. Additionally, as a civil engineer, the shadow program hosted by the Society of Women Engineers would be a great opportunity as well. </p>
<p>The first one just sounds a lot more intimate and more fun tbh, but I kind of want to do the shadow program… decisions, decisions. What do you guys suggest, or what will you be attending? Thanks in advance for the advice! uwu</p>
<p>If you can manage it do both. However, if you can only do one, the Open House really sealed the deal for us. We are a minority multi-ethnic bilingual family and Polycultural Weekend really sounded great but we skipped it due to prior engagements. Since, we’ve never been to one, I can’t comment. Hopefully others can tell you more about that program.</p>
<p>The Open House for us was amazing. The entire school and SLO itself is on display and it is an amazing 3-
day event. Come on Thursday night for the Farmer’s market and stay until after the Rodeo on Sunday. Interestingly enough the Rodeo was 90% plus White, but it was so much fun and everyone welcomed us so we did not feel out of place at all. We LOVED the Rodeo and it was our very first one!</p>
<p>Go to every event you can over the three days. Each one was memorable and worth our time. There will be major related tours and socials. There will be the general assembly/pep rally (during which my kid turned to me and said, “I’m sold!”). After the long process of acceptances, various school tours, weighing and measuring all the alternatives, etc. The SLO Open House was such a relief and so overwhelmingly positive. It was like coming home after a long absence even though it was our first time on campus. In fact, we were so sure that SLO was the right place that after the first day we went back to the hotel and declined all the other offers and did the SIR for Cal Poly. That is how powerful it was for us. Then we just enjoyed the rest of the weekend with no worries confident in our decision.</p>
<p>Just to let you know, we are a Japanese/English speaking family living in a majority Asian community with many Hispanics, Whites and some Middle Eastern/South Asian influence. At no time during my kid’s experience at SLO has he ever felt out of place. He is now a junior. Although there are very few Japanese speakers on campus, it does not seem to phase my kid at all.</p>
<p>I would definitely recommend the high school shadow event. It is a great way to learn more about the engineering major you are going into. You actually get to visit their classes and see what it is like. You get first hand experience from the Cal Poly students and get to know what its like staying in their dorms.</p>
<p>My D is Chinese and we agree that the Poly Cultural weekend sounds fantastic—but she has a big exam that Friday and Open House occurs during our spring break–so it was the calendar drove her decision on what and what not to attend. She has some friends going to the Poly Cultural weekend so we look forward to their report! I’ve been concerned with the lack of diversity at SLO, but my D isn’t–and it’s clear that Cal Poly is making an effort to do outreach; the Poly Cultural weekend obviously part of that outreach. See you in SLO!! :-)</p>
<p>I’ve heard many, many people say that Cal Poly has a lack of diversity. This is just not true at all and I wish that folks would get some perspective. Cal Poly is in fact 35% plus minority and mixed race. If you add in White Hispanics is it even higher. Compared to most universities in other states, Cal Poly is extraordinarily diverse. I went to the University of Arizona in the 1980’s – that was a school that truly lacked diversity and I still loved it and got a great education</p>
<p>Cal Poly, for a California school, has a fewer minorities than many CSU campuses like Cal State LA, CSULB, or even Cal Poly Pomona. It is certainly less diverse than UCLA or UCB, etc. However, let’s look at it another way. Since we are an Asian mixed family, I can say this without having to be politically correct. Many UC’s like UCLA or UCB and in particular UCI, etc. lack diversity because there are so many Asians! Some of these campuses, like UCI, are pushing 50% Asian. That is a lack if diversity too – but, no one wants to admit it. My kid said to me that Cal Poly represents a good balance as it is more reflective of the US population. Anyway, my kid has never suffered from being “ethnically/culturally different” at Cal Poly and I am ranting on a bit here because I am kind of tired of hearing that Cal Poly is a “Lilly White” campus. It just ain’t true.</p>
<p>Additionally, after three years of visiting Cal Poly a couple of times a year, I’ve been able to view how students interact with each other firsthand. The kids generally mix without regard to race and I’ve seen many interracial couples on campus which means that the kids date across ethnic lines unconsciously. They hang out with who they like and date who they are attracted to without much regard to ethnicity. Quite frankly, that is the way it should be. </p>
<p>The only exception that I will add here is that the school does lack a substantial African American contingent. I can only guess that since the school is lauded for STEM, Business and Agriculture majors and is far from any major California city that this explains it. Unfortunately, there are too few African Americans in tech fields and Silicon Valley is noticeably void of African Americans. However, that is another story and needs to be taken up somewhere else.</p>
<p>What exactly happens on the Saturday (April 12) of the Open House weekend? I have another college open house that day, and I’m curious as to what I’ll miss. </p>