<p>Hi i'm absolutely torn between the 2 colleges, and don't know which one is right for me.
UCSB Pros:
-i got into the honors program
-great professors (won nobel prize in econ)
-better for grad school
-more flexibility to change majors</p>
<p>Cal Poly SLO pros:
-nice campus and very nice people
-small classes and great teaching
-easier to get a job
-less of a party school</p>
<p>A reason why i'm thinking of cal poly over ucsb is the drinking issue and the fact that i don't want to live in isla vista after freshman year, but i heard that its about the same for both colleges, so can someone please clarify?
I also plan to go to grad school, but am not 100% sure about my major, and i plan to work a few years before I do this.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated</p>
<p>Do you want to be an Econ major or business major? My son was accepted into both schools and ultimately chose UCSB and decided to pursue an MBA. Econ at UCSB is uber competitive and brutal in the pre-major classes b/c they weed students out. It is probably the hardest major besides engineering. The UCSB Econ and accounting program is ranked 3rd in the US, so the kids come out with great job offers. But, if you want to go to an undergrad business school, then you can’t beat CalPoly. The business school is very highly ranked and respected. They also have the Green Light program that it sounds like you would qualify for. My son did not like his Econ 1 prof, but he loves his Econ 2 prof. He is thinking of double majoring Econ with PolySci with an international relations emphasis. </p>
<p>There is alot of crashing of classes at UCSB. I do not know how it is at CalPoly. There is also the opportunity to double major or the flexibility to change majors, especially if you come in with lots of AP credits. I am not sure how easy it would be to change majors at CalPoly. The 2 campuses have completely different vibes. My son loves going to UCSB, but he wanted a big campus experience. I know kids who go to CalPoly and love it.</p>
<p>As far as the drinking and living in IV goes, not everyone drinks all the time. My son joined a fraternity (they are mainly econ majors) and they have fun, but they do not get totally drunk every weekend. I think after the first quarter, most kids get the partying out of their system. My son is a smart kid, but he studies all of the time. The classes are challenging. So, he doesn’t have time to have “lost weekends”. </p>
<p>You can live on campus for your sophmore year and the university has apartments for Junior and Senior years if you do not want to live in IV. Not all of IV is rowdy. The farther away that you live from Del Playa, the quieter it gets. </p>
<p>Have you visited the campuses and spoken with profs in the departments?</p>
<p>thank you so much for this wonderful response! it was extremely helpful and I really appreciate the honesty and advice
and i wish all the best to your son!</p>
