<p>1) Son took SAT for first time last June.<br>
Math 650 Reading 700 Writing 640 (1990)
Do I insist he take it again to bump his math/essay score? </p>
<p>2) Does applying Early Action/Decision improve chances?</p>
<p>3) Does SLO count freshman yr in GPA? His current weighted GPA is 3.87 but would be a
bit higher without frosh year.</p>
<p>4) He wants to major in Bio. Older brother was rejected into eng program with higher<br>
GPA but an 1870 SAT and I don’t want to have him go through the same dissappointment. Is is less difficult to get into SLO in another field that the eng dept?</p>
<p>Thanks for any or all answers to the users of this site!</p>
<p>It’s not impossible by any means–I got into the architectural engineering program (one of the most selective and impacted programs at the school) with an SAT score of 1930 and a GPA of 3.9</p>
<p>1) It shouldn’t hurt to retake the SATs. Generally, I think a lot of people take it twice anyway. A 1990 is not bad by any means though. I got in for computer engineering with a 1960.</p>
<p>2) I’m not sure about this. Then again, it couldn’t hurt, can it? Unless he is not fully set on SLO. If SLO is indeed his number one school, and he should know by then if it is, then definitely apply early.</p>
<p>3) I don’t see why they wouldn’t count freshman year GPA. On the application they asked for freshman classes and grades.</p>
<p>4) Thankfully, Bio isn’t impacted (meaning it isn’t harder to get into than, say, engineering). It definitely is easier to get into SLO as something other than an engineering or architecture major.</p>
<p>All in all, I’d say he has a decent shot right now. The GPA definitely is lower than you would want it to be, however there have been people who have lower stats and have gotten in.</p>
<p>Just make sure he works hard this upcoming semester and he should be a Mustang next fall! :)</p>
<p>freshman grade counts.</p>
<p>Bio is impacted but not as bad as engineering or architecture (every major in SLO are impacted).</p>
<p>Retaking SAT sounds good, but also consider taking the ACT. SLO likes ACT.</p>
<p>Should he take ACT with or without Writing?</p>
<p>“The ACT covers four areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science. The ACT Composite score is used for admission to the CSU. The ACT also offers, as an option, the Writing Test. The CSU does not require the score from the Writing Test for admission purposes.”</p>
<p>[CSUMentor</a> - Plan for College - High School Students - Grades and Test Scores](<a href=“Cal State Apply | CSU”>Freshman: Testing Requirements | CSU)</p>
<p>You may want to take the ACT with Writing if planning on applying to UCs.</p>
<p>Cal Poly SLO prefers the ACT and says so on their web site. However, they do accept the SAT no problem. My kid took both and did good enough on the SAT but did extremely well on the ACT. We only sent in the ACT scores. Take the Writing as well for the same reasons as SLO_pop states. Give your kid options. Hire a tutor and retake that SAT if you feel it necessary. Use a tutor for the ACT as well. It made a huge difference for my kid and got him into pretty much every school he applied to.</p>
<p>Like the others have said, make your son take the ACT as well, Cal Poly prefers it and it was a much easier test in my opinion. My ACT would of turned out to be a much higher score than the ACT if you could convert it.</p>
<p>When I applied I used early decision and it certainly improved my chances of being accepted. It shows the school that you want to attend Cal Poly, but unlike most early decisions at schools it’s technically not binding and there are ways out of it.</p>
<p>Cal Poly counts freshman in the GPA.</p>
<p>I’m a biochem major and entrance to the COSAM (college of science and mathematics) is easier than the school of engineering.</p>
<p>@ OsakaDad & all, what would be the rational behind SLO preferring the ACT over the SAT? Do you think it gives a more favorable result for the average applicant? Their computer can’t care which number it tallies, there must be some advantage in profiling the applicants or possibly it skews more favorably toward a certain type of student SLO is looking for. What do you all think?</p>
<p>Great question slolearner! Instead of trying to speculate on this by myself, let’s let Cal Poly explain it in their own words. Please watch this video clip off the web site for prospective students: [Cal</a> Poly: Learn by Doing](<a href=“Cal Poly Admissions”>Cal Poly Admissions)</p>
<p>As stated in the clip, the ACT is more closely related to a general HS curriculum and therefore it shows more accurately how much a student picked up and retained in high school. Although the SAT does require a lot of general knowledge, in many ways it tests a student on how well they test. Since Cal Poly is all about hands on and learn by doing, I think that the ACT fits more into their teaching methodology. The ACT is a more practical test just like the philosophy of the school. That is my opinion.</p>
<p>Thanks OsakaDad, that makes sense. I have to admit that I never got the point of making a kid cram for the whole summer just to become a better test taker for the SAT. I realize that all of the schools have to differentiate between good, better & best among applicants. I’m pretty sure however that high SAT/ACT scores are not meaningful predictors of who will be succesfully win multiple patents or generate the most succesfull IPOs. Those are the kids we want to attract. I wonder what kind of test would predict those outcomes?</p>
<p>There is no test to predict that. Steve Jobs got a lot of creative his inspiration from his use of LSD and that combined with outrageous work ethic and perfectionism caused him to turn out the way he did. How do you test for the future success of an acid taking, college drop out with strong work ethic and perfectionist tendencies?</p>
<p>Einstein was completely written off as a lazy, day dreaming, incompetent with a limited future by his professors. Few of whom would even pick up a pen to write him a letter of recommendation for a teaching job. He ended up as a clerk in a patent office. Any test would have put him exactly where he ended up. It was no shock to him that he succeeded. However, it was a tremendous shock for many that knew him.</p>