I am a high school senior and I was accepted to Cal Poly SLO for a statistics major a few weeks ago and I have been researching the school to see if I like it or not.
I like the fact that the school gives a “hands on” approach to the students for their major and generally it is viewed as a respected school. I also think I like the city as well, cause I’ve been there a few times and thought it was nice.
The questions I have is:
Is it difficult to change your major at the school? I love statistics and I enjoy it, however just like many college students I am still kinda open to some other areas such as possibly Civil Engineering (my dad was a civil engineer so I got to see what kinds of things he was working on). Is changing your major extremely stressful?
Is it very difficult to get a good GPA at this school? Don’t get me wrong! I know I have to work very hard but I’m just saying, is it very stressful and UNREASONABLY difficult for students to maintain a good GPA? I am a very independent student who enjoys self-studying material. I have self studied Calculus I, Calculus II, and I will self study Linear Algebra very soon. So I am pretty hardworking but I was just curious.
Usually if you are considering engineering it is better to get accepted to the engineering dept and then you transfer out as that is the easier path. Not only is engineering really full but you need to start the sequence freshman year usually. However there are plenty who drop engineering because the can’t keep up with the workload. I don’t know if that mean there are slots open or likely, they account for that in admissions. I don’t think the work at Cal Poly is too hard to get good grades for someone with your level of math. Stats is a great major, very flexible. Most people I hear of are pretty happy at SLO.
It is honestly not that hard to change majors. Don’t worry about that. You will love it here, it is an amazing place. About grades, they are tough everywhere, and Cal Poly is no exception. This is why we have such a great name. However, if you apply yourself, you will have no problem doing well.
Please call admissions and ask this question, they do answer the phone and are helpful. When I asked them I was told it can be very difficult but not impossible. It depends is what they said. That is different than the answers you may hear on this forum. I know students that left CP cause they could not transfer. And transferring into engineering, wow, the hardest thing you could transfer to. But don’t even consider this info relevant, go directly to the source, call admissions and hear their answer for yourself.
As @BrownParent said, it’s easier to transfer out of engineering than in no matter where you go. The reason is even if you are on pace with math, you won’t be with physics. You can’t move forward into an engineering curriculum until it’s complete. Essentially, the moment you start engineering, you’re a freshman, starting at or nearly at square one.
At CP, switching into engineering is harder than switching out. Do as @blueskies2day suggested and call.