Thanks @lkg4answers, looks like he only listed 8 semesters of Math starting with Geometry and ending with Calculus. He didn’t note Algebra 1 in 8th grade. Yikes.
@itanitarek what was your major and stats?
My son did the same momzof3. Did not note 8th grade algebra. He took 4 years of math in high school and is in AP calculus now. Dreadful. Seems to me that this is a recurring problem that admissions knows about yet the application has not changed. I’d say it’s the standard for kids these days to take 8th grade Algebra, but the application for cal poly is not user friendly to the college applicant. PUT IT AT THE TOP in chronological order!!! I feel bad because I did not go over the application as many parents did…my hats of to you for catching this poorly organized application. We probably lost 500 points because of this problem. I’d call admissions…not sure if it helps but that’s what we did. I think they know about this…sad that it’s not changed!
Look at the tutorial…NO Verbal mention of 7/8th grade Algebra and it’s placement on the application.
Admissions attitude was that if it wasn’t put on the application they won’t consider it now. So sad, to miss out on a great school because of not listing junior high math classes…
Yes, it’s really unfortunate, and it skews the pool of successful applicants toward the ones with the most aggressive adult oversight. I’m one of those adults providing oversight, and sure, I do it because I want my kid to succeed - but not at the expense of other kids who did all the right things and just got tripped up by a clerical booby-trap.
I did my daughter’s app and honestly I’m wishing I’d done her friend’s app as well.
I don’t understand. If a student finish ap calculus and ap statistics by senior year, isn’t it obvious that they had to have taken algebra and geometry in middle school? If an applicant is denied acceptance based on not entering math classes taken in middle school is ridiculous.
One would think it’s obvious, if you start 9th grade in trigonometry clearly you took algebra and geometry… and yet, they don’t care and won’t consider it.
Seems like a booby trap for lots of applicants. It’s insane…Poor application and a tough learning lesson.
It doesn’t appear to be a useful learning lesson. The problem is the application needs to be fixed. So glad my D was able to navigate this potential minefield with help of her counselor. I had no input other than to see that what she ended up entering looked like a hot mess.
College applicants are not thinking of 7/8 grade math on a college application…Should have been more obvious like the uc application…
I just hope the navigation for Cal poly may be easier than the application…parents won’t be there when they attend college looking over everything!
It appears that admissions took the day off In absence of any posts. Has anyone contacted them to see if the “scripted story” remains that admissions will continue to 4/1?
That is really upsetting! If Cal Poly knows that people make this simple mistake year after year and they do nothing to correct the application so that the directions are clear, then it is their fault. I just hope that the kids this happened to receive some acceptances very soon that make them not care about looking back on this.
6 semesters of math gives 0 point
8 semesters gives 250
10 semesters,gives 500
Sounds like your kid is in same boat as mine, listed only 8, should have listed 10
PS this also affects kids,who took 8 semesters of foreign language and first 2 were in middle school. My kid did that one right.
The request for junior high grades was on the general CSU application not just Cal Poly SLO (see tutorial here: http://www.csumentor.edu/AdmissionApp/). While it is not verbally stated in the tutorial, it is clearly written in both the math and LOTE sections of the application. Here is a pdf of the application http://www.calstate.edu/sas/documents/applicationform-undergraduate.pdf
For those that entered junior high grades, they are listed on all of your CSU applications.
I know people probably didn’t read all of the small print but it is also listed on page 12 here: http://www.calstate.edu/sas/documents/freshmaninstructions.pdf and https://secure.californiacolleges.edu/applications/csu/CSU_UG_2015/introduction.asp?application_id=19
Maybe it’s not the fact that they have the knowledge of Algebra, but they will take the time and attention to detail to fill out the application is it says to! 
It’s a poor application. If I log on to my son’s submitted uc application. Theres a automatic feedback that shows any missing A-G requirements. CSU has nothing like that. The placement of the 7-8 grades are at the very bottom of the application and are obviously easily missed by many. A student entering college should be able to navigate this easily, not college counselors and parents. And not to mention 7/8th grades in the tutoria!!!l…Cal Poly needs their own tutorial and GPA system separate from the CSU application.