Cal Poly Majors Acceptance Rates?

Hey all, I'm extremely interested in Cal Poly, but I've heard different majors can have drastically different acceptance rates. Can anyone provide some insight into this? How competitive are the various engineering and business programs? Cheers!

Absolutely, it's true that acceptance rates do oftentimes differ depending on the major you're applying for, especially at schools like Cal Poly where students apply directly into their chosen major from the get-go.

In general, the engineering and business departments at Cal Poly are quite competitive due to the school's robust reputation in these fields. For instance, the Aerospace Engineering major, one of Cal Poly's most renowned programs, typically lands an acceptance rate in the mid teens, which underscores its selectivity.

Similarly, Computer Science is also highly competitive. On the business side, Business Administration is one of the most popular and competitive programs, often seeing acceptance rates well below the overall university average.

That said, it's important to keep in mind that acceptance rates can fluctuate from year to year based on the applicant pool and the university's specific goals and needs for each incoming class. However, generally speaking, it's more challenging to gain admission to highly specialized and sought-after programs like those within the engineering and business departments.

Just remember to present a well-rounded application highlighting your strong interest and potential in your chosen program, alongside robust academic work and, if possible, extracurricular activities or experiences that align with your intended major. This could help increase your chance of admission to these competitive majors.

Lastly, I'd like to point out that Cal Poly uses a formula to determine each applicant's eligibility index, taking into account the applicant's high school GPA and SAT/ACT scores (if provided). So, while it's bilaterally selective, your academic profile still plays a significant role in your application's evaluation.

I hope this helps! Good luck with your application.