Chances of getting into Cal Poly

Applying to College
1

<p>I'm a Junior in HS interested in both Cal Poly Pomona and SLO, although my grades are not exceptional by any means. Currently my unweighted is only a 3.0 and my weighted is a 3.3 which is pretty un-outstanding, although my grades have been picking up. Until semester 2 of Sophomore year I didn't take high school very seriously, which is reflected by my grades. Semester 2 my grades have began to pick up. I had a 3.5 unweighted and 3.75 weighted, and this semester I got 3 A's, one being an honors and 3 B's. I'm actually in SLO right now visiting Cal Poly, and I also visited UCSB since I was in town. On the PSAT I got a 187 which is an 1870 on the SAT I believe, but I'm honestly not sure if multiplying it by ten gives you an exact answer, although that's what I've heard.</p>

<p>Now, normally I would consider Cal Poly SLO as a major reach school, but I'm currently in a program which I feel like can help me stand out from the school and help me out a lot with getting admitted into the CCoS. I'm a student in a high ranked public high school, but more so I attend a program called "Freestyle Academy". I don't know if any of you are familiar with it, but I figured I'd throw out the name if any of you are. Basically what I do is spend half my day at a separate campus doing digital arts work. I've already made two websites and am making a third (we make four per year), I've made a couple of pieces in Illustrator, two in Photoshop with my own pictures, and I'm currently working on a documentary on Habitat for Humanity which will be done in 4 months, and at the end of it I'll have a printed book created for it. I am also finishing up a 3 minute long Flash animation movie. By the end of the year I'll have eight websites showcasing everything I have made, all of it being completely original. I've heard it's quite a helpful program and is nationally recognized, but I could be wrong.</p>

<p>On the side, I'm a club that refurbishes computers and returns them to the school and then donates then to those who can't afford one. I've also been the photography editor for the school's yearbook.</p>

<p>I know SLO is a reach school, but with my extensive experience with digital arts for my level of education I'm hoping that if I study hard for my SAT and raise my GPA even higher for the next three semesters that I could have a shot. Your input would be incredibly helpful, so please reply if you have some.</p>

<p>Cal Poly SLO is my dream school and I'm willing do to anything that will help me get in, so please mention things that could help me if you know.</p>

<p>If you think SLO is not possible, Pomona is also a welcome option. Other suggestions are very welcome as well.
Thanks!</p>

2

<p>They both ask only very rudimentary questions about EC’s, like “how many hours.” If you go to a high school nearby, that will help. Major might make a difference. For the most part, only UC GPA (10th and 11th, “A-G”) counts.</p>

3

<p>I’m sorry, I don’t quite follow. Are you referring to Freestyle? If so, that’s actually a part of my academic career- the classes are graded.</p>

4

<p>I just mean you don’t really get much chance to add much detail to your application.</p>

5

<p>Oh, alright. And when I said CCoS it was a typo in two senses- I meant CoCS and that’s at UCSB. Got it confused with all of the stuff I’ve learned in the past two days.</p>

<p>I’m interested in a major in Automotive Design at the moment, or anything in terms of graphic design to be honest. This is why I think Freestyle would be such an important supplement to my portfolio. Do you have recommendations based on this type of major?</p>

6

<p>I’m not a Poly student but I live in SLO and have taken a Calc class there… I can tell you that the chance of your application depends somewhat heavily on the major you applied for. For example, engineering and architecture are extremely competitive, whereas some majors have lower standards for admittance. What major are you interested in? </p>

<p>Also, if you’re from California, you’ll have a leg up.</p>

7

<p>I’m from the Bay Area and I wouldn’t need financial aid if that makes a difference. I’m planning on a major in graphic design or something along those lines.</p>

<p>I have a friend who applied for poultry sciences there and then transferred to his actual desired major. Is this a valid loophole, or is there a chance that you can’t transfer out and that you’ll be stuck with something you don’t care about? I’d rather not do this since it seems dishonest, but I’d honestly pick SLO over any other university.</p>

8

<p>I understand it is VERY hard to change majors. And I think being from California only helps if you live in the CSU’s service area, because they give you extra points for that.</p>

9

<p>^true, and the big leg up these days is being OOS and paying OOS tuition.</p>

<p>No, it’s not a valid loophole. Go onto their website and read. For the business major, it specifically states you can never become one if you didn’t have the required stats when you applied.</p>

10

<p>Bump. I’m also interested in Geology and I’m not sure how competitive that field is/where the good schools are.</p>