History: California Polytechnic State University was first established as California Polytechnic School on March 8, 1901. The school was renamed to California Polytechnic State College in 1947, but wasn’t officially known as California Polytechnic State University until 1972. The driving force that led to the founding of the school was a local journalist named Myron Angel. The school was established with the purpose of furnishing students of both sexes through mental and manual training in the arts and sciences. On October 1, 1903 the first classes were held and the school accumulated an enrollment of 20 students. In the first few years of its opening, the school offered a secondary level course of study that required three years to complete; however, in 1912 the amount of years required was increased to four years. Admissions & Requirements: With an acceptance rate of less than 31.3%, California Polytechnic University - San Luis Obispo is the most selective California State University. Similar to many colleges, Cal Poly SLO requires students to have completed the A-G requirements in high school in order to be considered for acceptance. In addition, applicants must maintain a minimum of a 2.0 grade point average in all A-G classes. In regards to testing, Cal Poly mandates that applicants take either the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT by December and have the official scores sent to them. The writing portion for the ACT is optional but is highly recommended. Cal Poly does not require applicants to take SAT subject tests, but certain programs and majors recommend applicants to take the ones related to that specific major such as computer engineering. The majority of students who get accepted into Cal Poly have at least a B+ average, an SAT score above 1700, and an ACT composite score of 24 or higher. Costs: The cost of attending Cal Poly SLO varies depending on where you live; on campus or off campus, such as apartments. Incoming freshmen can save a lot of money by living off campus while attending Cal Poly SLO; however, they still have to spend about $8,742 on tuition, $1,776 on books and supplies, $1,158 on transportation, $3,936 for room and board, and $1,338 on personal expenses. The total amount expenses while living at home add up to $16,950. Living off-campus can potentially save around $8,000 compared to living on-campus. Students have to spend about $8,742 on tuition, $1,776 on books and supplies, $1,158 on transportation, $11,163 for room and board, and $1,338 on personal expenses. The expenses while living on campus all add up to about $24, 177; compared to UCSB, living on campus is around $10,000 cheaper. Cal Poly SLO is quite far from Oxnard so living at home may not be possible. College Life:
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo has a total undergraduate enrollment of 17,680 with 55% being male and 45% female. Cal Poly offers a number of student services including non-remedial tutoring, women's center, health service, and health insurance. Cal Poly also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lit pathways and sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory. Alcohol is also not permitted for students of legal age at the school. For student athletes, Cal Poly offers many intramural and club sports, not including nearly 20 Cal Poly Mustangs varsity teams, which compete in the NCAA Division I Big West and Great West conferences. Important Facts Some notable facts about Cal Poly are its substantial amount of courses, its admirable engineering courses, and the amount of clubs available to the student body. Graduate students at Cal Poly can pursue any of nearly 30 degrees, including those in the Orfalea College of Business or the School of Education. Undergraduate students can choose from almost 70 majors, with Cal Poly’s highly ranked engineering programs as the most popular choice. There are also more than 80 laboratories and 50 clubs dedicated specifically to the Cal Poly College of Engineering. Students can also get involved with any of the other 300 student organizations, including Rose Float, which allows students to create a float for the New Year’s Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. Some notable alumni include retired pro football coach and NBC sports commentator John Madden and comedic musician and song writer “Weird Al” Yankovic. California Polytechnic State University -San Luis Obispo ranks at #9 in the Regional Universities (West) based on US News.