Last year’s SJSU admission threshold for CS was equivalent to a 4.35 GPA. Will the student graduate from high school in Santa Clara County? That would be like a +0.25 GPA bonus.
Unfortunately not from Santa Clara county.
Freshmen Impaction Results | Admissions says that SJSU aerospace engineering did not have capacity to admit alternate majors, so it is likely a waste of the alternate major slot.
Software engineering is probably the most similar major to computer science, but its threshold was 4920, including the +400*math_GPA. Computer engineering (more hardware focused) also had that threshold last year. However, if the student had a 4.0 in math courses, then 4.33 * 800 + 4.0 * 400 = 5064, even if the math GPA is unweighted (ask SJSU directly whether the math GPA has any weighting).
For CPP, the base score (before additions for being local, etc.) is GPA * 1000 + 450, or 4780 from a 4.33 GPA. Computer science last year had a threshold of 4429, according to Freshman Student Profile .
For CPSLO, be sure to list the middle school math (algebra 1 or higher) and foreign language to ensure that they are counted toward the points for number of courses taken in those categories.
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Thank you for your advice. I am asking him to revise his choices:
Cal Poly SLO- Computer Science (Based on 205 for CS vs 25 for SE)/Statistics
Cal Poly Pomona- Computer Science/Business Administration - CIS
SJSU - Software Engineering/Applied Math - Applied & Computational
Applied and computational math is another major that was listed as not having space for alternate majors in the most recent year. Majors marked with ^ in Freshmen Impaction Results | Admissions are those which did not have space for alternate majors in the most recent year.
If he really wants to do CS, the CPP CIS major probably will not be too satisfying, since it is less technical and more business. Since his score for CPP exceeds last year’s threshold for CS (by the equivalent of 0.351 GPA), why not apply for CS with reasonably good chances?
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He’s applying CS at CPP, just added alternate major but I am positive he will get into CS.
SJSU - I am hopeful he may get into SE, just added another alternate major (will remove before submitting app).
You do not have to remove. If the second major is impacted, then it is all or nothing on the first choice.
It is technically possible, it might not be impacted this year and you may be considered. Just don’t count on it.
That’s only half of the equation. You also have to consider how many applicants they anticipate and assume the yield will be the same. Cal Poly lets a little light in, but it’s a lot more opaque than SJSU.
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You are right. CS had 6784 applicants and they had a target of 210. For CE it’s 1443 applied and target 95. For SE, 692 applied and 25(target).
I have to find what’s the best first major (in terms of acceptance), hence this discussion. I also told my son about ME (Mechatronics concentration) and he seems to like it, but he will make the final decision on which major he wants.
Those are Fall of 2022 Estimates, projections.
But for Fall of 2021, CS had an actual 247 FTF, for example.
I think the best first major would be the one that your son wants to study!
There is no guarantee that the most competitive major last year would be the most competitive one this year. Other applicants may be looking at the numbers and doing these calculations and trying to optimize their admissions, too… so you might find that a major that was originally an easier admit becomes a harder one.
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That’s the route my son chose at Cal Poly, plus he stayed for a MS. Feel free to PM me if you want a deeper understanding of what that entailed and what he’s doing now.
Also, you can’t go just by the ratios, as we can’t assume every applicant pool is equally strong.
Thank you, I got idea about ME(Mechatronics) reading about your son’s journey. My kid is also interested in BS/MS (combined degree) and feels that his AP credits will help.
Sending you a DM.
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Son submitted his CSU app yesterday. He completed 2 of the 4 PIQs for UC apps and finished 2 out of 5 Stanford essays.
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Do we ask the middle school to send a transcript to CalPoly? Do they even want one? Or is the math progression/AP foreign languages in high school sufficient to indicate prior learning?
UC and CSUs (including Cal Poly’s) don’t ask for any letters or transcripts till you are admitted.
You need to add Middle school courses/grades on CSU Apply and that should be sufficient. My Kids HS transcript shows the classes he took since 6th grade so when Cal Poly asks for Transcripts, it will be verified with self-reporting courses/grades.
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Middle school transcripts not required, just report the Math and Foreign Language courses on the CSU application.
Final transcripts are required once a student is accepted and enrolled in July.
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Thanks so much for the response! We were filling out the CSU and left out middle school math/languages.
Finally, Transcripts were sent to Ross Hulman, Stanford, Missouri M&T, Uni of Arizona, Miami University of Ohio (requested mid-Sept and it took lot of pushing his HS GC).
Kid still needs to submit his Stanford app tonight and then focus on UCs.
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How are you able to apply to Rose Holman and Stanford simultaneously?
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