Cal Poly 2027 College Confidential (2024)

FAQs

What is the hardest Cal Poly to get into? ›

In June, Cal Poly received Money magazine's top five-star ranking in its 2024-25 Best Colleges in America list that showcased the top 745 colleges and universities in the U.S. based on graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid, alumni salaries and more.

I understand the anticipation of waiting for college decisions. Cal Poly SLO typically sends out their admissions decisions in waves starting from late February and continuing through March. There is no specific date that all decisions come out on, so you'll need to continually check your portal during that time frame.

Is University of California-Davis (UCD) or California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Harder to get into? Which school is easier to get into? If you're looking at acceptance rate alone, then California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is more difficult to get into.

Because we are an impacted campus, our selection processes uses an objective, comprehensive review process that extends beyond the basic eligibility index utilized by the California State University. This means that many CSU-eligible students are unable to be offered admission.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is known primarily for its strong academic programs, particularly in engineering, architecture, and agriculture. That being said, the social atmosphere does exist, and parties can be found if you're interested in that scene.

While the overall acceptance rate for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is around 30%, out-of-state applicants typically face a slightly more competitive process. This is because Cal State schools, including Cal Poly, prioritize California residents due to being part of the California State University system.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is facing backlash over the hiring of former Cal State Chancellor Joseph Castro for a faculty role. Castro resigned the chancellorship in February in the wake of a scandal over how he handled sexual harassment allegations against a top administrator.

What major is Cal Poly best known for? ›

Undergraduate students can choose from almost 70 majors, with Cal Poly's highly ranked engineering programs as the most popular choice. There are more than 80 state-of-the-art laboratories and 50 clubs dedicated specifically to the Cal Poly College of Engineering.

Cal Poly was among 15 public and private California colleges and universities to receive five-star recognition. Money magazine changed its Best Colleges guide, launched in 2015, from typically numbered rankings to the Yelp-like stars in 2023.

Once again, the major that had the fewest number of spaces available compared to the number of freshman applicants was psychology, with room for just 2% of the applicant pool, according to the university's data. That major has routinely been the most impacted at Cal Poly.

Cal Poly will notify all applicants of admission, rejection or waitlisting by April 1, according to university spokesperson Matt Lazier. The notices will be visible through applicants' Cal Poly portal. Those admitted will have until May 15 to accept or reject their application.

Extracurricular Activities and Work Experience

Cal Poly takes activities such as work experience, internships, volunteer programs and extracurricular activities into consideration. We are also interested in any leadership roles you may have held in these activities.

Although the school does not publish its average GPA, given the school's prestige, we estimate the Claremont McKenna average GPA is 3.9. All of this to say that Claremont McKenna admissions is no breeze. The institution is among the hardest to get into and is a “reach” school for even the strongest applicants.

Some 27 Cal Poly majors are in the single digits when it comes to the ratio of seats available to total applications. At the other end, the program with the best acceptance rate is bioresource and agricultural engineering, which has room for 60 of its 169 freshman applicants, or 36%.

UCLA and UC Berkeley stand out as the most selective UC schools, with acceptance rates of 9% and 11% respectively, and high GPA ranges. These schools are often considered "reach" schools for many applicants due to their rigorous admissions standards, large applicant pools, and prestigious reputations.