<p>My son has been accepted to all 3 - Biological Sciences</p>
<p>Which is the best school and why?</p>
<p>All 3 are good and will provide your son with a solid and marketable education. They are very different environments though so, I’d ask him where he feels he’d be most successful. His answer would weigh heavily in my mind. I think a road trip is in order.</p>
<p>His interests and post college plans could tip the scales to any of them. </p>
<p>UCSC has a unique bohemian vibe and culture, it is a mid sized school on a hill surrounded by forest. The weather is sketchy and the ocean is COLD. The school mascot is a Banana Slug for a reason. It is a cool scene if you like it and kinda weird if you don’t It is probaly $5k/yr more than the others.</p>
<p>SDSU is a big school surrounded by the suburban sprawl that has become San Diego. The weather is pretty awesome most of the time and, despite its selectivity, it’s got a party school vibe. Surfing is a popular elective for a reason. If he’d feel comfortable at UCSC, he’d hate it at SDSU and visa versa. </p>
<p>CP Pomona has a 4 year graduation ‘guarantee’ that’s appealing. It is in between the others in size and has a commuter school vibe - not that you can’t live on/near campus but most people don’t. There’s no place on campus where you can see the ocean and with LA traffic, you won’t get there often. </p>
<p>They really are great choices to have.
Congrats and good luck.</p>
<p>Cal Poly Pomona I wouldn’t say has a “commuter vibe”. I mean, as soon as you walk away from the parking lot you completely forget about the fact that people drive to school. I’ve been technically “commuting” my entire college career since I had to drive 45 minutes to the nearest community college every day for three years. You’ll get reminded of LA traffic is like if you leave after 3 PM and go on the I-10E, though.</p>
<p>The four year pledge is an appealing thing to do and I’d definitely suggest doing it if you’re confident in your abilities. It’s a pretty big school space wise, but it’s actually not all that huge when you run around campus. Most of it is farmland. It makes for some interesting runs if you take jogging classes. You may not be able to see the ocean, but I haven’t had any trouble getting down to LA or going to the beach at Long Beach on the weekends. There’s plenty to do if you have a car. I went mountain climbing just this past weekend. </p>
<p>If you get involved with the Greek culture here, I’m sure you’ll find a good time. I don’t remember ever being actively bored on campus. The quarter system keeps you on your toes. I really can’t speak for biology, but it is a really impacted program here, so I’m sure you get a great education. They have the BioTrek here too. There’s plenty of clubs to join.</p>
<p>Most of the reputation from this school is derived from the College of Engineering and College of Science programs and I think it’d be a great choice to come here. As a math major, I know at least in my department they’re actively trying to make students conduct more undergraduate research, push students to go do talks about research/attend conferences, and go to graduate school. I’m a graduating senior and in my last year it’s been a somewhat intense experience. They want to see you do the work, but they’re not going to go easy on you either (at least in my department). I’m pretty sure it’s expected of biology majors to do research here.</p>
<p>I’d say the food selection can get pretty routine really quick, but there’s so many places to go if you have a car that you’ll be fine. The surrounding area around Cal Poly Pomona is nice, but I wouldn’t venture without a car into the downtown area. Claremont nearby is really nice too. </p>
<p>They have career fairs twice a year, but they hold information sessions for companies year round. Lots of people try and do get internships through those events. I’ve done one and almost all of my friends are doing one right now. </p>
<p>If your son likes sports, I would say that’s something we lack somewhat. We have decent athletics, but the lack of a football team puts a damper on school spirit. You’ll see plenty of people walking around with Cal Poly Pomona gear, though. </p>