<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I’ve been really stressed out about deciding which college to attend, especially as the time gets closer for me to make a final decision. I have always had high hopes of attending a top UC school and have always pushed my self in side and out side of school in order to be accepted to one of these universities. Unfortunately these schools have been extremely selective lately and I have been denied from UCSB, UCSD, and UCLA. I can take this as a sign that I will also be rejected from Berkeley, unless I miraculously get accepted. To be honest, I’m crushed and I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact and understand why I didn’t get in to at least ONE of those schools. I guess it’s just not in the cards for me. </p>
<p>So, here’s my main issue. I have been accepted to San Francisco State, San Diego State (as an honors student) , UC Santa Cruz, and of course Cal Poly SLO. I can pretty much cross SFSU and SDSU off my list because SFSU doesn’t have the greatest reputation and I live in the San Diego area so I really just want to go out and experience some new things!! </p>
<p>That leaves me deciding between UCSC and Cal Poly SLO. </p>
<p>Cal Poly SLO seems like a beautiful school (will be visiting later in the month). They have less students and smaller class sizes. They implement project based learning (the high school I am coming from is a tech school that also uses project based learning, thus the transition might be easier for me than switching into a traditional learning environment). Overall, it seems to me that they have a great reputation that is continuously growing each year, especially with employers. The thing is, I’m majoring in English and unfortunately all I hear about CP is their engineering program. </p>
<p>Now, UCSC I know has a decent English program. I visited the campus and thought it was absolutely beautiful. However I’m not quite sure it is the right fit for me. It is a larger campus and holds a reputation for being a very liberal party school. </p>
<p>I’m really looking for a school that has a great reputation and can offer me a good English program. I’m a bit conservative (politically), and am not looking to party but would like to socialize. I have always lived in the city…so I don’t want anything too rural. I really want to feel safe and surrounded by people who are like me, and make me happy because I didn’t get too much of that in high school. Please give me some insight…if you were in my situation what would you do? Thanks :)</p>
<p>First of all, I would stop beating yourself up for not getting into the top tier UC’s and congratulate yourself for getting into some great schools. Cal Poly is just as difficult to get into as many of the top UC’s and UCSC is underrated in my opinion. I like the school and I have a friend that turned down UC Berkeley for UCSC because he felt that it fit him better for their Psychology major. The selection process is what it is and none of us have control over it. Sometimes it is a mystery, but you will be going to college and you have some excellent choices.</p>
<p>Next, is fit. If you are conservative in orientation than UCSC will be a challenge at first. However, that school may need someone just like you to spur debate and challenge you to your core beliefs. Parties will be there no matter what school you go to including Cal Poly. All you need to do is opt out if that is not what you want to do. No one will force you to party if you do not want to. My kid is not a partier and he has had no problem in college getting along and socializing.</p>
<p>My suggestion is that you go to the Cal Poly Open House and experience the school in all its glory. The English department at Cal Poly is very good even if it takes a back seat to the Engineering department when it comes to reputation recognition. I think that this is a bit unfair as the school really does have a strong English program and Liberal Art department as well.</p>
<p>Cal Poly is not liberal or conservative – it is neutral. My kid calls himself an “extreme centrist” trusting neither the right or the left and chooses his own media outlets based on his centrist orientation.</p>
<p>UCSC will be decidedly liberal and has been on the forefront of liberal politics for a generation. Nevertheless, you may indeed find this intellectually stimulating if not annoying and frustrating all at the same time.</p>
<p>Again, go to each school, talk to students and professors, get a real feel for each program and how they differ in teaching methodology and focus and base your decision upon that. I believe that Cal Poly may prepare you for the workplace better than UCSC due to its hands on nature, but it is your decision.</p>
<p>Thank you so much @osakadad. I think I am leaning more towards Cal Poly, but I guess I will just have to visit the campus and see. I really am open to both schools…conservative or not, however, it is nice to know…just not a huge deal breaker considering that Berkeley is my dream school haha 
.</p>
<p>@ chelsea- don’t freak out. I was in a very similar situation to yours awhile back.
Listen to Osaka Dad’s advice.^^ (He knows all). Here’s what happened to me. After too much analysis (paralysis), I still couldn’t decide which offer to take. Cal Poly was my last campus to visit and I KNEW within 20 minutes that I had found my “home”. After all my research, it turned out to be a visceral decision. I just followed my gut and haven’t looked back. So, I really think your decision might come easily after you have visited both campuses. The good news is that I don’t think you can go wrong, they are both great schools.
I have friends in the English dept. @ UCSC who love their program, same for Poly. As for your disappointment over not getting into your top choices, you’ve got lots of company. But time to move on. Someone said to me once that it really doesn’t matter much where you go to school as “Cream always rises to the top.” I scoffed at that at the time but now feel it’s true. If you work hard and stay focused, you will be very successful both as a student and as a working adult after college. So pick the school where you can envision yourself being happy. Best of luck!</p>
<p>if i were you i would pick cal poly. i know someone who goes to UCSC who is liberal and he CAN’T STAND most of the people there. he’s considering transferring. UCSC has a stereotype of being a super liberal school with a lot of weed smokers and my friend has confirmed this to me multiple times. he doesn’t feel like he fits in there because he’s not nearly as liberal as everyone else and he doesn’t smoke or party in general. judging from what you said i think that cal poly sounds like it might be a better fit for you atmosphere-wise. as far as your english major goes, i feel like UCSC isn’t exactly known for their english program either. i could be wrong though seeing as i didn’t apply there. my advice to you would be to go to both schools’ admitted student days and make a decision based off of atmosphere, because i honestly don’t think that one of them is better than the other academically for an english major. just because cal poly is known for its engineering doesn’t mean it has a bad english program. good luck!</p>
<p>also if it makes you feel any better i know EXACTLY how you feel about the UCs. i was so confident that i was going to get into davis, irvine, and san diego for biology and i got waitlisted or rejected to all of them. but then right afterwards i got into a lot of really nice private schools that are ranked equal to or higher than those three UCs, so just know that the fact that you can’t get into a UC is NOT an indication that you aren’t smart or qualified for top universities.</p>