Cal Poly/ U Washington/ UCSB

momneeds2no
Fri, 05 Apr 2013 23:09:33 +0000

Is $$ a concern. If you are from CA, Cal Poly might be the cheapest option. Save your $$ for grad school.

Check the four year grad rates for each school–especially if you are planning on spending a extra 2 years in grad school.

Cal poly seems to attract a certain “type of student” (ie white, middle class, california) either rah rah school spirit or high achieving nerdy engineer. Yes I know, a generalization…bad on me, but honest impression.

UCSB has IV, which is kinda gross. But the school does have dorms and alot of kids live NOT in the middle of the party. On the bright side, IV is nice good option to live off campus and still bike to school and live with spitting distance of the ocean.

UW has everything (world class rep, fabulous city, international vibe, et al)…allot of everything…including big tuition bills. Pricey if you’re OOS.

At either of these schools, if you want “hands on experience” seek out summer internships. Build a resume. Study aboard.

Go visit. Take a second look at each. Don’t go to the admitted students sales pitches. Spend as much time on campus as you can. Talk to as many students as you can in different settings. Talk to teachers. Do you know anyone who will let you spend the night with them on campus? Bring a book and hang out in the lib. Eat in cafe. Go to the offices and ask about internships and grad school advising.