I just started the new application earlier today and I find it REALLY confusing. Am I the only one?
For instance: they ask about all subjects (a-g) and grades in high school: when I listed all my classes with grades (btw - do I have to put + and - ?), the next page automatically calculates my GPA (which is different from what’s on my transcript for 10-11 weighted academic GPA???) Also, the same page automatically calculates the number of years for math, science, language, etc. and those calculations are incorrect! What do I do?
Anybody has similar experience or can help in any way?
Fir the CSU’s, grades are reported as +/- but GPA will not take into account the +/- signs. Also your GPA may be different since SLO, all the other CSU’s and UC’s only give you extra weighting for UC approved Honors/AP/B and DE courses so your HS transcript may not reflect this weighting.
SLO also considers Math classes such as Algebra/Geometry and Foreign language classes taken in middle school.
@Gumbymom - thank you! However, the new CSU application has no place to enter middle school classes - that is different compared to previous years, that’s why it’s very confusing: like it shows that I took 3.5 years of Science… Where’s 0.5 come from if I took all classes for the entire year? Also, re:GPA my school (in CA) calculates weighted academic GPA based only on UC approved courses and I got accurate results when I enter the info into the UC Application but different GPA for CSU. Still confused
I know they redid the Cal state application website so is there a tutorial available to aid you in filling out the application or a contact # to call for questions?
UC’s only use 10-11th grades in the GPA calculation. SLO uses 9-11th grades so it will be different.
What I found confusing is that their is a section for adding achievements, but the instructions explicitly say that achievements are not considered for admissions. So what’s the point of listing achievements?
I posted in the CSU general forum asking how to input HS courses (foreign language and Algebra 1) taken in middle school. My daughter doesn’t want to do it incorrectly and then have an admission revoked because she had errors on her application! We submitted a help request but they haven’t gotten back to her yet.
Thank you @Gumbymom ! I thought I was looking through that page yesterday with my daughter but we didn’t see this. Maybe they added it or maybe we’re blind, LOL. But I found this link and the following information.
7th and 8th Grade Coursework
If you took Algebra 1, Geometry, or a Language Other Than English (LOTE) in the 7th or 8th grade, report your course(s) and grade(s) earned as 9th grade.
Even last year, the CSU application should have been the easiest since there are no essays, but it was the most confusing compared to the UC app and the Common App. We ended up having our son see a CSU rep that came to the school and even then different kids were told different things. I can sympathize with OP.
When my son’s filled out their 7th and 8th grade courses for the CSU application a few years ago, they were lumped under 8th grade courses. Glad I could help.
I assume you took Geometry in 9th, so if you list Algebra 1 for 9th also, admissions should know that you did not double up on Math and it was taken in 8th grade. Your grade should not be included in the GPA calculation. You might want to call admissions just to get clarification since it seems they have changed the reporting of these Middle school courses. I am sure you are not the only confused applicant at this point.
We are equally confused about adding high school level courses taken in Middle School (math, LOTE) into the 9th grade courses section which also includes grades. Every new course lowers a students GPA because of the dividing factor (assume straight A’s). The more courses taken, with a cap of 8 honors, lowers the GPA. That seems patently unfair that students taking advanced courses are penalized. Anyone have a different perspective?
@catchastar, it really is just a matter of perspective. The end-product GPA is what is was always going to be. If you want to watch the GPA go up, then add all of the lowest/unweighted grades first.
One bright note is that while you can only count 8 honors/AP grade points, schools do consider the overall number of rigorous classes a student takes INCLUDING those not yet finished. Senior year rigor counts as long as the student maintains the conditions of the acceptance (3.00 overall with no D’s in core classes in the case of my son).
Take heart in the fact that good students will have earned good options once all of the acceptances come out.
@VickiSoCal, do you have a link to that information? I was simply going by the fact that Cal Poly expects students to take college prep classes in excess of the minimum CSU standards. They expect Their website specifically mentions college prep classes intended during the 12th grade year. The linked page also includes a chart showing the desired number of semesters for each area of curriculum area. The number of semesters suggests that it would take all four years of high school to complete, even with advanced classes in middle school:
"CSU required coursework taken during 9th to 11th grades and in progress or planned during 12th grade.
Electives can be taken in 9-12 grades, but must fall within the following subject areas (above): Visual and Performing Arts, History, Social Science, English, Advanced Mathematics, Science and languages other than English."
The common dataset for CP SLO along with all the CSU’s and UC’s, show that the “rigor of the secondary school record” is very important, so Senior year HS rigor will be considered.
