<p>Thinking about the Cal States and merit scholarships again, the only campus my dd applied to was San Diego State. She was accepted to their Honors Program but never received any offers of merit scholarships even though she was well above the 75th percentile of admitted students. SDSU is not our service area college, so may be that had to do something with all this?</p>
<p>For us, a Cal State would have been the cheaper option since we are full pay at both Cal Sates and UCs.</p>
<p>@sbjdorlo – by design, the CSU’s are intended to serve their local communities. The whole point is to have a 4 year college that is affordable and accessible to the local community – not to add another tier of residential colleges beyond the UC system. Cal Poly, Sonoma & Humboldt are exceptions-- but when you are looking at Fullerton, SJSU, and CSULB – you are looking at colleges that are commuter schools by design. Yes, they may also have housing available – but that isn’t really their mission. </p>
<p>My son graduated from his CSU without taking on debt to attend. He was at a residential CSU and paid to support himself – in a shared, off-campus apartment; he had a half-time job to earn money; and he found opportunities to apply for private scholarships. </p>
<p>When my son was in high school, because he was NMF he was also offered a full ride scholarship by CSULB - see <a href=“http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/students/presidents_scholars/”>http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/students/presidents_scholars/</a> – he had no interest in attending so didn’t follow up - but yes, merit money is available to high end students. </p>
<p>But that is the frustrating part because SDSU does not have the majors of most interest. Yes, my son could major in music or try MEngr, but there’s no animation, no industrial design no conservatory of music, and no animation/game design-ish stuff like UCLA and UC Irvine have.</p>
<p>Also, the full rider for NM is the only thing I’ve heard about. What about other high end students who aren’t NM? </p>
<p>Good conversation. Perhaps it’s convinced me to not have my son apply to any of the Cal States, with the possible exception of SDSU, which he does not want to attend. </p>
<p>I cannot count on my son working part time and trying for scholarships. In theory it sounds great and that would be the plan, but for certain reasons, I don’t want him feeling 100% obligated to do both of those things. His energy needs to be focused on studies. My oldest son is able to work and has outside NM scholarship, but he is that type of high energy kid.</p>
<p>Working was detrimental to my grades in college. Each kid is different. Kudos to your son, calmom, for being such a go getter.</p>
<p>There are some merit awards at particular CSU schools but at least for SDSU, it’s a special page you have to find and apply to specifically. We don’t know anyone who got “automatic” merit but a few that applied for various merit opportunities within the school afterwards and got some money that way.</p>
<p>The plus about the CSU schools is that if you are a top candidate, sometimes they’ll admit you early without you having to APPLY early. My D only applied to SDSU but she was accepted the first week of December as opposed to March/April. We know a few that got into SLO early too. SDSU was bottom of her list but an affordable acceptance in December was really quite nice to have.</p>
<p>^If you live in the priority area for a CSU, you will (usually) receive your admission early. We’re in SFSU’s priority area and both my kids received their acceptance the first week of December, but for out of area CSU’s they received notices in March and April. SLO, unlike the other CSU’s, has ED. </p>
<p>I’m not sure how “usually” it is. Only a handful of kids got their notices early but if you qualify for honors, you should (especially since some of the honors applications are due in February.) We do know some kids who got accepted early from non-area schools and who didn’t apply ED.</p>
<p>Both my sons heard from Cal Poly Pomona in early January and my younger son heard from CSUF in late December and SDSU in early February. CPP is in area of us.</p>
<p>Op,
I have not read all the posts so I apologize if I am repeating what others have said.</p>
<p>If memory serves, the UC and CSU system was set up to basically guarantee a public college education for the top 33% of CA HS graduates. If you were a CA HS graduate within the top 12.5 % of your class, you could get a UC education (maybe not Berkeley, but a UC education nonetheless). If you were a CA HS graduate within the top 33% of your class, you could get a CSU education. Also, it was set up that if you go to a Community college and did well, there was a well worn transfer plan into the UC and CSU systems (was it guaranteed?). And yes, Cal Poly SLO and Pomona are different than the other CSUs. Currently, things have morphed since that plan a long time ago, but the general intentions of that plan still stick in people’s heads. </p>
<p>Because of the class rank set up, there is a built in mental bias that the UCs are “better” than the CSUs, because you needed to be of higher rank in the overall CA HS graduating class, meaning higher GPAs etc. UCs tend to have more PhDs teaching, more money, etc. However, I know plenty of adults who went to CSUs who are in upper levels of business, MDs, etc. There are just fewer of them in those positions than adults who went to UCs.</p>
<p>Also, the CSUs are ranked in a different section of USNWR than the UCs so you can’t directly compare them on USNWR.</p>
<p>The well informed applicant will know about relative rank of certain programs between the various colleges, such as Electrical Engineering among UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, SJSU, Cal Poly SLO for example, and will also compare it with the private colleges. Again, I know of plenty of adults who went through the CSU system and are leading happy and productive lives.</p>
<p>As for “looking down your nose at certain colleges,” we get this a lot at my DK’s school. However, we do have to teach our kids that reality is more than just the immediate peer pressure that they are surrounded by. </p>
<p>I went back and checked. In late December my son received the Kellogg Honors College invitation from CPP (with provisional admission mentioned in the invitation). He received his acceptance some time after that. It’s kind of a blur, acceptance was after SFSU and before SLO/UC’s/privates. I think next was SLO (the first wave of RD acceptances), then UC’s and privates. </p>
<p>Re. my original post- I don’t know where the two young people are rank at their schools, but that is interesting to know that top students can get a reply earlier. I will encourage the one I’m working with to consider applying to a few Cal States. This year, they might qualify for Blue Gold at UCs, but likely not subsequent years, so the Cal States would be less expensive possibly.</p>
<p>In my son’s case, though his SAT is high for Cal States at 2230, and his overall GPA is high (currently; not sure how this semester’s college classes will turn out), because he’s a private homeschooler/part time/full time dual enrolled student (full time this semester, part time last year), I honestly don’t know how the UCs ans Cal States will look at him. Traditionally, they have been <em>very</em> in the box. Private schools have almost always been more flexible with homeschoolers, but the UCs, at least, while still saying they require A-G “accredited” courses, are allowing more private homeschoolers into their colleges. I’m not assuming anything, though.</p>
<p>Op,
However, I must confess so as to not mislead, that I only know of one MD who graduated from the CSU system whereas I know of hundreds of MDs who graduated from the UC system. Didn’t want my post #47 to make it sound that attending both UC and CSU are the same level, but that one can still attain a high level if one attends a CSU if one works hard.</p>
<p>I know at least 3. 2 my age and 1 my kid’s age.</p>
<p>I agree that the UCs seem a better choice for the student who wants pre-med, but the UCs are competitive enough that I feel like there should be at least one Cal State or other affordable safety school on the list. Affordability is the key for a safety. </p>
<p>My dd also got early acceptance notification for SDSU. In fact it was her very first acceptance and one we did not expect early, so it was twice as sweet!</p>
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<p>Berkeley’s College of Engineering does frown on taking extra semesters; a student needs to ask for permission for each extra semester. Is it possible that the student took time off from school working in a “co-op” like arrangement?</p>
<p>At the time of the draconian funding cuts, CSU started cracking down on “super seniors” – people who were dawdling at getting a degree. Four years and out was the mantra. They also banned non-matriculators, which bummed me out personally because for years I had planned on going to our local CSU once D was in college, to take some classes for my personal enjoyment. </p>
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<p>CSU policies do favor local area students for admissions, and commuters for financial aid and net price. Note, however, that “local area” may include places further than a reasonable commute, particularly for CSUs in sparsely populated areas (e.g. Humboldt, Chico).</p>
<p>ucb, he did work in the summer I think from his linkedin account. He was TA for the last year.</p>
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<p>A 2.0 GPA (2.4 GPA for non-residents) in CC with the required preparatory courses will gain admission to a non-impacted major at a non-impacted CSU (however, most CSUs have some campus or major impaction). See <a href=“Cal State Apply | CSU”>Cal State Apply | CSU; .</p>
<p>Some UCs have a TAG (transfer acceptance guarantee) program where a CC student commits to taking the courses needed to prepare for his/her major, resulting in automatic admission if the specified GPA is met.</p>
<p>Note that the UCs and CSUs intend to have 60% upper division and 40% lower division students, with the extra upper division students (and replacements for attrition at less selective campuses) coming from transfers, mostly from CCs.</p>
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<p>I would not be surprised if a lot of home school students took SAT subject and/or AP tests in various subjects to cover a-g UC/CSU requirements, or similar requirements at other schools. College courses in those subjects can also cover them.</p>