My counselor told me it’s impossible for me to get into a csu now. I started high school with a 1.57 gpa. I was extremely obese and had major depression. Now I’m starting my senior year with 3 ap classes and my junior year spit me out with a 3.25 average, I lost 100 pounds, turned around . I’m vp of we the people, secretary of the environmental club and heavily involved around school. I’m also now the lead in my play! I took the ap lang exam and scored a 4.(no studying, bad sleep) I’ve always been an excellent test taker. I plan to get >1800 on the sat. Here is my academic record: 10th grade. Alg 2 D/ Bio D/ Computer graphics B/ English 10 A/ Pe A/ Spanish 2 D/ World History A/ 2cd semester. Alg 2 F/ Bio B/ Computer graphics A/ English 10 B/ Pe B/ Spanish 2 D/ World History C/
11th grade: Ap lang B/ Chem A/ Computer graphics 2 A/ French 1 A/ Precal D/ Us history A/ 2cd semester Alg 2 C/ Ap lang A/ Honors chem C/ French 1 B/ Drama B/ Us history C/
11th grade summer school grades: bio C and geometry A
Heres my current senior schedule: French 2 Ap lit Yearbook Ap environment sci Advanced drama Ap govt/econ
Is it impossible? Do I have a shot at csus granted I ace the sat? Also, my counselor said since i passed alg 2 with a c, that i meet the csu requirements. But he told me theres no point in taking math my senior year with my past grades.would the math effect my chances? I would like to major in environmental studies or poli sci and I’m looking at humboldt. I come from a low income single mother household and I’m hispanic. Can I make it or would a community college suffice?
I think your counselor is doing you a disservice. TBH, I don’t know if the CSUs are totally stats driven, but it seems to me that you should be given a chance, given all the other factors. Have you contacted an AO at a CSU to talk specifically about this? I think a few emails are in order. Re 1800 on the SAT, do you mean the old SAT? The new SAT has a max of 1600, and you are going to find it difficult to get that, as almost no one does. I don’t know if you should retake math. Again, I think your scholl counselor isn’t being helpful and I would contact the ad offcier at Humboldt and ask. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. good luck.
Yes, I was confusing the two. Without studying I managed a 1350 on the sat I took after junior year. I plan to get that score over 1450. Thank you for your words!
CSUs are totally stats driven. One needs to satisfy the a-g requirements plus a minimum eligibility index that is based on GPA (min. 2.0) and test scores.
For your local and most non-impacted campuses, if you are a California resident you only need a 2900 EI to get an acceptance depending upon major. You however have to meet the minimum a-g courses listed below on the link.
CSU’s allow grade validation for Math and Foreign Language meaning if you pass the 2nd semester with a C or higher, you validate a lower grade 1st semester. Also taking a higher level Math/FL will validate a lower level Math/FL course.
Not knowing what your CSU GPA is currently, I would look at the non-impacted campuses for the best chances.
Humboldt, Dominguez Hills, Stanislaus, East Bay, Channel Islands and Bakersfield.
Community college for 2 years and then transferring to a CSU is another route you should consider. HS grades will not be taken into account if you have 60 semester/90 quarter units at a CC and the California CCC’s have proven transfer articulation agreements for the CSU’s and UC’s which makes a very good option.
You can use assist.org to enter in a CCC and then a transfer CSU/UC destination to get a list of transferable courses.
as others note above - CSUs are really back and white. If you haven’t completed (C ot better) the a-g courses, they won’t look at the rest of your application. I presume your counselor is indicating you haven’t. If you have, your Eligibility index has to meet their admission threshold - 2900 for non-impacted schools. That equates to about a 2.35 GPA and 1000 SAT.
Taking a really challenging course load this year won’t improve your chances. but, could cause your admission to be rescinded if you get a D in any course. At this point, they can probably do more harm than good. I’d encourage you to back off the AP a little, drop down to one.
I’d also encourage you to go make an appointment with an admission counselor at your nearest CSU - bring your transcript, ask them where you stand and what your options are. They will take all the time you need, help calculate your CSU GPA and offer options.
If you are well short the required courses, a CC may be your best option. Hold your head up, It isn’t a badge of shame, rather an opportunity for a fresh start. I went to CC and transferred many moons ago and have never been hampered by my time at SRJC.
But doesn’t the OP indicate that they got many D’s in courses? " A grade of C or better is required for each course you use to meet any subject requirement."
You are lucky you live in California…the CC to CSU/UCs is the best CC pathway in the nation in my opinion.
If you need to do that, then you start fresh with a college GPA that is not effected by your previous issues.
However, i woudl figure out why you did not do well in may courses and start addressing that.
What’s your CSU GPA?
Are you registered for the October AND November SAT tests? if so, how many hours a week do you dedicate to preparing for the test? Do you use Khan Academy for prepping?
Considering your likely CSU GPA, you need to study very hard for these tests, and score as high as you can - the CSU’s are strictly CSU GPA X SAT score. You must have fee waivers since you’re lower income (ask your GC).
@bopper I’ve made up all of my ds in high school! (Through apex learning) my senior schedule is fun and challenging. Im taking digital photography and statistics through an online district program. My gpa is horrid(2.5ish csu gpa) I’ve changed as a person and I aim to contribute the most that I can to my world (excuse the clicheness of that lol.) Im torn between Applying to a csu vs the cc to uc pathway. I mostly struggled due to lifes troubles hitting me in the face. Exissentialsim, environmental decline, weight, depression, relationship issues, anxiety, actual bullemia. Im not one to partake in a sympathy story. Even though I had these issues weigh me down, my love for academia never faded. I ditched class to read books, I read textbooks for fun, I hope that my crazy upward trend and test scores shoot me into a csu.
@MYOS1634 Factoring in the classes that I’ve made up, my csu gpa is 3.0 (2.5 without). I’ve spent around 12 hrs a week for around a month now using the princeton review book (torrented),khan, practice tests from cb, etc. I’m a good essay writer and often tutor/ help classmates on their work (lots of personal statement stuff right now).; The common app questions are fine for me due to factoring in my frosh/soph issues. Do you think my crazy upward trend (1.57 freshman avrg,2.4 soph avrg, 3.25 junior year avrg, and my projected 4.5 senior year, high scores (projected), senior course rigor (ap stats,gov,lit,environmental sci) and story will be enough for a csu? I’m taking the cources out of genuine interest and would like to go to college to satisfy my desire for knowledge. In the end I just want to contribute. No matter the path that I take, I will be something, I will find a way, and I will be what I know I can be. I’m super tired while writing this, was up reading
The problem is that CSU’s don’t look at your story. They multiply your GPA X SAT score, and that’s it.
Are you URM or attending a low-performing school?
In any case, if you have your a-g courses, it’s worth a shot at CSU’s. If you love reading and talking about what you read, apply to Chico Honors and Sonoma Hutchins.
If you want your story taken into account, you need to apply to private universities: LaVerne, Whittier, Lewis&Clark (?? not sure due to GPA!), Pacific Lutheran…?
@NCalRent my csu gpa is 3.0 factoring in my made up classes (through online program study) 2.5 without. I took an unofficial practice sat and act a few days ago and landed a 1370 for sat and 29 act (my friend printed out offical practice tests and timed us). The ap classes are more to improve my work ethic and I excell in classes that I’m genuinely interested in as I currently have over 100 in all ap classes(stats,gov,lit,apes). French and yearbook are cake. I also elected to take stats and digital photography through an online program. I’d say that I’m one of the top writers in my graduating class, so those common app questions don’t know whats coming for them. Im torn between a csu or cc to uc now. If I can even get into humboldt.
@MYOS1634 thanks for the suggestion, my index would be ~3700 right now. 3900 if I can ace the sat/act. I’m hispanic and I’m attending the statistically worst high school in my town. 75 percent grad rate.I didn’t know the csu system was so clear cut. And oh yeah!, I wasn’t paying enough attention to private colleges. I’ll definitely look into options. Thank you! What would you say my chances at sonoma hutchins are? Looks interesting.
Apply to a variety of programs - CSU’s, private, CC. Investigate community college honors programs, too.
Start your common app general file tomorrow for those private colleges.
If you’re Hispanic, colleges in the Midwest may be willing to cut you some slack for the early grades as long as you demonstrate how you love reading and learning and how that’ll carry you in college. Same for Hutchinson. I’m thinking if you can truly write excellent essays, to check out Beloit and Drake beside the colleges I listed above.
Keep working on these tests, and perhaps plan to take 2 subject tests in your strongest subjects (French and English Literature?) to show with an independent metric that you’re capable of much more than your GPA would let adcoms fear.
(and get off cc now, it’s super late and I assume you have school in a few hours Don’t jeopardize grades… We’ll be there in 12 hours :p)
If you have all the a-g boxes checked and an index around 3700 all but 3 CSUs are probably open to you.
(CP SLO, SDSU and CSULB)
You mention Humboldt in your first post, assuming you’ve covered the bases and calculated correctly- you should have no trouble with that one.
I’d encourage you to make an appointment with an admissions counselor at your nearest CSU. bring transcripts and test scores and ask for their help. I guarantee they’ll spend an hour or more making sure you have the approved courses marked off and recalculate your CSU GPA and tell you right where you stand. If you are short a course or two, you can probably check the box at your local CC while you finish Sr year.
There are honors programs at many CSUs and certainly worth a look. I am most familiar with the programs at Chico and Sac. (My son attends Chico and was in the program there for a couple of years) My recollection about Sonoma’s program is that they grant a liberal arts degree - you noted you want to study Environmental Science so that may not be the best fit. (double check that though, it has been a couple of years since I looked). Most have a supplemental application which includes and essay. Most are pretty transparent about what it takes to qualify on their web site - since you are a strong writer, you may convince them to take you a little below their GPA standard. It is certainly worth a try.
Don’t jeopardize grades… We’ll be there in 12 hours :p)