<p>My peers and I here at Cal Poly Pomona at the Chemical Engineering department were discussing the other day the tremendous success Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has had over the last three decades at establishing itself as a tremendously prestigious, albeit elitist, university within the CSU system. I’m puzzled when I read the words of several young men and women on this forum, and some of their overprotective parents, who are completely devastated over the news that their children will not be able to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. One of them going as far as saying “oh well… private university here we come!”. I mean, really? It’s either Cal Poly San Luis Obispo or $30,000 in annual tuition? Do they have a particle accelerator or a PULSTAR nuclear reactor that I’m not aware of? Will they be lectured by a Nobel laureate or a Fields medalist? Will they conduct ground breaking research or be given a federal grant to do so? The amount of federal and state research funding is pretty similar to other CSU campuses (except SDSU which is classified as a full-fledged research university). Their endowment is the highest among CSUs, but it’s mainly the result of the recent centennial capital campaign and, at about $125 million, it’s not nearly as high as one would imagine (e.g. UC Davis $815 million, Fresno State $90 million, etc). Don’t get me wrong, I have a few very good pals at Cal Poly SLO and I like the small town atmosphere and the smell of manure (I’m not kidding I from the Central Valley!). I just would like honest replies… how can other CSUs make themselves more marketable and hence more appealing to people like you, who only seem to have eyes for one of the 23 Cal States?</p>
<p>When they only accept applicants that have 3.75 GPA + 1250 SAT(CR+M) :)</p>
<p>@Watermark</p>
<p>Easy, cut enrollment by half at any Cal State and you will see that happening! Would that make you merely apply elsewhere?</p>
<p>It’s not easy. I just check CP Ponoma’s common data set. Only 17% admitted has 3.75 GPA. The number of other campus could be lower.</p>
<p>EDIT - just check CP SLO, 57% has 3.75 GPA.<br>
My point is student body makes difference</p>
<p>By that logic Linus Pauling would have never attended Oregon State! lol</p>
<p>I understand SLO has a reputation for being “residential”, but I think it’s the “elite” thing for my son</p>
<p>Go CPP! haha.</p>
<p>That’s a very valid point Shinkrap. I think our society just places so much value to things that are merely a matter of perception. I agree that Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a wonderful college with a fair share of smart students, yet I fail to see how that alone would make some of those who get rejected not even attempt apply for admissions to another CSU. Maybe the horrible effects of the budget cuts will finally make other CSUs more “elite” and thus more appealing for students like your son to apply elsewhere. I think it’s just a pity it has to come down to that. CHEERS!</p>
<p>Cal Poly is WAY out of his league! He’ll be applying to Sonoma State, which also has a reputation for being “residential”, and great soccer…He doesn’t have an “elite” profile, and it’s quite possible CC isn’t showing the whole picture. While about 5 of his friends (and teamates) got into SLO over the last two or three years, the majority of his school goes to community college and only three kids in his sisters class left the state.</p>
<p>My thoughts:</p>
<p>Cal Poly SLO is seen as a UC education at a CSU price.
“Learn by doing” fits most “doers” rather than “thinkers.”
Voted top public Western school for 15 years in a row? That’s one hell of a draw.</p>
<p>There’s more but I’m brainfarting.</p>
<p>My son was accepted tp CPSLO and for him it is the great reputation, the location and the people that makes Cal Poly so appealing. I think that some people don’t consider Pomona or some of the other campuses because of the location. It is too far for our family to have our son go. Nothing personal about the school. if he had not gotten into SLO, he would go to a UC that accepts him or SJSU for engineering. Pomona is a great school from what I hear, just not in a location that our son wants to go to. The students who were not accepted to Cal Poly are just upset and that is understandable for some who felt they should have gotten in or were really hoping for CPSLO. It does have a great reputation. I agree with you that a private school is not the logical place to go just because a student doesn’t get into SLO. There are many excellent state schools and UCs. It sounds like you really like Pomona and I am sure it is an excellent choice for many students.</p>
<p>SLO is just a fantastic school in all aspects. It has amazing professors, great lab equipment, and is in a beautiful location. I could have transferred to UCLA, or even Berkeley maybe for EE. I’m glad I didn’t. Being surrounded by beautiful green hills as I walk between classes really makes me feel at ease and takes some of the edge off of typical college stress. I can’t imagine going to UCLA and being surrounded by concrete and pollution. </p>
<p>The best thing I can say to sum it up is that going to Cal Poly is like being on vacation every day while still getting a high quality education. It really makes a big difference, even if it’s not quantifiable.</p>
<p>My daughter (and the rest of us) were POSITIVE that she was going to be accepted to SLO, but from what we can make out on SLO’s website it appears that she was not accepted. She applied for Civil Engineering, she would be a transfer student (from a junior college), she has a 4.0 GPA (no kidding), and she took all the pre-req classes that they required…some VERY hard ones! She literally got straight A’s in ever class. We are beside ourselves. She “felt” like she was at the right place when we went to visit, and I (her mom) really felt it too. We’ve been buying clothes that would look good in the SLO environment and everything. She is devastated and so are her dad and I. Any insight from anyone on maybe why this happened or what the heck she is supposed to do now? She also applied to SDSU, but now I’m kinda freakin’ out that that may not work out either! :(</p>
<p>@naturelover8, i’m so sorry for you guys. i hope she will get in SDSU. you could write a letter to Cal Poly? i mean, really 4.0 is really rare. good luck! hope everything is going to be fine!</p>
<p>@naturelover8</p>
<p>What she does now is the same that she tried to do before… be the best Civil Engineer she could be! Why does it have to be Cal Poly San Luis Obispo or limbo? I’m sure you feel her pain because you her mother, but let me tell you that you and your husband should not look all bummed out (or at least in front of her)… that will make her feel like a failure even more. I mean come on! What kind of message does that send her? That she has failed miserably even before she tried becoming an engineer. Let me tell you into a secret, once she gets a job as a civil engineer, her employer will never remember where the heck she came from. That’s a fact! In the industry they cut to the chase. She’ll have the same salary as someone from the other 12 CSUs who offer the major. She’ll make the same salary as someone from Stanford or Berkeley. Don’t be upset, rather be happy that she’s already beating the odds as a female engineer!</p>
<p>@naturelover8
In Oct. 2009, in an interview with the CPSLO Provost I read the following and realized that the transfer policy was drastically changing (Note: I thought Cuesta might be an option for my son). Hear is the revealing question for the interview…
[Q&A</a> with provost Koob | Mustang Daily - News for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo](<a href=“http://mustangdaily.net/qa-with-provost-koob/]Q&A”>http://mustangdaily.net/qa-with-provost-koob/)
Q. Is Cal Poly still accepting transfer students?
A. Yes, but only those students that will be ready to be juniors and can graduate in two years. The hope is also to make the process much easier.
What this means: There will be no underclassmen transfers and it will much harder to transfer in to programs that require an elaborate sequence like engineering and architecture.</p>
<p>It does lead you to believe that this change would be happening in the future; I thought for 2011 applications. Throughout the forums here, I’m seeing many transfer applicants on the ropes, just like your daughter. I truly feel like their all caught in some game change that they couldn’t possibly control - I really feel for her 
</p>
<p>One thing that may be possible (and I have no basis for it other than thinking that it’s worth a shot), is to see if she could appeal by saying she’d be willing to pick up classes during the summer program - changes for which they just announced i.e. it’s not state funded, which may be a deal breaker for you. Info is detailed…
[Summer</a> 2010 Home - Continuing Education and University Outreach - Cal Poly](<a href=“http://www.summer.calpoly.edu/]Summer”>http://www.summer.calpoly.edu/) I looked it over last wee for my son, a CE major. Here are the classes available through summer session that she would need to take. Have her figure out which ones she actually needs and then I’d call the Summer Program Admissions counselor - they’re highly impacted classes that would have probably delayed her graduation anyway.<br>
MATH 141, MATH 142, MATH 143, MATH 241, MATH 244
PHYS 141, PHYS 132, PHYS 133
ENGL 149
ME 211, ME 212, ME 341, ME 302
STAT 312
CE 204, CE 207
They state that more will be added.</p>
<p>Thanks CalPolyEngineer and naixn92 for your responses. When she told us that it appears she was not accepted, we reacted more shocked than bummed…(actually, my husband was “****ed”) because we saw her for 3 semesters (now 4) literally working her butt off!!! She studied and did homework for hours upon hours a day!!! My husband wants me to call Admissions today, but I think that will be futile & probably make them more mad than helpful? Anyway, I agree that it doesn’t matter what college you graduate from in the end, but what if SDSU doesn’t accept her? She only applied to the two (assuming that w/ her grades she’d get into one of them). It’s too late to apply to another one, right? Or, do some colleges accept people later on? I’m her Mom…it’s my JOB to worry! Thanks everyone.</p>
<p>naturelover8: the budget crunch has finally hit the CSUs full force and it will probably get worse before it gets better. There are too many qualified kids chasing too few spots. That’s all it is and it isn’t personal to your daughter. The state doesn’t have the funds.</p>
<p>The options will be</p>
<p>1) go to SDSU if they accept her
2) take a gap year, reapply to a bunch of CA schools and hope it is better next year
3) apply to privates still accepting applications (Stanford, maybe SCU)
4) take a gap year, when reapplying be sure to hit a bunch of OOS publics and privates</p>
<p>It is a bit of a shock when top students can’t transfer to top choices of schools. The idea of matches and safeties has shifted because of the budget cuts and has caught many students (and their parents) by surprise. Many many many students.</p>
<p>Time for Plan B in case Plan A doesn’t work.</p>
<p>SDSU decisions for first-time freshman started coming out last night. So, maybe the wait for transfers won’t be too long.</p>
<p>Private schools located in CA offering a CE major are SCU, LMU, and USC. I don’t know if their deadline has been reached. CSULB has a note on their Eng page that they are accepting transfers with just 12 units - don’t know when that message got posted. Chico’s eng program ranks as well as SDSUs and may still be taking applications. Another option is the guaranteed admission to UC Davis - excellent CE program.</p>
<p>U of A has a great CE program, apps are due something like Apr 1? It’s expensive and I honestly don’t know how that affects you CE credential. You may have to re-take the test for CA.</p>
<p>I’d definitely get on the phone soon rather than later. I’m sure many will be in your daughter’s situation this year.</p>
<p>otc2010: I wish we would’ve known before she applied that Engineering for a transfer student is harder to get into…she may have applied for a different major? Oh well, what’s done is done.</p>
<p>We’re going to look into the summer classes thing, but she has completed all the math that you listed (plus more) and the Physics. However, the ME, STAT, & CE classes weren’t offered at the junior college that she’s attending, so those she doesn’t have yet.</p>
<p>annikasorrensen: thank you for your input…i’ll have to look up if there are any private schools still accepting (and where they are), unfortunately we put all of our eggs in two baskets (and one is gone now) - i’ll have to look up what “OOS” schools are</p>
<p>otc2010: thanks for listing the private schools that have CE majors…that helps my research a LOT! i’ll look into UofA also, but I don’t want her to go too far away 
</p>
<p>any additional information would be great…thanks very much!</p>