As the title suggests, I’ve been accepted into both Cal Poly SLO and CalTech for computer science. Right now though I’m seriously torn between which one to attend.
On the one hand, SLO’s Learn by Doing methodology and close industry connections will seriously up my odds of finding work right out of college. However, CalTech bears some serious reputation in the STEM world and attending would then make it significantly easier to get into grad school what with research opportunities and all. Both have small class sizes and close faculty-student relationships, though CalTech obviously wins in that regard. CalTech also doesn’t accept any AP credit whereas given my current situation I could be entering SLO with sophomore standing.
If anybody has attended either of these schools (or knows someone who does/did), I would seriously appreciate any feedback over which one I should pick over the other, because name brand is not always everything.
If cost is not an factor and you do not have to borrow money, Caltech without shadow of doubt in my mind. At Caltech, You will be access top scientists of the nation or the world and be recruited by top firms around the world before you have graduated. I won’t go to SLO even it is free if I have a choice, but that is my personal preference.
If it is just to get a job, CalPoly is fine (though you would have no trouble just finding a job after graduating from Caltech in CS either). But Caltech attracts top companies* and sends an insane percentage of its kids to PhD programs because at Caltech, you will be pushed. People have likened the experience to drinking from a firehose.
In Caltech’s case, the brandname is well-deserved because there, you would be like steel forged and sharped in to the sharpest sword. But that experience isn’t for everyone. Do you want to be among the best? But you will be challenged if you do. The alternative is not accept the challenge and deem “all right” good enough.
Caltech is very, very challenging.
You need to be aware that your freshman classes will be conducted together with all of the freshman class, for all the STEM subjects. Most of the homework and tests are presented by graduate assistants who need more practice in learning how to generate practical tests.
The grade deflation is real.
@“aunt bea” But OP has been accepted into Caltech and the school believe he could succeed, so why we have the doubt of his success? Grade deflation is given, but it does not need an all A student to get an excellent job from Caltech.
But if you can cut it – and they wouldn’t have admitted you if they doubted you – you’ll receive a world-class STEM education. It isn’t quite as rounded as MIT, but probably no place is better for a STEM undergraduate. (IMO)
Cal Poly would be no cakewalk either, but Caltech has gained a reputation for rigor to rival the likes of UChicago and MIT. I like @PurpleTitan’s sword analogy.
@PurpleTitan
Oh, I meant overall, not just in STEM. There are not (proportionally) as many STEM majors at UChicago as there are at Caltech or MIT, yet Chicago still has the rep for being very hard, intellectual, and lots of work. Regardless of which is the most rigorous, they’re all very challenging schools.
Does the OP accept the Caltech challenge? That’s the kicker. This decision is mostly about academic fit, IMO.
@jajajalol2, how did you come down to these two as your final choices? They are exactly the opposite. Cal Poly is very hands-on, learning by doing, while Caltech is very theoretical, learning by thinking. I do think Caltech creates more scientists than software engineers. And the cost can not be the same, since Caltech is private and does not give one cent in merit aid. If your goal is to go into the industry after college and Caltech is 2-3 times the cost of Cal Poly, you should look into Cal Poly seriously.
@jajajalol2 I assume you’re from the LA area. If that’s the case, you should go to the Caltech’s upcoming Prefrosh Weekend to see for yourself. Attend some freshman classes that are part of the core curriculum to get a flavor. Or at least take a look at Tom Apostol’s Calculus book and see if you can handle that type of rigor. Calculus BC barely serves as an introduction and almost all students there passed BC exam with a 5, probably in their sophomore year. Caltech gives zero AP credit for a good reason: its courses are at completely different levels.
If your goal is just a software engineer, then Caltech is more than what you need, but if you value the most challenging and rigorous education in STEM, then Caltech is second to none.
I’d visit both. Caltech has Houses where you can live all 4years. It also has the Honors code. Compare the meal plans. What are your ECs? At Caltech, it is easy to get involved. What I’m trying to say is write a list of many criteria that concern you.
@jajajalol2 I agree with others here. Go to Prefrosh Weekend at Caltech and see if it is a good fit. Visit Calpoly also. See where you fit better.
Don’t worry about which school will allow you to land a job after at BS in CS. I don’t know many unemployed programmers these days. Both universities will provide access to plenty of job opportunities.
Think about whether you want to deal with the rigor at Caltech. It’s a challenge no matter who you are. But, it is also a collaborative environment because of the Honor Code and the House System. The CS classes are a mix of hands-on coding and theory. You will learn more CS theory (and more math, physics, chemistry, biology and probably even humanities) at Caltech than at Calpoly.
My son is a freshman at Caltech. You can PM me if you have specific questions.
I missed PolyCultural Weekend and Open House at SLO but did have a chance to visit during Green and Gold Days. I really did enjoy the more laid-back vibe and the less cutthroat atmosphere in regards to the engineering department. They certainly did offer a lot of opportunities to refine my interests with clubs, job fairs, etc. Only real gripe with it was the lack of diversity and how isolated the area is.
And yes, I’ll be attending PreFrosh Weekend at CalTech to see the culture and its offerings for myself before finally committing to a school.
As of right now though, CalTech is a whole 15k more than SLO; my parents have already stated they weren’t willing to take out loans but if I really do find myself attracted to CalTech significantly more than SLO I’ll see what happens from there. Also that Calculus textbook was something else.
Edit: Just wanted to add yes I know SLO is impacted so getting classes I want will be a big deal; the workload is also really substantial too but not CalTech level.
Sounds like you are doing the right thing by touring both locations to see the fit at each. See how attracted you are at CalTech and if you can handle the extra cost. VERY IMPRESSIVE to get in to CalTech!!
To some one got accepted by Caltech, SLO will be a breath through. Life is full of challenges, if I had the chance, I would take the highest challenge and make myself known in the society. Caltech’s name will be with you all your life and you can bank on it. SLO will be an engineering school just above the average for anyone who wants to be an engineer.
Choice is yours and the life ahead of you is yours.
After visiting both campuses, I’ve ultimately decided to attend Caltech. Going to PFW cleared up a lot of misconceptions I had about the school and now I feel much more comfortable choosing to attend there. It will be very hard, but like others here have mentioned, also extremely rewarding. They’ve also just given me another 12k in aid so that’s all the more reason to go. I want to thank everyone for their opinions in this thread and I’m looking forward to being a Techer!