What are my chances of being accepted into ag engineering at Cal Poly SLO if I have only taken Spanish 2?
You meet the minimum CSU requirement with 2 years FL, so you can be accepted. You will just not get extra bonus points toward your MCA score.
It won’t get you ruled out.
What are the rest of your stats?
Sorry @NCalRent I have been on vacation the past 2 weeks. Umm I have an 1150 New SAT score, like a 4.5 GPA, top 10 in my class, lots of extracuriculars and athletics… Also my next contemplation is whetherI should apply to the school with my current SAT score on October !st or apply later in october or early november when I would get my SAT scores back, hopefully better scores.
@Jacobjello58: The best way to determine if you are a competitive applicant is to calculate your MCA score. This is how SLO ranks applicant by major. An MCA of 4700 is considered competitive for an Engineering major but there is no definite guarantee that if your MCA score is at or above this level, you will be admitted. Much depends upon the competitiveness of the in-coming Freshman Class. SAT is below the average based on last year’s Freshman profile of 1419.
Here is how to calculate the MCA score:
The maximum GPA they will use is 4.2, even though you can have a higher calculated CP GPA. A 4.2 is worth 2250 MCA points. Thus, multiply your CP GPA by 535.7 and you’ll get your MCA points for GPA.
The next biggest thing is test scores. The odd thing, likely because they wanted it to total a nice round number, is that the max score is 1650, even though the max SAT score is 1600. Multiply the total of your best SAT CR and your best SAT math by 1.03125 to get your MCA test points. If you took the ACT, they convert and vice versa.
The third largest section is the class rigor score, worth 750 points. In this section you get zero points for meeting the minimum admission requirements and adders for more than the minimum. The bonuses in order of power are (min semesters/max total semesters/bonus per extra semester/total possible bonus): math 6/10/125/500 (note: stats and finite do not count), lab science 4/8/50/200, English 8/10/50/100, foreign language 4/8/25/100, visual performance 2/4/25/50, no bonus points for social sciences or electives. As with GPA, you can actually score higher than the maximum, but 750 is the most they will count.
Finally, work and ECs, worth 350 points. Work (hours per week/bonus): 0/0, 1-5/20, 6-10/40, 11-15/60, 16-20/80, 21+/100, add 50 points if work is major related. ECs (hours per week/bonus): 0/0, 1-5/30, 6-10/60, 11-15/90, 16-20/120, 21+/150, add 60 points for leadership role.
GPA = 2250
Test = 1650
Class rigor = 750
EC / Work Hrs = 350
Subtotal for accademic points = 5000
Parents education = 600 (First Generation)
Veteran’s benefit = 700
Zip code= 500 (local)
High school = 700 (Hayden Partner school)
Parent employed by CPSLO = 700
Subtotal for Demographic points = 3200
Max attainable points = 8200
Scores are capped at 5,000
@Gumbymom I have a question when calculating. So even if I have a 4.5 unweighted, I have to put 4.2? Then for the class rigor part. Say if I have 8 semesters of math, how many points do I add for that? Thanks
The minimum is 6 semester of Math so you get 125 points for each semester above the minimum. 2 extra semesters above the minimum gives you 250 points.
Regarding GPA, yes you have to put 4.2 since this is the maximum.
@Gumbymom Do you know if Honors Biotechnology counts as a lab science?
@Gumbymom Do I add points for work if I only hold a summer job?
@Gumbymom Ok so my MCA score with Biotech would be 4035.94. Then I work like 9-12 hours per week during the summer, but I don’t know how much to add, so if you added that accoringly. What zip code do I have to have to get the 500 points?
Link for SLO’s in-service area schools: http://www.calstate.edu/sas/onestopkiosk/documents/CSULocalAdmission-ServiceAreas.pdf
9-12 hrs/week would probably give you 60 extra points.
Check the a-g course list for your HS for the Biotech class but I am pretty sure this is not a lab science.
https://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcourselist#/list/search/institution
@Gumbymom Wait so if I’m from San Diego, do I get to add the 500 points or no?
No, you are not in the local in-service area.
The MCA score I quoted is for the school of Engineering and I noticed on your other thread you are interested in BRAE, so I am sure the MCA score threshold is lower. Unfortunately, I do not have any data to give you a number.
@Gumbymom Yeah I was going to say because that seembed very high. But I’m sure it’s still competitive because it’s a great ag school.
You are a very competitive applicant for SLO. You should target UCs like SB, I and D too. LA and B could happen with a compelling application.
Thanks @NCalRent. I probably will apply to UCSB because its such a nice school. But to be honest I don’t want to get involved with UC schools because they are a lot of research based and when you are taught, you re taught in a big theater kind of setting. That fit just doesn’t suit me because I am a student that likes to ask questions are really interact with professors. Also I don’t think I would be accepted into their engineering department because I didn’t take Subject Tests…
Not all UCs are created equal. Santa Cruz is much smaller, more intimate and certainly worth a look. Even SB is very different than the mega campuses at B and LA. Honestly, I get why they could be a turn off.Spend some time on the smaller UC campuses before ruling them out.
Given your stats and interest in a more personal college education, you should think about USD, LMU amd Santa Clara. They each offer a very solid engineering program and will probably provide significant merit aid.
Good luck!
@NCalRent , Do you think that my characteristics that I listed would fit in with UCSB. Because I truly am interested in that school. Santa Clara probably not because that is 7 hours from my home in San Diego. Maybe LMU because I’m Catholic. But I don’t know if a private school would suit me considering the price and all. Also to keep in mind, I wanna be able to play water polo in college. Do you think my SAT is good enough already for these school and SLO included, or do I need some improvement?
Like most 17 year olds, you have a lot of stuff swirling around in your head. I honestly don’t know anything about the water polo teams at these schools.
Your SAT is well below average for Engineering at SLO. Taking it again taking it again is a good idea. Raising your score to 1400 would make you a much stronger applicant. I don;t know how realistic that is.
The cool thing about UCs is, you essentially submit the same ap for all 9 campuses. If you are going to apply to one, apply to several.
I think LMU is likely to offer a merit scholarship that would make them cost competitive with a UC. Chapman is another one worth a look.
Apply to a bunch of schools, see who accepts you and what kind of scholarships are offered, spend some time on those campuses, talk to current students and student athletes. Only then will you have the info you need to make your decision.
You are going to have a very exciting next 12 months.
Enjoy them.