For California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, I had the pleasure to interview Jonah, who was so kind enough to provide very insightful and amazing responses for students interested in applying! I highly recommend you check out the responses below! Thank you so much Jonah! - Dayanna
What is your major and why did you choose this major?
"My major is biomedical engineering. Growing up, I was always someone who enjoyed designing, building, and tinkering with different things, so I always knew I wanted to be an engineer. Up through my junior year of high school, I was pretty sure that I wanted to do mechanical engineering. The summer between my junior and senior year, however, I landed an internship in a biochemistry lab at the U of U and found a passion for biological sciences. So I applied to Cal Poly’s biomedical engineering department, and, for me, it was an excellent choice in allowing me to couple my creative engineering mindset with my newfound passion for healthcare and helping those in need."
How big are your classes?
"Cal Poly is great in that it’s a pretty large school (about 20,000 total undergraduate students), but the student to professor ratio is very good. Most universities allow you to choose your major at the end of your second year after prerequisites and general ed courses, but cal poly has you start with your major classes on day 1. So, you really get to know the students in your major very (there were 74 students in my major my year). My average class size was between 25-40 students for my major lectures and 12-20 students for lab classes. For general Ed lecture classes, most run in the range of 50-75 students. Almost every class, your professor will know you by name and make themselves very available to help."
What makes this school so special to you? Was it your first choice and your dream school?
"The thing that really sets cal poly apart for me is their “learn by doing” mantra. Every class will have some sort of lab portion attached to it, so you can get a practical experience for what you’re being taught in the lecture, and 3 hours per week for lab. Another very nice thing is that there are no PhD students at cal poly. This may sound like a weird thing to be proud of, but it allows undergrad students to have leadership roles in organizations, conduct meaningful research, and develop a portfolio of projects that undergrads at other schools would most likely not be able to participate in because they would be going to grad students. Cal Poly was one of my top choices, I am very glad that I decided to attend especially after learning about all of the various opportunities available to undergrads. If you are someone who is a hands-on learner, I would highly recommend looking into CP."
Were you awarded financial aid? If yes, how would you rate the financial aid package given? Was it able to remove some financial pressure?
"Yes. I would recommend being proactive before and during your college experience by pursuing various grants, scholarships, or loans that might apply to you and your various traits and circumstances. Many of these funds apply to unique student situations and can be a huge help if you find ones applicable to you. I found a couple grants and scholarships that fit for me, and I also received some federal students loans. For federal loans, there are subsidized and unsubsidized student loans that you can apply for. Subsidized means that the interest is delayed until after you graduate college (and graduate/professional school if you decide to pursue a postgraduate education), so you don’t have to start paying them until you’re completely finished with your education. Unsubsidized means that interest begins occurring as soon as the loan is accepted. Both can be very helpful in getting you through college, but make sure you understand the loan types and what you're getting yourself into before you accept. "
How would you describe the workload? Do students study at home during the weekends or go out and relax with their friends?
"The workload definitely varies term to term. Sophomore year was probably the hardest as you’re building all the foundations for your upper division major classes. However, at no point did I ever feel completely overwhelmed with my workload. The curriculum is rigorous but there are resources, workshops, study sessions, etc. That are all available to help you succeed. I also highly recommend not being hesitant to go to professors’ office hours. They’re always more than willing to help and their goal is to see you understand the course material and succeed. San Luis Obispo is an amazing little coastal town about 3 hours south of San Francisco and 3 hours north of LA, so you can easily make weekend trips in either direction. The beach is 15 minutes away and I spent a lot of time hanging out there on the weekends or going on hikes on the many hiking trails in the area. The school wants its students to have a solid work-life balance and allow them to develop a great education while being able to explore the area and their hobbies and make friends during their time in college."