<p>alright I have narrowed it down to these 2 schools.</p>
<p>I like both areas.</p>
<p>As of now, I am leading toward SLO.</p>
<p>Any thoughts/comments??</p>
<p>They are both great schools. What is your reason for "leaning"? Major?</p>
<p>USNEWS Compare:</p>
<p>School Cal Poly--San Luis Obispo*
Public/Private Public*
Founded 1901*
Total Undergraduates 16,639*
Location **
City/State San Luis Obispo, CA*
Setting suburban*
Student-to-faculty ratio 19/1*
Full-time faculty 726*
Classes with under 20 students 31%*
Classes with 50+ students 7%*
Graduation rate* 67%*
Cost **
Public in-state tuition and fees N/A*
Public out-of-state tuition and fees N/A*
Room/Board N/A*
Financial Aid** **
Students receiving: 24%*
<em>Need-based grants<br>
</em><em>Need-based self-help aid 26%</em>
Percent of need that was met 69%
Average financial aid package $7,457*
Average need-based grant $1,767*
Average need-based loan $3,842*
Admissions **
Selectivity more selective*
Acceptance rate 38%*
Number of applicants 22,551*
Average high school GPA 3.8*
SAT/ACT (25/75 percentile) 1120-1320*
Student Satisfaction **
Freshman retention rate 89%*
Alumni giving rate 12%*
Student Body **
Diversity* yes*
Fraternity members 10%*
Sorority members 8%*
Students living off campus 78%*</p>
<p>School University of California--Santa Barbara*
Public/Private Public*
Founded 1909*
Total Undergraduates 18,121*
Location **
City/State Santa Barbara, CA*
Setting suburban*
Student-to-faculty ratio 17/1*
Full-time faculty 919*
Classes with under 20 students 50%*
Classes with 50+ students 18%*
Graduation rate* 77%*
Cost **
Public in-state tuition and fees $6,952*
Public out-of-state tuition and fees $24,772*
Room/Board $10,958*
Financial Aid** **
Students receiving: 38%*
<em>Need-based grants<br>
</em><em>Need-based self-help aid 37%</em>
Percent of need that was met 82%
Average financial aid package $12,280*
Average need-based grant $9,210*
Average need-based loan $6,092*
Admissions **
Selectivity most selective*
Acceptance rate 53%*
Number of applicants 36,963*
Average high school GPA 3.8*
SAT/ACT (25/75 percentile) 1070-1300*
Student Satisfaction **
Freshman retention rate 91%*
Alumni giving rate 15%*
Student Body **
Diversity* yes*
Fraternity members 4%*
Sorority members 7%*
Students living off campus 71%*</p>
<p>"They are both great schools. What is your reason for "leaning"? Major?"</p>
<p>ya.</p>
<p>Cal Poly has one of the best architecture programs in the country and I got in for arch. engineering.</p>
<p>then go there...its cheaper, and you like the place</p>
<p>I'd day that too if Architecture is what you want. It is their best program. Buy if you are not sure that is the major you want, I might think twice. Its a good place though...</p>
<p>i actually just got back today from a SLO vs. UCSB college tour trip. To be honest. i really didn't like slo that much. and before i went, i was almost sold on it. the campus isn't that pretty, it's surroundings are, but all the classroom's just look like high school, and there really isn't a lot of open area on campus like at ucsb. At ucsb, you really get the college feeling, opposed to slo which kinda had a community college feeling. Also, downtown slo is literally a 3 x 3 grid of stores and restaurants. i was there for a day and i already have downtown memorized and have been in each store... twice. let me know what you decide tho.</p>
<p>damn it's really even now.</p>
<p>anybody else with any input?</p>
<p>UCSB = in the UC system
SLO = in the cal state system</p>
<p>I would much rather be in the UC System myself - I also like SB campus MUCH more than SLO, but i enjoy the social life at slo better. (personal preference, nothing knocking sb)</p>
<p>ya i know the UC system totally owns the CSU system,</p>
<p>but cal poly is still up there in terms of prestige and academics.</p>
<p>Thats like comparing UC Merced to UCLA. CPSLO is the most prestigious university in the CSU system. Acceptance rate is much harder than all the UC's except Berkeley, LA, and SD, especially when comparing CPSLO's engineering acceptances with UC acceptances. Keep in mind, CPSLO determines acceptance by major. Average engineering applicants who were accepted was 3.9.</p>
<p>If you want to go to Arch, Engineering, or a university that really offers a business program than SLO is the place to be if a great hands on learning experience is your choice.</p>
<p>Only 22,000 applied to Cal Poly with 38% acceptance. There were 39k applicants at UCSB with 50% acceptance. Cal Poly is classified as more selective and UCSB as most selective. Why? You're not a college material if you can't figure out why. Heck, I didn't even apply to any Cal State!</p>
<p>Also, there's a common misconception that Cal Poly has the best engineering program because of its rank. While it's true that it's ranked high it is compared and classified with schools that do not offer Doctoral's degree, e.g. all CSUs, Arizona State, North Carolina State, etc.... UCSB offers doctoral's degree and so it is compared with Berkeley,HSYM, UCLA etc..... The UCSB Engineering Dept is very well respected. Check out these rankings for the contribution of UCSB in Engineering..
<a href="http://www.cs.ucsb.edu/%7Eansa/ucsb/ranking.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.cs.ucsb.edu/~ansa/ucsb/ranking.html</a></p>
<p>No doubt UCSB is well respected. That was not the case here. My point was talking about admissions rate. Yes more students applied to UCSB, thats good. If less people applied then your admissions rate would be higher than 50%. Also there is a way they classify selectivity. How can a university that has a higher acceptance rate, lower accepted gpa rate.</p>
<p>Here is how they rank selectivity:
The Levels of Selectivity
At one extreme are "open admission" colleges. These schools require only a high school diploma and accept students on a first-come, first-served basis. Many community colleges have this policy. At the other extreme are very selective colleges. They admit only a small percentage of applicants each year. Most colleges fall somewhere in between.</p>
<p>Less Selective
As many as 10 or 15 students apply for each spot at very selective schools. Less selective colleges focus on whether applicants meet minimum requirements and whether there's room for more students. Acceptable grades are often the only requirement beyond an interest in college study. The SAT® I or ACT may be required, but test scores are usually used for course placement, not admission. </p>
<p>More Selective
More selective colleges consider course work, grades, test scores, recommendations, and essays. The major factor may be whether you are ready for college-level study. It's possible to be denied admission because of a weakness or a lack of interest in higher education. </p>
<p>Very Selective
As many as 10 or 15 students apply for each spot at very selective schools. Admission officers look carefully at every aspect of a student's high school experience, from academic strength to test scores. Since many applicants are strong academically, other factors -- such as your essay -- are critical. Although they receive a great deal of publicity, only a small number of colleges (fewer than 100) are this selective.
Source: <a href="http://www.collegeboard.com%5B/url%5D">www.collegeboard.com</a></p>
<p>Okay so the UCSB like all UC's require an essay, and overall high school experience of the student. CPSLO does not require this. It automatically is not considered a very selective school because of that. However, in CPSLO
less than 50 people fight for every 100 spots, but in UCSB around 53 people would fight for every 100 spots. It doesn't even take a smart community college student to figure out which university is harder to get into. The fact, that CPSLO does not have an essay or look at an overall HS experience is a downfall for such a hard university to get into. Since grades and SAT scores are high in CPSLO, a high but not as high gpa or sat won't do even if you participated alot in HS. </p>
<p>They most likely don't rank doctoral engineering programs with non doctoral school engineering programs because the doctoral program is also included in the rank. It would not be fair if a campus was ranked down because its doctoral program was not great. Let us not forget, were looking at these campuses from a undergraduate view, because after all, we are applying as freshmen.</p>
<p>Now before you judge cal poly, know this. Its a specialized school. It specializes in business, engineering, and agriculture. Any other field, I wouldn't reccomend CPSLO. CP is ranked on those fields. For engineering lets say, it is ranked with highly respectable universities such as Rose-Hullman, Harvery-Mudd, Air Force Academy, and West Point. Those other colleges/universities are very prestige, it shows something that Cal Poly is ranked with those universities (those respectable universities also do not have doctoral programs).</p>
<p>CPSLO Admissions 2005:
I don't believe in the averages because it does not represent how admissions work in Cal Poly. Cal Poly determines your admissions with other people in your major, not the whole general population.</p>
<p>So the agriculture major which is the most easiest to enter, has a significantly lower gpa/sat compared to the rest of the other majors bringing the averages down.</p>
<p>go here for the specific admissions by major: <a href="http://www.ess.calpoly.edu/_admiss/Pdf/Profile05.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.ess.calpoly.edu/_admiss/Pdf/Profile05.pdf</a></p>
<p>Take out Agriculture out the averages are higher than UCSB in gpa and SAT.</p>
<p>UCSB Admissions 2005:
Admit Rate Overall: 53.1%
Admits: 19,585
Applicants: 36,877
ELC Student Admit Rate: 97.2%
California Residents (% of admits): 93.2%
Averages
High School GPA: 3.88
ACT Composite Score: 26
SAT I Score: 1236
SAT II Math (1C and 2C) Score: 623
SAT II Writing Score: 618
Source: <a href="http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/selecting/camp_profiles/camp_profiles_ucsb.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/selecting/camp_profiles/camp_profiles_ucsb.html</a></p>
<p>Now again, you attack CP as being part of CSU as your reason. I remember correctly dismissing this fallacy. Remember Cal Poly's way of running and philosophy is different than all other CSU campuses. Thats why its the only campus part of CSU that can be reffered as cal poly. Even Cal Poly pomona is reffered to CSU Pomona, but there is no CSU SLO. </p>
<p>Cal Poly SLO, yes its part of a lesser university system than UCSB, but that does not degrade the university. Thats like saying UCR or UC merced are highly respectable universities automatically because its part of UC. No thats a simple minded thought of high school frosh, sophs, and ignorant juniors and seniors who only know UC campuses. I would think a person like you going to UCSB would know better. I bet you would choose Merced over CPSLO if those were the only universities you applied to.</p>
<p>OP, both schools are good choices and you'll be fine at either one. Visit both, talk to kids, go to the one you feel is best for you. And if you think the "voting" here is going to decide it for you, not a good approach :( It's hardly a scientific sample of opinion.</p>
<p>I agree with mikemac</p>
<p>Justsomeboi, it's not hard to understand why Ca Poly has 38% acceptance rate. While it may seem low it's applicants are bunch of rejects. I don't mean to put the school down but that's just true. While it does accept students with good GPAs overall most applicants are CSU bound students. I'm sure you understand my point. Most high school students want to get in to any UC and some students pick UCSC over Cal Poly. That's the reality...</p>
<p>Justsomeboi, it's not hard to understand why Ca Poly has 38% acceptance rate. While it may seem low it's applicants are bunch of rejects. I don't mean to put the school down but that's just true. While it does accept students with good GPAs overall most applicants are CSU bound students. I'm sure you understand my point. Most high school students want to get in to any UC and some students pick UCSC over Cal Poly. That's the reality... And oh, most students that don't get in to UCSB engineering program tend to enrol at Cal Poly.</p>
<p>I still don't understand your thinking. If they got rejected from UCSC they probably got rejected from Cal Poly SLO also. Remember admissions to SLO is harder than SB. How could someone rejected to UCSB and UCSC be accepted to SLO? I all ready showed you legible data on admissions on my prior post, so I have my statement backed up. Your statement is based on a bias on the UC system and on UCSB.</p>
<p>My daughter applied to 9 CA schools and 1 in Boston with a wide range of selectivity. She made it into 8 of them, including UCSB and University of San Diego, was waitlisted by Pepperdine, and her only rejection came from Cal Poly SLO. According to her guidance counselor, SLO was far more selective than SB this year and last. Before anyone questions my previous post, I had initially stated that she did not apply to SLO becuase I preferred to wait until all her letters came in. But, we were right there checking that CalPoly Portal with everyone else. BTW, I have to mention, that was a pretty weak rejection - A website note stating "You have not been admitted. Thank you." We had to laugh!</p>
<p>ucsbstud- Cal Poly has a higher peer assesment score in engineering than UCSB. In fact, it has a higher score than any UC except for berkeley. I doubt many would choose UCSB's engineering over cal poly's.</p>