What if a student wants to attend CSU but is below the 2900 minimum?

State Forums
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My son really wants to get into a CSU school, but doing the math - GPA 2.26 x 800 and 980 on the critical reading/math portions of the SAT - I come up with 2,788, which puts him a little short of the 2900-point minimum threshold. Is that 2900 minimum threshold set in stone or does he still have a chance at some of the lesser-known CSUs like Sonoma or Stanislaus? His final second-semester junior grades are not out yet – he has finals next week and is pushing hard to get those grades up – but this is where we stand at this point. And, again, I fully understand that California residents must have a minimum eligibility index of 2900 using SAT scores or 694 using ACT scores. (The SAT score component for CSU is the sum of the mathematics and critical reading scores. Neither ACT nor SAT writing scores are included in the calculation of the CSU Eligibility Index.) My question is, if you are bubbling under the minimum, is there any flexibility?

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@CarlsbadTom: As far as I know, you need to have the minimum EI of 2900 or his application will not be considered. Is his CSU GPA really 2.26? http://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
Is there any way he can take some summer classes and raise his GPA a bit? Also he has at least 2 more testing dates to retake the SAT or try the ACT before the CSU applications are due. If he does make the minimum, he will probably need to focus on the non-impacted CSU’s such as Channel Islands, East Bay, Stanislaus, Dominguez Hills and Bakersfield.

Based on GPA and SAT score, he may not be able to handle the rigors of a 4 year university. Just because it is a Cal State does not mean it will be challenging.

Going to community college and transferring to a CSU of choice may be a better option. With an AA/AS-T degree transfer, you can get into a higher ranking CSU.

http://www.calstate.edu/transfer/degrees/AAAS-TDegreeRequirements.shtml

Good luck to him.

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@gumbymom: Yes, he goes to a very demanding private high school and only had a 2.0 his sophomore year. He is taking the SAT again in June but only saw a slight improve from his first try (470-500-570 in March, 480-500-610 in May). Too bad the writing portion doesn’t count…

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Both sons did much better on the ACT than the SAT. The ACT is offerred in September, so he should consider trying it instead. Just a little bump in his test scores will get him to that minimum.

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I agree with gumbymom that your son should consider going to community college. I’m guessing you might live in Carlsbad going by your username. If so, you might want to visit the Transfer Center at MiraCosta College:

http://miracosta.edu/studentservices/transfercenter/index.html

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Is that his CSU/UC GPA? You may find that his CSU/UC GPA is much higher than the GPA reported on his transcript, depending on how his high school weights more rigorous classes.
You may also find that some out of state public options are worth considering, like Arizona State. Try the Net Price Calculator on their website to see if it works financially.

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2900 is a hard floor - It sounds like he’s close, take the SAT again. Take the ACT - as others note, it is a very different test. Hopefully he can add enough points to make it. One other thing - Unless Sonoma is your local school, he’ll need better than 2900. They and many other lower profile schools are impacted, meaning a higher threshold (3100-3300 depending on major) is in place.

http://www.calstate.edu/sas/impaction-campus-info.shtml
This list will highlight the campuses that aren’t impacted yet.