Academics +

Cal Poly is home to 6 different colleges: College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Mathematics, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, College of Engineering, and Orfalea College of Business. Here is a complete list of undergraduate majors.

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Now for my version. I know academics are important, but let's be real. When I visited Cal Poly, everyone made sure that one thing was clear: you learn by doing. It's engineering and agriculture programs are it's most popular or well known departments. On the preview day for my major, we started doing all kinds of random activities to see what you would really be learning. We went through the labs and classrooms, and learned that for each theory type class you have, there is a lab you must take as well. The engineers partake in a lot of events that create real world experience. For example, in one class they have a few days to build a house. Throughout the course, they have to plan out everything they need, who will do what, and create a time frame to ensure the construction of the house happens smoothly and efficiently. In another class, the students go in to a local business and try to find ways to help it to run in a more efficient way. They can propose a change in layout, product, or anything to benefit the overall success of the store.

The amount of clubs at Cal Poly is out of this world. Engineering wise, each major has a club. There is also the Society of Women Engineers. Engineers Without Borders is a club that sends engineers to countries to help out those in need. For example, they might put bathrooms in a village or install a well so that people have access to clean water. There are religious clubs, outdoor clubs, basically clubs for any interest you could ever have. Everyone I have talked to highly encouraged joining at least 2 or 3 clubs. That is enough to keep you busy, keep you involved, and allow you to meet a ton of new people. There are also a whole bunch of options if you are interested in Greek life. The thing I was most impressed about at Cal Poly were it's students. The people I talked to were so involved, so interested in what was going on, and so interested in helping. All of them participated in internships (which is highly recommended and probably the best way to get experience in the field), and beyond that, most people I talked to already had jobs waiting for them when they graduated. Also, if you maintain a good GPA for the first few years of school, you may be eligible to enter in to the 4+1 program, where in your fifth year at school you work towards your masters degree, and the curriculum is aligned in a way so that you finish it right after you receive your undergrad and the courses flow seamlessly.

The school also has major connections in the engineering field. Your professors will know priceless information on companies and who you need to talk to. Some companies will hire simply because you go to Cal Poly, and they are confident that students who attend Cal Poly will have a bright future in their business. Another thing- because there is so much hands on learning, often times you may not have to go through the whole training process of a company because you already know what is going on, and you can get straight in to working faster.