Cal Poly SLO Application BIG PROBLEM

@Twinmma - The only update I have is from before - I called, they said “too bad”. They absolutely will NOT let you update your courses listed once your application has been submitted.

According to the official CalPoly Freshman Application Tips at https://viewbook.calpoly.edu/wp-content/uploads/freshman_application_tips.pdf:

7TH AND 8TH GRADE COURSEWORK
• Applicants are allowed to enter coursework from junior high under the following conditions only:
o For Mathematics, Language other than English, and any additional A–G course that the applicant was given
high school credit for on their high school transcript.
o Applicant must have continued progression in 9th grade. Applicant cannot have repeated the class to receive credit
in our process for that course. Examples: If applicant takes Algebra 1 in 8th grade, they must take Geometry in
9th in order to use that Algebra course. If applicant takes Spanish 1 in 8th grade, and then takes Spanish 1 in
9th grade they cannot use that Spanish 1 course.
o Applicant will enter this coursework in the 9th grade section and will enter the grade earned for that course.

So according to the first bullet point, if the middle school work is not showing up on the high school transcript, they should NOT be reported. Is my interpretation correct?

My son’s situation is like this: he took Algebra 1 in 7th grade and Geometry in 8th grade. His high school allow one middle school math course to be “promoted” to high school transcript, so he chose Geometry. Now Geometry is showing up on his HS Transcript but Algebra 1 is not. Should he report the 7th grade Algebra 1 on CSUApply?

They also gave an example of how to report middle school grades (picture on page 4.) You write something like “8th Algebra 1” or “8th Spanish 1.”

Someone mentioned earlier that CSU use a computer algorithm to check A-G requirement and calculate GPA. My question is, given all the different names of courses, how do they match that? For example, the English courses in my son’s high school are called Humanities. How does the computer know Humanities are equal to English?

@bogeyorpar re the A-G requirements, on the Apply Now App there is a section called A-G matching section where you identify how many classes fall within each category. Completed it a few weeks ago but guessing the computer algorithm attempts to prepopulate this section but you are expected to edit it appropriately.

Re the middle school class entry, the Apply Now app specifically says to enter applicable middle school classes under 9th grade. Bottomline, if they fulfill an A-G requirement I would enter them.

In our case the middle school classes showed on our high school transcripts so don’t have the issue you have.

If we made this mistake, is there anyway we can just delete our application and restart a new one?

Has any one been able to contact Cal State Apply to have their application withdrawn/closed? Would it be possible to just start an entirely new application and resubmit? I didn’t put my SSN on my original app.

@venm1337: I believe one poster did call SLO admissions to ask if they could withdraw their application and resubmit, but they were told no.

I called SLO admissions office today, and here are answers to my questions:

  1. Report Algebra 1 and Geometry if you took them in middle school, even if they don’t show up in your high school transcript. The rep said “satisfy the computer algorithm first; when the official transcript comes, we are smart enough to know that if you have Algebra 2 in 9th grade, you have completed Algebra 1 in middle school.”
  2. Do not report any non A-G courses, such as PE.
  3. No need to send official ACT or SAT scores. Just reporting them on the application is good enough. They only request it after you are admitted.
  4. Selecting an alternative major has no use. They rarely admit students based on alternative major.
  5. Only 13% of student body are OOS+International, but they insist that the admission crtieria is the same for in-state and OOS. Believable?

Item 3 is different than what I’ve heard and read. You don’t need to send a transcript but I believe you do need to send test scores https://admissions.calpoly.edu/applicants/freshman/testing.html

@bogeyorpar, the admissions criteria for in state and OOS is exactly the same. From what I understand though, they evaluate them in separate pools, all in state together and all OOS only competing against other OOS.

@kitty33, the language on the web page you referenced is this:

“Cal Poly requires that test scores be sent electronically either from the testing agency or via the Cal State Apply website”

I think “via the Cal State Apply website” means self-reported scores.

@eyemgh , if in-state and OOS are in different pools, doesn’t that mean they use different standard? If the OOS pool is stronger, and they can only fill 13% of the class with OOS student, wouldn’t the OOS cut-off MCA be higher than in-state?

@bogeyorpar, the standard per se, the thing used as the measure, is the same. They apply the standard differently. The thought is that the OOS pool is weaker because Cal Poly is less well known broadly, not drawing the best and brightest from OOS. In staters know the appeal of not only the quality, but also the value. Those who forward that argument, claim that the instate pool for each major is far larger as a result, thus making it more competitive. For example, they might have 4 to 5 times as many in state slots, but might get 8 to 10 times as many applicants for those spaces. I’ve never seen any evidence supporting that argument.

@eyemgh, the logic makes sense. I hope it holds true this year. We are from OOS, and we got the recommendation of Calpoly from many sources – the HS Counselor, this CC forum, parents of other students, etc. Just from my son’s high school, he knows that a whole bunch of high stats kids are applying to Calpoly. If I extrapolated that to other OOS schools, the OOS applicant pool will overwhelm the 13% allocation. But our school may be an exception.

@bogeyorpar, wish him luck! We are from OOS and our son has enjoyed the experience.