Not condoning it at all, but since some will be “accepted” off the waitlist doesn’t that make it a true statement?
I think my big problem is that I was under the impression, and maybe wrongly so, was that as opposed to schools like the Ivies and their amorphous holistic process, SLO was purely an objective algorithm thing where if you had enough points you got admitted. If this is not the case. I’d just want to know what the actual criteria is so kids can temper their expectations.
I’d also say, that everything being equal, I think many kids would go with the school they got accepted to right off the bad as opposed to the school where you got waitlisted and later admitted. There’s something about getting the love from the outset that makes you more vested.
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My friend’s son OOS received a rejection a while back. So there have been notices of rejections.
I think the issue is the MCA calculation has been the model for how applicants are gauging their chances and most students believe it is set in stone. I have already pointed out that the GPA cap of 4.2 doesn’t seem to exist anymore and with going test blind this year and next, they are relying on some other criteria or emphasizes some areas more now that test scores are out of the picture. The other CSU’s have also had to compensate for no test scores and are weighting grades in Math/Science classes more heavily for Engineering students as an example. SJSU and CSULB came up with another academic index instead of the eligiblity index for determining admissions. Nothing is perfect but hopefully all applicants have applied widely and will have several options from which to choose.
My favorite saying and I have posted this several times: Where you go for Undergrad will not define you, it is what you do with the opportunities you are given that will make you successful.
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Since CSUs go by stats, I wish all of them would be as transparent as those who post their exact criteria and historic cut-offs.
Students should not be in the position of having no idea what their chances are at multiple CSUs, needing to apply to a dozen of them.
I understand that UCs can be holistic and more of a wildcard, but it would be nice for CA kids to have choices with some more certainty.
I’m frustrated with SLO because all we could do was estimate chances with the old and likely outdated MCA, but this year it was just thrown up in the air. I guess it’s just the general un-fairness of this whole pandemic. I have a kid who targeted SLO and worked to get all of the known factors taken care of (extra math and english, both EC and work, etc., pick a major that wasn’t highly impacted) and is still left out. Without the SAT to boost a very slightly lower gpa, it may just be a case of being a year too late.
I’m unimpressed with SDSU. My D is still waiting for a decision. There are lots of applicants without a decision yet from SDSU. So, as far as I’m concerned, SLO is quite impressive. 
Seriously, all these colleges have their own process that they work through each year. Pretty much the same process every year. SLO’s is OOS, acceptances, waitlists and then rejections with possibly some stragglers of each set.
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Definitely easier to be impressed if you have an admit!
SLO always does it this way and there are always parents in my position complaining about the process. There will be the same next year and the year after that! I’m all for colleges just releasing all at once and not leaving thousands of kids waiting for weeks, I don’t think any of us know the benefit of this slow painful roll out.
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I’m sorry I don’t want to be insensitive, and I understand people really want to get an answer ASAP. But for those who already have multiple acceptance from other high(er) rank schools including in-state (UCs), I don’t understand why still stressing about not getting a decision? I meant, After all, one can only attend one school.
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Seems crazy, I agree but I encourage you to go back the past 5 years to decision releases on these boards and tell me how many acceptances there are after someone posts that they spoke to admissions and they are not done with acceptances. I am not saying they are lying, I am simply saying that the admissions office is told to answer a certain way. In truth, they still are admitting people, but it is most likely people waiting on a portfolio review or the random international student that you see as a late straggler.
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It’s a stressful time, no doubt. I think there is a difference between complaining about the way decisions are released and putting down a school that is likely one that many kids on this thread are extremely excited about. Some here may have gone too far. An adult should never put down a school that many kids are on a thread getting excited about attending.
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Yeah I can understand that however Cal Poly is so unique in its learn by doing approach that , even though UCs might be ‘ranked’ higher, it might not be the best fit for a particular student. My son was accepted to UC Irvine for Business but no word on Cal Poly (which was also a top choice for him). Luckily Irvine does have a great mix of business specialties and so does SLO.
I suspect there are new nuances this year in determining admits. Like other posters said, maybe not all AP maths ‘count’ the same (ie AP stats vs AP calc… my son took stats … better for business I would think but SLO may favor Calc). Other factors like work (job related or not) may have higher weighting this year… my son couldn’t get a job last summer (thanks to Covid many jobs in our area looked for 18 and older… but I’m sure he could have tried a bit harder too but lots of lockdown Covid stress taking over).
exactly.
Makes sense.
It is frustrating when they are not transparent but I actually like the algorithm that Cal Poly uses. Most CSU’s don’t look at EC’s. Or if you have work experience. I guess I don’t understand why you are frustrated by Cal Poly and not the UC’s. Most UC’s also look to grades first and they always have. The Holistic portion helps them further rank but grades have always been the most important factor. The pandemic defiantly screwed many but California students still have some great choices.
I’m one of the previous posters who said I’m unimpressed with how SLO rolls out decisions, and I said nothing about being unimpressed with the school itself. Regardless of how they roll out decisions, it has no impact on the overall worthiness or prestige of the school. My son got accepted to UCI almost immediately after they first released decisions this past Friday. Great for him! But as I read that thread on CC in real-time, I saw the anguish and anxiety of applicants who didn’t hear right away. Each was asking is my decision coming, am I waitlisted, rejected…? Fortunately, UCI revealed all within a few hours. The acceptances were released around 4 pm PT (give or take), waitlists around 5 pm, and rejections around 6-7 pm. Although the applicants who were waitlisted or rejected were understandably disappointed, at least they had their answer within a few hours and weren’t waiting for weeks on end. That’s precisely my point about SLO - I believe tomorrow will be 3 weeks since initial regular decisions were released (I have no idea if they did a smattering of early decisions due to regents, etc.).
I acknowledge that SLO may have been releasing decisions this way for many years, that doesn’t change the fact that it stinks for recipients. And as I said upthread, my son will attend a UC regardless of what now happens with SLO. This isn’t because I’m bitter or now think SLO as a school is any less worthy than I believed it to be 3 weeks ago; it’s solely because UCI is a better fit for him (not to mention a bit closer to home!). He also plans to decline UC Davis now should he be admitted - solely because he already got a decision from a UC that’s a better fit than Davis.
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This is just a counterpoint, but I feel bad for those who want to go to SLO and continue to wait.
My D was rejected by UCI Friday. I’d like to say D suffered with anxiety for 3 hours waiting for UCI to give her an answer, versus 3+ weeks for SLO, but she has zero desire to attend UCI. I had to tell her UCI decisions were being released. No constant checking of the portals for UCI. So, no anxiety felt over here.
But we’re debating the construct of time. Anxiety is anxiety, if one is feeling anxious.
In that same vein, for those accepted to SLO, they have had their decisions 3 weeks before UCI, as an example. And likely 4-5 weeks ahead of the other UC’s, such as UCD, UCLA, UCSB, UCSD and Cal. So, for those holding acceptances from SLO, you’ve had an answer and can start planning already.
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UCI released decisions “first” on 3/5/21, not on 3/12/21 when your son was admitted.
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Seems like Cal Poly SLO admits earlier than UC to hopefully get students excited to come there. In turn, they hold off on rejections in case they have to adjust their numbers. Sucks for people waiting and those of us who are getting rejections !! We just want to know good or bad. We have to make decisions and it is hard when in Limbo with schools.
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SLO is not the only school where this is happening. Your son was accepted to SDSU, and many have got acceptances, but many have still not heard. So, SDSU, just as one example, is just as bad, or at least similarly bad. Lots of schools roll out admission decisions. I think it’s lame that they any do rejections last, but SLO is not really any worse than others at this point.
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I agree. They should do rejections first or send out all decisions at once. The wait list should be utilized for being off on numbers. I know it is a business and they want to be accurate but I don’t get why some schools can release everything in a day and others release over a month teasing their applicants.