It was just Open House Weekend at Cal Poly, which means that thousands of potential students flocked here to check out the university and decide if they wanted to spend the next chapter of their life here in San Luis Obispo. Making this decision is one of the most stressful experiences of their life so far, but also the rewarding when it come fall and you find your new home. I wanted to choose a college that I knew I could thrive in. As you start to make your final selection of where to go to college, here are five of the reasons that I felt like the Mustang family was the place for me, and why it could be the place for you, too.

1. The People

When I think of coming home to Cal Poly, I think of how friendly the people here are. After all, San Luis Obispo is known as the happiest place in America, and the attitudes of the people here truly show it. If you want to come to a place that you will feel safe and cared for, Cal Poly is it. This includes the students who you work with on class projects, meet around campus, and the many professors that are looking for you to succeed. The RA’s/CA’s are there to listen if you’re having a problem with your on campus living situation. Everyone here wants you to be happy and be the best that you can be, and they're willing to help out with making this possible.

2. The Academics

The academics at Cal Poly are phenomenal. The average GPA for admittance is growing higher and higher each year, to over 4.0. It doesn't matter what program you're in or what college you're a part of, Cal Poly academics are rigorous and your degree shows the hard work that you go through to earn it. This is why 98 percent of Cal Poly students are employed within nine months after graduation and why businesses are so quick to hire Cal Poly students. The reputation of excellence is widely known and although the grades won’t come easy, the final outcome will be worth it.

3. The Location

San Luis Obispo is heaven on Earth. With an average year round temperature of an ideal 72 degrees, and mild winters which turn the many hike-able hills a magnificent green when it rains, there is no better place to spend your college experience than here. San Luis Obispo’s transit system is great, with buses which can take you from many student living locations in town to campus for class, or to the beautifully quaint downtown for SLO’s legendary events like the weekly Farmers’ Market. We are 15 minutes from the beach, in both directions. We are right in the middle between LA and San Francisco, making it the perfect place for students from both areas to make an easy commute home, but to be far enough away to be able to change and grow as an independent adult.

4. The Opportunity

Whether you want to spend your time at a football game watching our division one team compete, at the beach surfing, a get together with friends, or hiking the various peaks around the city, there is something for everyone. With a spacious and clean Rec center which offers classes in biking, yoga, pilates, and every other activity you could imagine wanting to do, getting fit has never been easier or more fun. Over 300 social and academic clubs on campus offer many ways to meet new people and get involved. The opportunity doesn't end when you graduate, either. Once you’re a Mustang, you’re a Mustang for life and other Mustangs will be looking out for you to network with and create business and personal connections that will last you the rest of your life.

Now that you’ve read my reasons to choose Cal Poly, you can either make an educated and informed decision about where to spend your college experience, or you have been able to reminisce why you chose to live in this spectacular city in the first place. There is no other place I would rather be than in Spanos Stadium watching Cal Poly beat UCSB in a double overtime soccer game, at a beach bonfire watching the sun set over the ocean, or at the top of Bishop’s overlooking the city of SLO. Cal Poly is my home, and is where a little piece of my heart will always be, from the time I stepped onto campus during Open House two years ago.