<p>Does anybody know how strong/weak the philosophy department is at Cal Poly SLO?</p>
<p>I was accepted to UCSB and SLO as a philosophy major and am torn between the two. UCSB has a strong and big philosophy program and their graduates go to top-tier law schools. I’m not too sure about Cal Poly but am considering it because I am in love with the overall campus and what they have to offer. I have emailed Cal Poly’s philosophy department’s head chair and he said it’s a small department and only a handful of their graduates go to law school. </p>
<p>Help anybody?</p>
<p>There are some of very good philosophy professors on the faculty. One of them, Dr. Steven Ball, specializes in Ethics, jurisprudence (Philosophy of Law), Political Philosophy. He is a brilliantly great professor and very passionate about jurisprudence. He went to Purdue for his undergraduate, and did his MA and Phd in University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. </p>
<p>He knows a lot about law school, UCs (he taught at a UC prior to Cal Poly), and of course CP’s philosophy department. Dr. Ball is very fair, so if he thinks something is crap in Cal Poly, he would be first to tell you. So he definitely would be the right person you should talk with about you concerns. Also, given he is super friendly, and enthusiastic to students, just send him an email and pose the question your posted here to him.</p>
<p>His contact info:</p>
<p>[Stephen</a> Ball](<a href=“http://www.calpoly.edu/~phil/ball.html]Stephen”>http://www.calpoly.edu/~phil/ball.html)</p>
<p>With regards to law school, it is a lot more crucial that you graduate with a very STRONG GPA and do brilliantly on the LSAT than having or not having UCSB or Cal Poly as your alma mater. The academic and reputation differences between these 2 schools are small enough that it should not tip the balance one way or another. </p>
<p>It really comes down to which school fits your style and personality better and which will enable you to thrive both academically and personally.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your insight and all that helpful information! I emailed Stephen Bail and just waiting for his reply back 
Again, thank you so much</p>
<p>you are very welcome. Good luck!</p>