Hey! I’ve been in love with Cal Poly for years and am serious about applying early decision in the next few months. However, I want to know more about cal poly’s biology department. I want to be a wildlife biologist and conservationist, so would wildlife/biodiversity conservation be the concentration for me? Or would I do better to apply to the forestry major with a concentration in wildlife biology?
Also, will I be competing with all biology major applicants when I apply, or will i only be compared with people who choose the same concentration (there are several: Anatomy and Physiology, Ecology, Marine Biology & Conservation, Molecular & Cellular Biology, Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation).
Finally, do you have suggestions for other California colleges with strong wildlife biology areas? My GPA is 3.9-4.0 and my ACT is 27 (I took it again today and estimate that it’s now up to maybe a 29-30). Thanks!
Would recommend against applying to the forestry major if you really want to be a wildlife biologist. While CP SLO has a great biology department, it is not a college I would think of to study to become a wildlife biologist unless your emphasis is marine biology. That I know of you will be competing with biology major applicants. Humboldt State used to have an excellent and well-respected wildlife biology program and perhaps still does. UC Davis or UC Berkeley perhaps? A little bit of research should help you discover other colleges with a strong emphasis in this area.
I agree with @swimdogmom: SLO is a great university overall but not all their majors are created equal. If you have interest in wildlife biology, I suggest you look at the following programs at UC Davis, Humboldt, University of Wyoming and UC Berkeley.
http://www2.humboldt.edu/wildlife/wildcareers.html
http://www.uwyo.edu/zoology/undergrad_degrees/wfbm.html
http://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu
UC Davis is an excellent option and my older son is a current student in their Environmental Science and Resource Management major. Great professors and many internship opportunities. He choose UCD over SLO for these reasons.