What are my chances?

By the end of my junior year, my weighted gpa would be a 3.8. I took ap calc ab and will take bc my senior year. I am also going to take AP Physics C Mechanics next year as well. My SAT is a 1550 and my ACT is a 34. I have a fair amount of extra curricular and volunteering but no employed job experience (only self employed such as private tutoring etc.) What are the chances of me getting into Cal Poly SLO as an electrical engineer or a physics major.

Go to the link below and calculate your MCA. Remember to use the CSU GPA calculator with 9-11 grades.

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/cal-poly-san-luis-obispo/2128874-understanding-the-mca-plus-calculator-p1.html

One thing to consider. Apply an easier to get into major in the College of Engineering (IE, etc) and then transfer to EE after one quarter. Easy to do as long as you don’t want to transfer into one of the CS related majors.

@iulianc, that is not advice I would personally give.

Although changing majors within the CENG is certainly possible and many have done it, there is critical information that we are missing when looking at those anecdotal examples, mainly the MCA score of those who were able to complete that task.

One of the criteria that they use (see the whole policy below) is this: “a. Eligibility for the proposed major at the time of admission.” That means if they didn’t have the MCA to get into a specific major as a first time freshman, they may be denied. CP does this specifically to avoid back dooring into a more difficult admit via the route you’ve suggested. Swimming down stream (e.g. from ME to IE) is much more common and easy that swimming up stream (e.g. IE to EE). Moving from IE to EE, although possible, could depend on the original application. It is not without significant risk.

http://www.catalog.calpoly.edu/academicstandardsandpolicies/otherinformation/#ChangeofMajor

You might be right @eyemgh, that’s what I said that this is something to consider, although there are some subtleties there :slight_smile:

My daughter has a friend who switched from IE to EE this year and she told me it was extremely easy. I am not sure though what was the GPA, etc.

The switching within the College of Engineering seems to be a lot easier based on this info: https://eadvise.calpoly.edu/change-majors-to-aero-bmed-ce-ee-enve-gene-ie-mfge-mate-or-me/

There is no mention whatsoever about eligibility at admission and the GPA requirements are very lenient for some of the majors. The language in your link is vague and states clearly “the department may consider” and it does not appear to apply for switching within CoE as long as you’re not going into a CS related major.

The only way I would pursue that strategy is if 1) my MCA would be close to being competitive for the destination major anyway and 2) that I’d be happy in the original major if I was denied. Every college is governed by the overriding rules of the university. They are vague for a reason…to give the school a mechanism to block back dooring. May consider means absolutely that. A student isn’t barred from attempting and may well be successful, but they will not be guaranteed. It’s risky. Leading a student to believe it is “easy to do” only tells part of the story. It’s easy for some and impossible for others. It’s ALWAYS easiest to start in your preferred major.

On a more interesting note, the OP ghosted out without supplying the information necessary to say how competitive they would be. They might be a great match for EE anyway.