Is this a bad idea?

[MrCodeDude]

I applied to Cal Poly: San Luis Obispo Early Admission for EE w/ a 1310 SAT, 3.7 GPA and a 5 on the Calc AB AP test.

I really don't want to apply to any other colleges, maybe UCSD or UC Davis, but SD's Engineering program isn't the greatest and even if I got into UC Davis, I wouldn't really want to go. So would it be a bad idea to keep my whole idea of Cal Poly or bust? If I don't get in, I go to a Community College then apply again where I won't be as picky as I am now.

 

[onza]

Originally posted by: MrCodeDude
I applied to Cal Poly: San Luis Obispo Early Admission for EE w/ a 1310 SAT, 3.7 GPA and a 5 on the Calc AB AP test.

I really don't want to apply to any other colleges, maybe UCSD or UC Davis, but SD's Engineering program isn't the greatest and even if I got into UC Davis, I wouldn't really want to go. So would it be a bad idea to keep my whole idea of Cal Poly or bust? If I don't get in, I go to a Community College then apply again where I won't be as picky as I am now.

so what are the requirements for the college?

do you meet it? did you apply ontime?

 

[mwtgg]

His numbers appear to be a little bit above average for Cal Poly. But if that's the only place he wants to do, then I guess he'll be severely upset and do poorly if he goes elsewhere.

 

[FoBoT]

sounds like you know what will make you happy, go for it

 

[sniperruff]

why not just apply to multiple colleges. it's not like they charge you $5k for application fee. you'll just make yourself look bad going into a community college

it's like when you can't buy that dell XPS with a P4, you decide to kinda give up and get yourself a P75 with 8mb of RAM.

or it's like when you realize your car dealer ran out of infiniti G35 coupes, you decided to get a daewoo...

you get my point. just apply more, it can't hurt you.

 

[MrCodeDude]

Submitted Scores
SAT Reasoning Verbal: 520 - 620
SAT Reasoning Math: 570 - 660

I got a 570 on Verbal (me fail english? unpossible!) and a 740 on Math. So I surpass the Math portion, fall straight in the middle of the Verbal portion.

I met all class course requirements and applied Early Admission online.

 

[TuxDave]

Why not apply to all of the possible choices and be picky afterwards?

 

[mwtgg]

Originally posted by: sniperruff
why not just apply to multiple colleges. it's not like they charge you $5k for application fee. you'll just make yourself look bad going into a community college

it's like when you can't buy that dell XPS with a P4, you decide to kinda give up and get yourself a P75 with 8mb of RAM.

or it's like when you realize your car dealer ran out of infiniti G35 coupes, you decided to get a daewoo...

you get my point. just apply more, it can't hurt you.

Who said Community Colleges look bad? If you take a year of classes there, you don't get your degree there, so I don't see what the big deal is.

 

[FoBoT]

dude! you're going to Cal Poly!! :thumbsup:

 

[MrX82]

I'm not sure about early decision, but meeting the requirements is not a guarantee of admission. There are many factors that contribute to admission, how competitive the program and or school is, etc

 

[DanFungus]

You'll get in. Cal Poly SLO's a great school, I love it

 

[kalster]

UCSD engg is not great? i thought it was reallly really good, i maybe wrong, I know for Masters its incredible, which engg are you going for anyway

 

[sciencewhiz]

Short answer, you don't have a very good chance of getting in.

Long answer. Because Cal Poly is a cal state school, they are required by law to serve the top 25% of high school students (not exactly sure about the percentage). Becasue they are so popular, they could easily rival UC Berkley and UCLA in admission requirements if they accepted soley on grades and test scores. But they can't do that. So, they have their own scheme. They figure out how many students they will be accepting, and accept the best of those to fill 1/4 of their total number and throw out anyone not qualified. Then, the other 3/4 are selected by a lottery. With your GPA and test scores, you definetly aren't in the top tier of thier applicants, and you will be in the lottery.

 

[MrCodeDude]

Originally posted by: sniperruff
why not just apply to multiple colleges. it's not like they charge you $5k for application fee. you'll just make yourself look bad going into a community college

it's like when you can't buy that dell XPS with a P4, you decide to kinda give up and get yourself a P75 with 8mb of RAM.

or it's like when you realize your car dealer ran out of infiniti G35 coupes, you decided to get a daewoo...

you get my point. just apply more, it can't hurt you.

It's not that I just think that even if I get accepted, I wouldn't go to them because I don't want to go there.

 

[Merlyn3D]

I go to UC Davis, it's a better school than cal poly. Plus, there are so many hot girls up here.

 

[MrCodeDude]

Originally posted by: sciencewhiz
Short answer, you don't have a very good chance of getting in.

Long answer. Because Cal Poly is a cal state school, they are required by law to serve the top 25% of high school students (not exactly sure about the percentage). Becasue they are so popular, they could easily rival UC Berkley and UCLA in admission requirements if they accepted soley on grades and test scores. But they can't do that. So, they have their own scheme. They figure out how many students they will be accepting, and accept the best of those to fill 1/4 of their total number and throw out anyone not qualified. Then, the other 3/4 are selected by a lottery. With your GPA and test scores, you definetly aren't in the top tier of thier applicants, and you will be in the lottery.

Maybe you're right. I know someone who had a 3.8, took all basic classes (I've had at least 2 Honors/AP classes a year since Sophomore year), 1150 on their SAT and they got in (non-early admission) to EE.

Does anyone know if I don't get in early admission and am flat out rejected, it doesn't go through the regular admission process?

 

[mwtgg]

Originally posted by: MrCodeDude

Originally posted by: sniperruff
why not just apply to multiple colleges. it's not like they charge you $5k for application fee. you'll just make yourself look bad going into a community college

it's like when you can't buy that dell XPS with a P4, you decide to kinda give up and get yourself a P75 with 8mb of RAM.

or it's like when you realize your car dealer ran out of infiniti G35 coupes, you decided to get a daewoo...

you get my point. just apply more, it can't hurt you.

It's not that I just think that even if I get accepted, I wouldn't go to them because I don't want to go there.

Yeah, I think his analogies are all wrong. I think it's closer to getting a G35, when what you really wanted was the TL. Then you just won't be satisfied in your decision.

I think you're doing the right thing.

What kind of engineering anyway?

 

[z0mb13]

why dont u try berkeley or ucla?

 

[MrCodeDude]

Originally posted by: mwtgg

Originally posted by: MrCodeDude

Originally posted by: sniperruff
why not just apply to multiple colleges. it's not like they charge you $5k for application fee. you'll just make yourself look bad going into a community college

it's like when you can't buy that dell XPS with a P4, you decide to kinda give up and get yourself a P75 with 8mb of RAM.

or it's like when you realize your car dealer ran out of infiniti G35 coupes, you decided to get a daewoo...

you get my point. just apply more, it can't hurt you.

It's not that I just think that even if I get accepted, I wouldn't go to them because I don't want to go there.

Yeah, I think his analogies are all wrong. I think it's closer to getting a G35, when what you really wanted was the TL. Then you just won't be satisfied in your decision.

I think you're doing the right thing.

What kind of engineering anyway?

Electrical Engineering

 

[Sahakiel]

Originally posted by: Merlyn3D
I go to UC Davis, it's a better school than cal poly. Plus, there are so many hot girls up here.

You must be ECS. There's a reason EUII has a problem with lighting.

 

[MrCodeDude]

Originally posted by: z0mb13
why dont u try berkeley or ucla?

Wouldn't go to Berkeley because I've never liked the school nor the campus. UCLA, probably wouldn't have that great of a chance of getting in.

 

[MrCodeDude]

Originally posted by: Merlyn3D
I go to UC Davis, it's a better school than cal poly. Plus, there are so many hot girls up here.

Davis is in the middle of no-where.

 

[sniperruff]

i was just trying to say why not apply to schools that are more challenging than community's...

you can always transfer out from there. and like i said it's not like applying to multiple colleges is gonna cost you.. might as well keep your options open..

i'd just apply to whatever that interests me (or at least have the classes that i will eventually need), then see where i can go and choose from there

chances are courses at community college's won't be accepted later when you transfer.

 

[PowerEngineer]

Originally posted by: MrCodeDude

Originally posted by: sniperruff
why not just apply to multiple colleges. it's not like they charge you $5k for application fee. you'll just make yourself look bad going into a community college

it's like when you can't buy that dell XPS with a P4, you decide to kinda give up and get yourself a P75 with 8mb of RAM.

or it's like when you realize your car dealer ran out of infiniti G35 coupes, you decided to get a daewoo...

you get my point. just apply more, it can't hurt you.

It's not that I just think that even if I get accepted, I wouldn't go to them because I don't want to go there.

uh...Dude...Maybe it's time you broadened your horizons.

It seems foolish to put all your college "eggs in one basket". No need for a "Cal Poly or Bust (community college)" attitude! Give yourself some options! There are plenty of reasonable engineering schools out there, and you should be able to find several that you'd be willing to go to! :roll:

I hope you do get into Cal Poly, but stop posting for a while and use the time to fill out a few more college applications.

Good luck!

 

[mwtgg]

I just found some list of the best EE schools, and aside from the ones mentioned (or ones I actually saw mentioned), there's:

CalTech
USC
Stanford