@mitstate I would just like to apologize for the frustrated mothers who are passive aggressively attacking you lol. Congratulations on your acceptance, I’m sure you’ll do great at slo if you decide to go there.
thank you @lkg4answers I remember having these conversations with my D when she was working on applications - 5 private universities and public schools in 3 different states - it was critical to read and re-read all the different sets of instructions… and to ask questions when necessary. These kids have been well trained to “read all instructions before answering questions”. It is tedious, yes, but hardly unfair. I would encourage all arguing that the application is unclear visit each of your links.
@VickiSoCal note that the fact that @mitstate disclosed being “staff dependent” which gives an additional 700 non-academic bonus points. High GPA and test scores, maximum rigor points, the points allowed for work and ECs plus the additional 700 for being staff dependent would indeed bring one close to a 6000 MCA. Congratulations, @mitstate !! And best wishes to all; the wait is tough.
@mitstate Thanks for sharing! no determination here, so either denied or the a glimmer of hope… but good luck in your future.
I heard that my friend’s sister and cousin got acceptances last year a few days before April 1st so don’t lose hope no determination people.
@Mazemom2 I get your point, sometimes the silly mistakes get us students when filling it out though, and the UC app website is better set up for not letting that happen imo
@luckymom22 could you explain staff dependent and why it gets extra points?
So all the posts saying MCA caps at 5000 are wrong? When did that change?
@mitstate , oh, I never thought you were making anything up! I only meant that we didn’t know any details of when you had last checked your portal, and so we didn’t know when the acceptance actually came. I just saw people getting there hopes up because there were more acceptances coming out, and it wasn’t clear if it had actually come out on Monday. I was never dissing you. Congratulations on your admission. Looks like you worked very hard. Best wishes.
Is anyone or their kid declining yet or is everyone waiting on UCs? Mine is hoping to make final decision soon and may not wait for UCs now.
A student can have a CSU GPA over 4.2, but the MCA caps all GPAs 4.2 and above at 4.2. The same with rigor. If you add up all the possible points, a student can get something like 950 (I can’t remember). For the purposes of the MCA though, it caps at 750. So, yes it’s possible to have an MCA over 5000, just as @mitstate did, but algorithm treats all 5000+ as 5000 for the purposes of ranking. A score above 5000 is not possible without non-academic adders.
This case is particularly interesting. Although the poster had impressive credentials, a 3.9 CSU GPA likely wasn’t high enough to have a MCA above the first “read” cutoff for Aerospace. That’s why the acceptance was later. It likely happened after the second “read” that includes the non-academic adders.
@eyemgh I like that they do that. Of course it would be hard if someone with “lesser” stats got in over my kid, but I like it nonetheless. It gives some recognition that grades and tests aren’t the only thing worth looking at, while not overlooking the students with the highest stats.
@eyemgh very astute observation on the second “read” and the acceptance coming later. that makes perfect sense… hopefully some of these other kids will also get some later acceptances in their major with the second “read”!! Good Luck everyone!
There are certainly varying opinions. What I like about this approach though is that unlike the “holistic” black hole, this process is objective. It accepts the highest stats applicants into each major until they fill 2/3 based on the yield they expect. Then they add in a few wild cards to reward veterans, or CP faculty, or to give a boost to those likely to be more at a disadvantage (bad school, parent(s) without HS degrees, etc.), the reshuffle and re-rank to fill the final third.
Oh I see, thanks for letting me know @experiment626 ! Also, I just realized your username was a reference to Lilo & Stitch lol nice
@VickiSoCal see @eyemgh 's discussion on “academic adders” above. Also, posts #138 and one a few down from it discuss the entire MCA algorithm, and it’s other places on College Confidential as well if you search. The explanation on CP’s site is here:https://admissions.calpoly.edu/applicants/freshman/criteria.html
The way I read the explanation is that if your adders add up to greater than 5000 you have a 5000. Nothing more.
March 1st, please post any admission changes on your portal, thanks.
@VickiSoCal, technically a student can go over 5000 if they are calculating on paper. In reality, the computer will stop adding points once it gets to 5000.
@eyemgh, have you ever tried to compile MCA scores from first read vs second?
So, just to be clear: my Son called admissions (he got accepted) and found out that they DID count hi APStats class.
I have heard conflicting info on this thread. Max Math for MCI score is 10 credits for 500 points.
@lkg4answers, I have not. It’s difficult enough getting applicants to post, not to mention calculating the MCA. 
Well so far so good! The absence of denials being posted today indicates a break from last years timing of admission. Allows us all hope that further admits are possible! Good luck everyone.