I’m an incoming junior in high school and I have a 2.7 CSU GPA and my last PSAT score was a 1260. What can I do between now and my senior year to improve my chances of getting into the schools I like? I would like to major in Political Science and my top school would either be SDSU or CSUN. Thanks!
Are you local for any of these CSU’s?
SDSU is out of reach unless you are local and can get your CSU GPA into the 3.6+ range which is not mathematically possible. I would say for the rest of the CSU’s getting your CSU GPA up to a 3.0 by end of Junior year and bumping up your SAT score will help but no guarantees.
How Cal States admit:
The Cal states admit by major and eligibility index. They really only consider GPA/Test scores/Geographic location and HS course rigor. Other than Cal Poly SLO, your EC’s are not considered.
You need to calculate your CSU/UC GPA using grades from a-g courses taken 10-11th.
https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
Not sure which courses are a-g and will give you extra honors points, then use this link by typing in your HS name?
https://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcourselist#/list/search/institution
Cal states and the majority of the UC’s use the capped weighted GPA.
Then calculate your Eligibility index:
(CSU/UC GPA x800)+ (ACT composite x10) or (CSU/UC GPA x800) + (SAT Math+CR).
You will then be ranked based on EI and major and they accept from the top down until all spots are filled.
You will get priority at your local CSU which you can look up on this link. Local applicants usually require a lower EI to get an acceptance unless the program is highly impacted.
http://www.calstate.edu/sas/onestopkiosk/documents/CSULocalAdmission-ServiceAreas.pdf
SDSU local EI around a 3900+ or non-local 4100+
CSUN local EI around 2900+ or non-local 3700+
Impacted majors at all campuses will require a higher EI for admission. Try hard to reach the 3.0 CSU GPA for CSUN/SFSU and HSU.
for HSU and SFSU you’ve got a good chance with Bs next year - the others are going to take a a near 4.0 next year.
For Poli Sci, I’d take a look at Sac… state capitol and all makes it a great pace for that major.
I’m local to all of these schools! I’m from LA haha
Wow! I’ve actually never thought of that. Does Sac have a decent social atmosphere as well?
decent social atmosphere is pretty subjective… decent for one may be redneck or dead for another.
Like SF and Northridge, there’s no question most students commute from their parent’s homes in the surrounding area but, there are dorms on campus and student dense areas of housing near campus and rents are pretty reasonable (by CA standards . You have to work a little harder to find it than a real residential school like SDSU or Chico but, there are Frats/sororities/clubs/IM Sports and much more student centric activities on and around campus. Sac also has a killer track (they recently hosted USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships) and gym D1 sports to watch (though the football team doesn’t win often) and is located adjacent the American River Parkway, which extends from down-town Sac aout 25 miles all the way to Folsom Lake - trails bikes, running, and a world class rowing facility at the CSUS Aquatic center. The Aquatic Center frequently hosts high profile events like the Collegiate National Rowing Championships but, most days offers instruction - for example, a PE classes in sailing/kayaking/wakeboarding and rents kayaks and sail boats to students on the cheap . There are
Of course, the capitol is also a short trek, making poli sci internships for legislators, lobbying firms and the like more common than you’d think.
Check it out and see what you think.