Hello All, Coming up with a list of Reach, Match and Safe school for my Son. He is interested in CS, CE, SE. Weighted GPA 3.7, SAT score - 1460.
Looks like UCs are out of reach. Please guide us through…
Other than Cal Poly SLO, all CSU’s admit by eligibility index and major.
EI= (CSU GPA x800) + (SAT Math + EBRW) so his EI is 4420. Other than SJSU for CS (EI last year was 4675) and Cal Poly SLO, he has a good chance at all CSU’s for any of the above majors.
He can apply to SLO and SJSU for better odds. His EI is above the SE threshold at SJSU and SE is slightly easier than CE/CS at SLO but it will still be a Reach.
SLO uses MCA points vs. EI so here is the calculator: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/cal-poly-san-luis-obispo/2128874-understanding-the-mca-plus-calculator.html
For CS/CE, he can apply to SDSU, CSU Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona, CSU Fullerton as possible target schools.
For Safety schools, he should apply to his local CSU due to local priority and consider SFSU and/or CSU East Bay.
Any other CSU’s of interest would also be fine and just because you never know, I would throw in UC Riverside and Santa Cruz.
My younger son has similar stats and got into all the above mentioned CSU’s except SLO and attended SDSU as a CS major.
Best of luck to your son.
Thanks Gumbymom. Apprecate your insights.
Some more information below. The link for the Cal State impacted majors and campuses: https://www.calstate.edu/sas/documents/ImpactedProgramsMatrix.pdf
Also check out the ABET accreditation for any campus of interest. ABET accreditation provides assurance that a college or university program meets the quality standards of the profession for which that program prepares graduates. Although not as important for CS vs. Engineering, it still helps validate the program curriculums are similar and consistent between schools.
SJSU is the only CSU that lists their EI thresholds by major each year. Here is the link for the 2019 data:
http://www.sjsu.edu/admissions/impaction/impactionresultsfreshmen/index.html
Also for Engineering majors only, SJSU has a modified EI so here is the calculation:
Calculating the Impaction Index for College of Engineering programs
Beginning Fall 2017, applicants to programs in the College of Engineering (COE) will be ranked based on a modified Eligibility Index giving greater weight to the math sections of the SAT and ACT.
- To calculcate the COE impaction index, you will need to calculate a total SAT score (math and EBRW) in the following way:
a. For SAT scores from a test date after March 1, 2016:
[(SAT Math * 3) + (EBRW)]/2 = COE total SAT score
- Once you have a total SAT score from step 1 above, put that total SAT score in to the CSU eligibility index equation to calculate the COE impaction index for SJSU:
[SAT Score Total + (GPA * 800)] = COE impaction index
as usual, well covered by @ gumbymom
Just adding Chico as an option if he;s looking for the ‘college town’ feel … smaller school and town than most of the CSUs but still very credible CS program
Hi Gumbymom - Quick question on the MCA calculation for Calpoly… Looks like 5 years of English is needed.
English (8/10/50/100)
My son does not have 5 years of English. Only 4 years, including the senior year. Does enrolling in community college or BYU will help.
Please let know your thoughts
Yes, enrolling in a CC course or an approved on-line course can give him the extra year of English. If he has maxed out his rigor points with Math and science courses, then the English course may be moot.
Thanks Gumbymom for the guidance.
Weighted GPA from the high school can be misleading.
Recalculate GPA using https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/ . CSU uses the “weighted capped” version to calculate into the EI (or CPSLO MCA). Most UC web sites use the “weighted capped” version unless otherwise specified.
Also note that all the CSU’s except SLO use 10-11th grades in their GPA calculation with the 8 semester honors cap, but SLO uses 9-11th grades with the 8 semester honors cap. Also for SLO make sure when filling out the Cal State apply application, you include Algebra/Geometry courses along with Foreign Language courses taken in Middle school which contribute to the rigor bonus points in the MCA calculation.
Hi Gumbymom,
DS MCA is around 4500. Is Graphics Communication @ SLO a possibility?
TIA.
I think he is competitive with his MCA score. Here are some examples of 2019 admitted students:
Graphic Communication
MCA: 4332
In state
ACCEPTED!!
Graphic Communication
4369
CSU gpa 3.92
29 ACT
In-state
Accepted
Graphic Communications
MCA: ~5057
GPA: ~4.2
SAT: ~1310
In state local
Accepted!
Accepted into Graphic Communications!
MCA too lazy
3.98
1450 SAT
29 ACT
Instate
Thanks Gumbymom. Appreciated the quick response.