What are the pros and cons of Cal Poly SLO? Is ChatGPT right?

[CC_Sorin]

As Decision Day looms closer and many students are figuring out which school to attend I thought it might be helpful to ask ChatGPT about the pros and cons of certain schools. Here’s what it said about Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Is this information correct? What are your pros and cons? Let us know in the comments below!

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, also known as Cal Poly SLO, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California. It is known for its strong emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning and its highly-regarded engineering and agricultural programs. Here are some pros and cons of attending Cal Poly SLO:

Pros:

1. Strong Academics: Cal Poly SLO is known for its strong academic programs, particularly in the areas of engineering, agriculture, and architecture. The university’s “learn by doing” philosophy emphasizes hands-on, experiential learning, which can be highly beneficial for students preparing for careers in these fields.
2. Location: Cal Poly SLO is located in San Luis Obispo, a picturesque college town located on California’s Central Coast. The area offers a range of recreational and outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and surfing, as well as access to nearby beaches and wine country.
3. Student Life: Cal Poly SLO has a vibrant student life, with a range of clubs and organizations, as well as a strong athletic program. The university also has a reputation for being a friendly and welcoming community.
4. Value: As a public university, Cal Poly SLO is relatively affordable compared to many private institutions, particularly given its strong academic programs and experiential learning opportunities.

Cons:

1. Limited Diversity: Cal Poly SLO has been criticized for its lack of diversity, particularly in terms of its racial and ethnic makeup. This may be a concern for students who value a diverse and inclusive campus environment.
2. Competitive Admissions: Cal Poly SLO is a highly selective university, with a low acceptance rate and rigorous admissions standards. This can make it difficult for some students to gain admission.
3. Limited Graduate Programs: Cal Poly SLO offers a limited number of graduate programs compared to other universities, which may be a disadvantage for students who are interested in pursuing advanced degrees.
4. Heavy Workload: Cal Poly SLO’s “learn by doing” philosophy means that students may have a heavy workload, with a significant amount of time spent on hands-on projects and experiential learning activities.

Overall, Cal Poly SLO is a well-regarded institution with strong academic programs and a unique approach to hands-on, experiential learning. However, it may not be the right fit for everyone, particularly given its competitive admissions process and limited graduate programs. Students should carefully consider these pros and cons when deciding whether to attend Cal Poly SLO.

[aquapt]

@CC_Sorin

Limited Graduate Programs: Cal Poly SLO offers a limited number of graduate programs compared to other universities, which may be a disadvantage for students who are interested in pursuing advanced degrees.

This is not necessarily a disadvantage for undergraduates! Students are taught by professors, not by grad students, and the school’s focus is on its undergraduate programs, which is at least as much of a “pro” as a “con” unless the student is extremely “pointy” in one discipline and wants to do extensive graduate coursework while still an undergrad. Otherwise, those who want to pursue advanced degrees can do so elsewhere, which is normal even for undergrads at research universities with extensive grad programs.

My sense after viewing a few of these threads is that an open-ended presentation about a single school is not ChatGPT’s strength - most of what it comes up with is very superficial and readily available elsewhere. I think it would be more interesting to ask for head-to-head comparisons of somewhat-similar schools, so that it’s forced to focus on the distinctions and not on the basic attributes everyone already knows about.

[1NJParent]

I, too, initially thought ChatGPT’s responses to this type of questions on a single college was too generic, so I tried it myself this morning.

When I asked ChatGPT about CalPoly’s strengths and weaknesses, I got the following slightly different (and expanded) initial response from it:

Strengths:

1. Strong Academic Programs: CalPoly is well known for its strong academic programs in engineering, architecture, agriculture, and business. The university offers more than 70 majors and has consistently ranked among the top public universities in the country.
2. Hands-on Learning: CalPoly emphasizes hands-on learning and offers many opportunities for students to engage in practical, real-world experiences. The university’s “Learn by Doing” philosophy ensures that students have access to the latest technology and equipment, and that they get plenty of practical experience in their chosen field.
3. Location: The university is located in San Luis Obispo, a small but vibrant city with a mild climate and easy access to the beach, mountains, and other outdoor activities.
4. Research Opportunities: CalPoly is a major research university and provides many opportunities for students to participate in research projects in a wide range of fields.
5. Diversity: CalPoly is committed to promoting diversity and inclusivity on campus, and has implemented several programs and initiatives to support underrepresented groups.

Weaknesses:

1. Limited Diversity: While CalPoly is making strides to increase diversity on campus, the student body remains predominantly white and male. This lack of diversity can impact the campus culture and the experiences of minority students.
2. Limited Graduate Programs: CalPoly primarily offers undergraduate programs and has a limited number of graduate programs compared to other universities.
3. Housing: Housing can be difficult to secure, particularly for first-year students. Many students end up living off-campus, which can be more expensive and may impact their overall college experience.
4. Party Culture: CalPoly has a reputation for a heavy party culture, which can be a turnoff for students who are looking for a more focused academic environment.
5. Limited Course Offerings: Because CalPoly is a smaller university, there may be fewer course offerings in certain areas compared to larger universities. This can limit the academic options available to students.

I then asked in which areas it found CalPoly’s course offerings limited. Surprisingly, it identified some subfields of engineering, among other things:

While CalPoly is known for its strong engineering programs, students interested in very specialized or niche subfields of engineering may find that there are fewer course options available compared to larger universities with more resources. Some examples of subfields of engineering where course offerings may be limited at CalPoly include:

1. Biomedical Engineering: CalPoly does not currently offer a specific major or concentration in biomedical engineering, so students interested in this field may need to look at other universities or consider a related major like mechanical or electrical engineering.
2. Aerospace Engineering: While CalPoly does offer a major in aerospace engineering, students interested in more specialized areas like astronautics or space systems engineering may find that course offerings are limited compared to universities with dedicated aerospace programs.
3. Environmental Engineering: CalPoly offers a major in environmental engineering, but students interested in more specific areas like water resources or sustainable design may find that course offerings are limited.

It’s important to note that CalPoly’s engineering programs are highly regarded and offer many opportunities for hands-on learning and practical experience. While there may be some areas where course offerings are limited, students should research the available options and determine if CalPoly’s engineering programs are a good fit for their academic goals and interests.

I don’t have any special knowledge about CalPoly, so I have no idea whether ChatGPT is right or not. @eyemgh, can you comment?

In any event, I think we’ll have to ask more specific and follow-up questions to get more value out of ChatGPT.

[eyemgh]

I think this run through got a few things right, but some big things wrong.

First and foremost, Cal Poly is not a major research university. They don’t offer doctoral degrees. There is research going on, but it tends to be practical in nature rather than looking for foundational new knowledge.

Where it really got it wrong though was course breadth/depth. Not only do they offer BME, AE, and Environmental, but the course offerings are deep, especially in AE and BME. As you know, engineering shares some classes across majors, statics, circuits, materials, etc. as examples. Cal Poly has 40+, 50+ and 80+ course offerings specifically designated environmental, BME and AE respectively. AE has both aeronautics and astronautics concentrations. BME, bioinstrumentation and mechanical design.

I think the broad strokes are accurate, but there were some significant misses.

Did you run any others? Were they accurate?

[1NJParent]

No, I haven’t. But I’ll try to run a few others later.

[tamagotchi]

Would you say that Cal Poly has a “heavy party culture” like ChatGPT said? That is not the impression we got, but could be wrong…

[eyemgh]

I went to a SEC school, so compared to that, no. They do have a big St. Patrick’s shindig, but lots of schools do. I never got the impression that it was a party school any more than most others.