College & University / Am I on Track for CSU or UC Admissions

Am I on Track for CSU or UC Admissions

Graduation and College Admissions Requirements

Am I on Track for a UC or CSU?

To determine whether you're on track for a CSU or UC school check the table below and have the following two items in hand: 1) Your transcript 2) UCOP A-G course list, which you can download just below this table.

See #30. Add the comparison chart PDF (https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/csu-uc-a-g-comparison-matrix.pdf)

Testing Requirements (https://www.calstate.edu/apply/freshman/getting_into_the_csu/Pages/testing-requirements.aspx)

File:

38 csu-uc-a-g-comparison-matrix 2021

California State University

CSU System

(For more information on the CSU's click here: www.calstate.edu/apply)

The CSU system consists of 23 campuses across the state of California. Students can earn Bachelor's degrees and Master's degrees in different majors and fields. For the students graduating from the Salinas UHSD our local CSU is CSU Monterey Bay.

To be eligible to apply to a CSU you must have completed the following minimum entrance requirements:

Successful completion of the A-G requirements with a grade of "C" or better
High school GPA (CSU GPA) minimum of a 2.5.

Here is a chart comparing the 23 CSU campuses for CA residents:
Campus	Location	Setting	Fees only	Est. total cost living on campus	Total enrollment
Cal Maritime	Northern California	Large Town	$5,294	$20,812	1,149
Cal Poly Pomona	Southern California	Large Town	$4,812	$18,609	23,717
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo	Central California	Large Town	$6,780	$28,864	20,944
CSU Bakersfield	Southern California	Major City	$5,341	$17,983	9,225
CSU Channel Islands	Southern California	Large Town	$5,085	$22,209	6,700
CSU Chico	Northern California	Small/Medium City	$5,620	$21,642	17,220
CSU Dominguez Hills	Southern California	Large Town	$4,849	$20,197	14,635
CSU East Bay	Northern California	Major City	$5,091	$21,815	15,528
CSU Fresno	Central California	Small/Medium City	$4,878	$20,796	24,136
CSU Fullerton	Southern California	Small/Medium City	$4,866	$20,018	38,948
CSU Long Beach	Southern California	Small/Medium City	$4,810	$20,675	36,809
CSU Los Angeles	Southern California	Major City	$4,847	$19,610	24,488
CSU Monterey Bay	Central California	Large Town	$4,721	$18,591	7,102
CSU Northridge	Southern California	Major City	$5,076	$22,931	40,131
CSU Sacramento	Northern California	Major City	$5,194	$21,772	30,284
CSU San Bernardino	Southern California	Small/Medium City	$5,049	$19,683	20,024
CSU San Marcos	Southern California	Large Town	$5,124	$21,478	12,150
CSU Stanislaus	Central California	Large Town	$5,302	$19,142	9,045
Humboldt State University	Northern California	Small Town	$5,755	$20,995	8,790
San Diego State University	Southern California	Major City	$5,206	$22,306	34,254
San Francisco State University	Northern California	Major City	$5,014	$23,476	30,256
San Jose State University	Central California	Major City	$5,370	$21,586	32,773
Sonoma State University	Northern California	Large Town	$5,580	$21,808	9,350

California State University Entrance Requirements

The following is the MINIMUM required courses for admittance to any of the CSU campuses. In order for you to be highly competitive, you should enroll in one or two extra years in all areas especially if you would like to attend any of the impacted and highly selective campuses.

The CSU requires a minimum 15-unit pattern of courses for admission as a first-time freshman. Each unit is equal to a year of study in a subject area. A grade of C or better is required for each course you use to meet any subject requirement.

Area	Subject	Years
a.	History and Social Science (including 1 year of U.S. history or 1 semester of U.S. history and 1 semester of civics or American government AND 1 year of social science)	2
b.	English (4 years of college preparatory English composition and literature)	4
c.	Math (4 years recommended) of college preparatory math including or integrating topics covered in algebra, geometry, and intermediate algebra.	3
d.	Laboratory Science (2 years of college preparatory science required with laboratory [1 biological and 1 physical]. Integrated science and interdisciplinary courses can meet this requirement.)	2
e.	Language Other Than English (2 years or through the second level of high school instruction in the same language; American Sign Language and classical languages such as Latin and Greek are acceptable – See below about a possible waiver of this requirement).	2
f.	Visual and Performing Arts (1 year or 2 semester courses from the same discipline required including dance, music, theatre, visual arts or interdisciplinary arts.)	1
g.	College Preparatory Elective (additional year chosen from the University of California "a-g" list)	1
Total Required Courses		15

GPA
You must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or better in these courses with no grade lower than a C. Keep in mind that the higher your GPA, the better chance you have of being accepted. A GPA of 2.5 doeas guarantee admission to any of the CSU campuses.

SAT/ACT
Test scores are not required for 2022-2033.

How CSU's Review Applications and Campus Impaction
Many CSU campuses have higher standards for particular majors or for students who live outside the local admission area. In the case for Salinas UHSD students, this would be any school other than CSU Monterey Bay.

Because of the number of students who apply, several campuses have higher standards (supplementary admission criteria) for all applicants. Many CSU campuses utilize local admission guarantee policies for students who graduate from high school or transfer from community colleges that are historically served by a CSU campus in that region. You may review the CSU Local Admission Areas and impaction for each campus here.

Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)
In addition to completing your CSU application, most Salinas UHSD students will be eligible and should apply for the EOP program. The Educational Opportunity Program is designed to improve access and retention of historically low-income and educationally disadvantaged students.

Special Populations

All students must be able to meet the academic, accreditation and technical standards required for admission or participation in their chosen program of study. Students with disabilities, therefore, are not excused from course prerequisites, GPA requirements or degree requirements. However, in some limited circumstances, substitution of course requirements based on a documented disability may be appropriate.

Such substitutions are granted only when it is clear that the student’s disability makes completion of the requirement(s) impossible and when the course in question is not a fundamental element of the curriculum. A course substitution means that the credit hours for the course are met through an alternate course. A course substitution may not alter or reduce the number of credits needed for degree completion or create a fundamental alteration in the program of study.

Students should visit their campus’s admissions website for the process to appeal an admission denial when the student’s disability directly impacts their ability to complete an admission requirement.

CSU Application (DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 30) - www.calstate.edu/apply

This website is a one-stop shop to complete an application to any of the 23 CSU campuses.

Application fee: $70 per campus
Fee Waiver: Application for fee waiver is part of the actual online application. Fee waiver is based on your family's annual income and the number of people in your household. If granted you can apply to up to 4 CSU campuses for free!

Additional Websites

Cal State Apply

Files:

Cal state apply presentation.

19 Introductory tutorial for creating a Cal State Apply application for admission.

CSU Freshman Overview video (Need video)
Cal State Apply Overview. Step By Step process to complete application.

39 CSU Local Admission and Service Areas

Early Assessment Program (EAP)

Learning early about your readiness for college is important. Although students may have passed all high school courses, many are still not yet prepared for college level English and mathematics when they enter a university. The Early Assessment Program (EAP) is a collaborative effort among the State Board of Education (SBE), the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California State University (CSU).

The program was established to provide opportunities for students to measure their readiness for college level English and mathematics in their junior year of high school, and to facilitate opportunities for them to improve their skills during their senior year. This opportunity can also help students avoid taking the placement tests at the CSU and participating community colleges. Incoming students who do not demonstrate readiness for college level mathematics and/or English composition will be required to enroll in Early Start during the summer before coming to the CSU.

For more information on the CSU Monterey Bay EAP please visit their website.

Educational Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS)

An EOP student is one who has the potential to perform satisfactorily in CSU but who has not been able to realize this potential because of economic or educational background. The EOP program provides admission, academic, and financial assistance to eligible undergraduate students at the CSU campus they are enrolled in.

To be eligible for EOP, students must meet certain income criteria to be eligible:

EOP Application Process

Complete the CSU application for admission
Complete the EOP application for each CSU campus.
Have a teacher and/or counselor complete the recommendation form. You will need their first name, last name and email address. Your teacher/counselor will complete the recommendation form online. Make sure you give them a copy of your completed Salinas UHSD brag sheet.
Make sure you supply all supporting documents (official transcripts, test scores, etc) by the deadline.