Does anyone know what the stats are in terms of how difficult it is to become an RA? How many apply vs openings, etc? Min GPA? etc
DD wants to go there but it is quite a bit more than UVA (where she was accepted, but not in Engineering). We might be willing to pay more if we thought there was a good chance she could lower her costs by being an RA.
TIA
You have to take a class (if I rember correctly it’s a one hour credit) for a quarter. Then the pool is competitive. Call. The school will answer your question. They are very friendly and helpful on the phone. Good luck.
The minimum GPA is a 2.3 . Here’s a link to the RA website: http://www.housing.calpoly.edu/content/res_life/welcome-advisor-selection-website
I applied to be a RA/CA (Community Advisor for on campus apartments) and went through the entire application process. Anyone can apply and sign up for the class. You can elect to take the class for units or not and it is graded credit/no credit. You can definitely lower your housing costs quite a bit by being and a RA or CA by getting free housing and some money to buy on campus food (assuming nothing’s changed in the two years since I graduated). It is a time consuming position, but as long as your daughter has good time management, it is definitely doable, and can be very rewarding if it is truly something she is interested in doing.
It’s become more competitive in recent years, but there are some things she can do her freshman year to increase her chances of becoming a RA/CA. Assuming she wants to be an advisor starting her second year at Cal Poly, she should ideally live on campus her freshman year and get involved with her dorm’s community council. It’s also helpful to get to know a current RA/CA well so that she can get a good idea of what their job is like, and might also help her in the recommendation process (don’t want to say they play favorites, but someone who applies and is well known as being involved and interested in housing activities by their RA/CA almost definitely has a better chance at getting selected than someone who just randomly decides to apply).
Most people who go through the application process, but don’t get selected are notified that they are an alternate (as I was). In this case, there is still a decent chance you might become an advisor if someone who was initially selected decides not to take the position, or if someone leaves the position mid-year (which happens more often than you might expect). While I never became an advisor, I was roommates with one for a couple years in the on campus apartments (PCV), so I know a decent amount about what the job is like. Feel free to reach out with any additional questions!