We still have a hard copy of the CSU application. There is a section labeled 'Demographic Information: with the following :</p>
<p>1a. Do you consider yourself Hispanic or Latino?
1b - unknown since S answered ‘No’ to 1a</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Please indicate one or more of the following groups in which you consider yourself a member :
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or other pacific islander
White</p></li>
<li><p>Please specify your summary race/ethnicity reporting preference:</p></li>
</ol>
<p>So, the race question is absolutely part of the application. It might state this is optional…but which HS filling it out is going to risk leaving it blank?</p>
<p>@Dietz and Calcan, the demographic info on the CSU Application can not be used in admissions decisions. This is what the CSU Application Instructions say regarding this.</p>
<p>“DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
To conform to guidelines from the Federal government, the California State University must collect from students detailed information about their ethnic and racial backgrounds. This information will not affect any student’s application for admission.”</p>
<p>Thanks for clarifying, ralph4, I should have stated that California public institutes of higher education are prohibited from using ethnic background in their admissions decisions. Of course there are proxies for this that some colleges use (parent’s highest level of education, first generation college student, high school API score, etc) and these are difficult to quantify. But they are not part of Cal Poly’s published admissions criteria.</p>
<p>I have been completely baffled by race criteria since I had to fill out my first “ethnic background” form and I was even more baffled when it came to my son. We are so mixed up racially (and very happily so, thank you very much) that these forms make absolutely no sense. Family reunions are generally a multicultural and multilingual affair that requires international travel.</p>
<p>For our kid, we checked the “mixed race” box for Cal Poly along with 4% of other applicants.</p>
<p>By the way, for those of you that are curious at what we look like, we would fit right in on the streets of Honolulu, but might turn heads in the Midwest or the South.</p>
<p>Accepted into Economics as a junior transfer. I am currently finishing my A.A. in Business Admin. at Allan Hancock College. Current GPA is 3.83, but will be 3.85 after this semester.</p>
<p>Applicant is 17, a very good student, no grade less than A-, heavy load with mostly honors & AP classes, Calc AB & BC. Very good SAT (math 780). Admitted to Mechanical Engineering at SLO, UCI & UCSD, waiting for UCLA & UCB. Hypothetically here, what is the down side of taking the offer at SLO?</p>
<p>@slolearner, No down side at all as far as I can see, unless he doesn’t want to live on the beautiful central California coast for the next chapter of his life. He is fortunate to have the opportunity to study Mechanical Engineering at such a fine and highly respected Engineering school for a budget price (comparatively). I’m sure many highly qualified applicants who were not accepted would love to be in his shoes!</p>
<p>If you are “haunted” by Cal Poly being a CSU, you have some other good options in the UC’s, and if you choose one of those I’m sure you will make some CP waitlisted ME applicant VERY HAPPY!!! According to CollegeBoard stats though, Cal Poly is the most selective of CPSLO, UCSD, and UCI and the best price! </p>
<p>I received a physical letter of acceptance from Cal Poly on March 18th. The letter was dated March 13th. My portal also changed to [Accepted] on March 13th.</p>
<p>@ralph4, both, I will have two ME’s at SLO next fall. We bought a high performance laptop for fall 2012 however as it turns out through the first two quarters that was over kill. The first quarter drawing class is all paper & pencil, and the four sequence Calculus classes don’t even allow a calculator. That may change in the next quarter as drawing class will begin to work with cad software and I understand that something like Matlab/Simulink is used in various engineering classes. [Computing</a> Information and Resources - Current Students - Mechanical Engineering - Cal Poly](<a href=“http://me.calpoly.edu/students/computing]Computing”>http://me.calpoly.edu/students/computing) is the ME Dept. recommendation, [Larry</a> Coolidge - Faculty Members - Faculty - Mechanical Engineering - Cal Poly](<a href=“http://me.calpoly.edu/faculty/lcoolidg]Larry”>http://me.calpoly.edu/faculty/lcoolidg) is the go to contact if you have specific ME computing questions.</p>