posting in both CalPoly SLO and UCSD forums
Hello all 
I am super torn between attending UCSD and Cal Poly, I’ve already been accepted into both, UCSD for biology and Cal Poly for biochemistry. I’ve toured both and loved the UCSD campus, however it is so hard to beat the atmosphere from Cal Poly - everyone was so genuine and friendly and active! I’m concerned about the “socially dead” aspect of San Diego. I’m into all the outdoorsy stuff: surfing, running. snowboarding, hiking, the works. I know it’s hard to beat the academic program of UCSD, but I’ve heard of many of the Cal Poly engineers switching to biochemistry as that it becoming a very increasingly competitive major! There’s also the “learn by doing” at CalPoly vs the theoretics taught at UCs. How do they stack up against each other otherwise? Would I be particularly dumb to pick one over the other? Cost is not a significant factor between the two. What are your guys’ experiences with the two?
Thank you so so so much!
Socially dead: don’t worry about it. The campus life is thriving and as long as you make the slightest effort to go meet people, you’ll be fine.
Academic program: UCSD is one of the best schools for biology in the world, there’s no comparison.
Learn by doing: man I don’t even know what this means I’ve taken so many lab courses at UCSD professors always go over applications in lecture what is this
Dumb to pick one over the other: you’d be dumb to pick UCSD if your gut tells you you’d be happier at Cal Poly. You’re gonna have to spend 4 years there and it’s your call. The only exception is if you’re a premed, in which case you’re going to be miserable either way and you should go to SD for the increased opportunity
My husband and I attended Cal Poly (both engineering-decades ago) and our DS2 attends UCSD (biology). While UCSD does have a fantastic biology program, Cal Poly’s program is very well regarded also. The advantage at UCSD is that there are a zillion near-by opportunities for internships while due to Cal Poly’s location, those opportunities are more limited.
You are going to get a great education at either school. On the other hand, the schools are polar opposites, and you would be crazy to go to one of them when the atmosphere at the other appeals to you more. Cal Poly is a much smaller, more compact campus in a true college town. You can ride your bike and get pretty much anywhere in town. Class sizes are much smaller, and it really does have a learn-by-doing philosophy. UCSD is a huge campus in an amazing location. I guarantee the whole “socially dead” thing is crazy- our son is extremely social and outgoing and he never runs out of things to do. The biology program is world renowned and even though classes are large, break-out sessions with TA’s provide a more intimate atmosphere. Our son LOVES UCSD and is thriving there. The large size of the campus really appealed to him. He was also accepted to Cal Poly but the smaller size and the location just didn’t do it for him. I would have been overwhelmed by a school the size of UCSD, but I absolutely loved my time at Cal Poly. You would not be “dumb” to pick one over the other, and will do well at either. I think it boils down to the “fit” for you- make a list of pros and cons for each campus without regard to the academics and go with your gut.
Thank you all for your responses! I really appreciate it!!
@runngal what decision did you make? Just curious :(|)
@Ramenous I chose Cal Poly SLO! =)