Open House Questions!

2Leashes
Sat, 24 Mar 2012 18:19:37 +0000

Back in 2010 when my daughter was admitted, she couldn’t be at Open House, so I went! I had read about parking out near the Agriculture area off Highland, so that’s what I did. This was Friday. It was quite a walk into the main part of campus. That evening I parked on the main lot on Grand to attend the Parents Coffeehouse. No problem. The next morning around 11 AM, I checked out of the hotel and drove up and parked in the Grand Ave. lot for Open House. No issues at all! Last year when my daughter was a freshman, I drove down again—this time only on Saturday. Drove right into the Grand Ave. lot around Noon. Easy as pie! I’m going to do the same thing next month when I drive down on Saturday. I’ll have my dog with me this time. Looking forward to seeing her in her sorority booth at Open House. I didn’t find any parking issues both years.

If you’re going to spend the night or two, you need to act on it FAST! I booked the Days Inn a couple months ago because it’s dog-friendly and was only $79 w/AARP discount. Stayed there last month with our dog. It was fine and close to campus. My favorite hotel is Quality Suites (not pet friendly), but they charge an arm and a leg during important events at Cal Poly. And, if you don’t need a suite, no sense in paying extra. We stayed there twice during Move-In because our daughter was with us. For Open House 2010, I waited too late, so stayed at a cheapie motel on Monterey Ave called Villa Motel. It wasn’t bad. Huge room and close to campus. Last year I stayed out on Madonna Rd. at the Best Western which was also nice, but too far away from the action for me. Across the street from a shopping center, though. Pet friendly, but didn’t have my dog.

I felt that I learned a lot on Admitted Students Day. Since my daughter was away at a jazz festival through her h.s. she couldn’t be there, so I went for her. It was nice to be able to visit the dept. she was majoring in, as well as meeting the professors and seeing some hands-on stuff. I really liked the Parents Coffeehouse—a LOT! I was so impressed by the Cal Poly Parents group, as well as the WOW leaders (students). Really made me feel at home. They had a separate event for the admitted students. For me, BOTH Friday and Saturday were enjoyable and equally as important (although certainly not necessary to attend the school.) But, I highly encourage anyone to attend both if they can. Saturday is open to the public and the campus is bustling with activity. I really enjoyed seeing all the students running their various booths, and that includes a variety of food booths, as well. Try to go if you can!

Speaking of housing for families—when you attend SOAR, they will offer Poly Canyon Village apartments for families if they want to stay on campus. We were going to do that, but decided to stay in La Cuesta Inn hotel instead. We wanted a few more amenities and comfortable beds. But, it’s a nice option for students and/or their families if they want to get a feel for staying on campus. I think they offer complimentary bagels from Einstein Bros. bagels in PCV.



balling916 had asked:

"So my family and I are attending the Open House this April to get a better feel for the school before I decide to commit there. I just had some general questions about hotels, transportation, etc.


How should I get there? I’ve heard that CP recommends that you take an alternate method of transportation instead of driving since the city gets really congested. What would you guys recommend? Also, how’s parking? Do we park somewhere in the city? On campus? Leave our car at the hotel?
Speaking of hotels, are there any good hotels near the CP campus? Do most people stay at hotels, or is there some different housing program for the weekend?
Is day 1 necessary, or is the admitted students day (friday) the most important?


All answers appreciated! Also, if there’s any other important things that you feel would be important for me to know, please do tell! Thanks! "