You can apply ED, you will really not have too much of an advantage especially for engineering. Your GPA is still below the average of 4.13 and ACT is just above the average of 32. Have you tried calculating your MCA points?
There really is no harm in applying ED, but realize your chances are not great depending upon the type of engineering major you are targeting. BME/CS/ME have around a 10% acceptance. SLO does not reject any applicants for ED, so if you do not get in, you will be deferred to RD. Cal Poly engineering is top notch, that is why it is a difficult admit. Apply to all the schools: SLO/UCI/UCSC and have a few solid matches and safeties also on your list if you plan to pursue engineering.
@MARJCM, are you an international candidate?
Gumbymom, I think major might have something to do with it. The student I know applied to Mechanical Engineering.
@DrGoogle: Intended major at SLO makes a very big difference on your chances for an acceptance. SLO is a very popular university for engineering. Both my son’s had the many of their friends apply for engineering in the past 2 years especially ME and very few accepted. Most are going to UC’s such as UCLA/UCB/UCSB and UCSD.
@Gumbymom and @DrGoogle, actually admission to ESci with a low MCA makes perfectly good sense. ESci is not a very competitive major. That is the real trick of understanding admission to Cal Poly, difficulty varies radically based on the major chosen, even within CENG.
@MARJCM, Cal Poly only uses ACT math and English, not your composite. What were your subscores?
@eyemgh: I agree with the your statement in regards to ESci and a low MCA, my neice is proof of that. I gave her a copy of the projected admits for each major and she made the decision to apply for ESci instead of Bio, knowing she had a much better chance. I know major makes a huge difference on your chances at SLO, but the OP is looking at engineering with a below average GPA but competitive ACT. Just trying to give OP some realistic advice and chances.
@eyemgh I second your statement as well. When I went to Cal Poly’s orientation there was a vast difference in the behavior of the software engineering majors and the computer science majors – despite the fact that both fields lure the same sorts of people.
@Gumbymom, I agree, I think CP is a stretch. I was just responding to the suggestion that there might be more to it than MCA alone. I’ve yet to find and solid evidence to believe otherwise. As always, you have great, spot on posts.
@iamjack, the CS/SE dynamic at CP is interesting. The curricula and final job placement are very similar, yet SE is WAY easier to get into than CS. It’s a simple numbers game. I think many simply look right past SE. Why? No idea.
Thanks at @eyemgh for your insight to the inner workings of Cal Poly admissions. At best you can say, is although SLO’s is a great school, all majors are not created equal…
@Gumbymom, I think that’s where some get tripped up into thinking CP is a safety school. They know a friend got in with lesser stats that theirs, maybe even soft stats, but don’t know that admission difficulty varies drastically major to major. That leads to the “I can’t believe I got into UCB for ME, but rejected by Cal Poly, my safety school” syndrome.