CSU website for impacted majors

The CSU website states, “For these select programs, if two applicants to the same program have the same GPA, preference will be given to the applicant who has completed the greater number of program-specific preparation courses. Similarly, if two applicants have completed the same number of program-specific preparation courses, preference will be given to the applicant with the higher GPA.” Below is a list of 3 majors.

Does this mean the classes below need to be taken in High School, a college course, or can it be an independent private class like a programming class taken outside of school? Does anyone know?

thank you!

  1. Computer Engineering (BS) Math 30 (Calculus I)

Math 31 (Calculus II)

Physics 50 (General Physics/Mechanics)

Computer Engineering 30 (Programming Concepts and Methodology)

  1. Computer Science (BS) Math 30 (Calculus I)

Math 31 (Calculus II)

Math 42 (Discrete Math)

Computer Science 46A (Introduction to Programming)

Computer Science 46B (Introduction to Data Structures)

-or-

AS-T in Computer Science

  1. Software Engineering (BS) Math 30 (Calculus I)

Math 31 (Calculus II)

Physics 50 (General Physics/Mechanics)

Computer Science/Software Engineering 46A (Introduction to Programming)

You could have just linked to the web page, which is for San Jose State University, not all CSUs.
http://www.sjsu.edu/admissions/impaction/program-specific-coursework/program-impaction-transfer-coursework/

This web page is specific to transfer admissions (which it says at the top of the page). Since transfer students are already enrolled in a college (usually a community college), they should be taking these major-preparation courses anyway. SJSU is just indicating admission preference for transfer applicants who have already taken higher numbers of these major-preparation courses.

It is not relevant for current high school students seeking frosh admission.

Since your son is a Freshman applicant, this list does not apply as stated by @ucbalumnus. CS is impacted at many of the campuses and since all CSU’s with exception of SLO use Eligibility index (EI) for admissions by major, he wants to have a high GPA and test scores to have the best chance at any competitive major (Engineering/CS…). If you are looking particularly at SJSU, then use the link below to see how his EI compares with last years thresholds for each major.

http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/static/admission/frosh-f2015impact.html

Here is a CSU impacted major matrix and you can see which CSU’s offer CS as a non-impacted major:
https://www.calstate.edu/sas/documents/impactedprogramsmatrix.pdf

Also look at Software Engineering which usually is a slightly easier admit.

SJSU 2016 frosh admission thresholds can be found at
http://www.sjsu.edu/admissions/impaction/impactionresultsfreshmen/index.html

For CS, SJSU is very competitive. Like GPA 3.8 and SAT 1250 competitive. I don’t know your son’s qualifications but,if he wants to study CS, be sure to have him apply to several programs that are in his range.

I believe GPA 3.8 is the high school UW rather than UC/CSU GPA. Am I correct please?

CSU’s use their CSU GPA calculation which is the same as the UC GPA calculation.

@sandyland’s son’s stats from another thread are as follows:
He has a 3.05 GPA on csu mentor if we did the calculations right His SAT scores were: reading: 590 Math: 660 writing: 560, ACT scores were: act comp: 28 act english: 26 act math: 29 act read: 27 act sci: 28 act writing: 25 act stem: 29

SJSU admissions is by eligibility index (EI) so there is no specific GPA/Test score that makes the applicant competitive. Is the combination of CSU GPA and Test scores in the EI calculation that needs to meet or be above the threshold.

For CS, the EI threshold for SAT scores was 4550 for 2016 and 4300 for 2015. ACT EI threshold was 1021 for 2015. I do not see an ACT EI for 2016.

I remember seeing a conversion from SAT EI of 4550 to ACT EI >>> 1080 !!