Nearly everything about the education system has looked different in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the areas that has seen significant change is the college freshman application process. Show
The CSU system followed the similar action of many colleges and universities across the country last spring in removing the requirement of SAT or ACT test scores for those applying for the fall 2021 and following winter and spring terms. When school districts throughout California and the nation shut down last March, so did the opportunity for high school juniors to take these standardized tests. Many testing sites continued to remain closed into the fall months, leaving most of the senior class without the chance to even attempt to produce a score prior to applying for college. As coronavirus cases have continued to trend upward throughout Southern California in recent weeks and area school districts remain either partially or fully in distance learning, the CSU Chancellor’s Office on Jan. 4 issued a memo to campuses announcing the elimination of the test score requirement for freshman applicants through the 2022-2023 academic year. The extension is meant to continue to mitigate disruptions caused by COVID-19 and to be flexible and accommodating to students while helping to ensure their health and safety. Although standardized test scores have been part of the college admission path for decades, it has not been without controversy. Supporters of the testing requirement claim the scores are a solid predictor of college success and the ability for students to handle the increased level of rigor. Opponents say test scores do not tell the whole story when it comes to evaluating students’ ability. “Collectively, there have always been proponents and opponents of standardized tests,” said CSUF Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Elizabeth Zavala-Acevez. “Research shows it can be indicative, but sometimes it’s not. Overall, I think research demonstrates that standardized tests are not the only predictor for success in college. Rather, overall GPA and persistence could be better metrics to support overall success.” As an impacted campus, and with the removal of the testing requirement, CSUF is reviewing first-year applicants for the fall 2021 term based on GPA of approved A-G courses. While other CSU campuses may be utilizing additional factors to determine admission, Zavala-Acevez said that CSUF’s institutional research team looked at the possible impact of supplemental criteria and found little to no change in projected results. “We ran various models, and it basically yielded the demographic, the rigor, the pool that we would traditionally enter in a class to CSU,” Zavala-Acevez said. Detractors of standardized testing see the tests as a barrier, saying that not all students may have equal access to the level of means, resources and guidance that test preparation requires. As a result, eliminating test score submission may provide more equity for those pursuing higher education. “I think it creates an opportunity to see what happens when we actually take this barrier out of the loop,” Zavala-Acevez said. “We are a very diverse campus, and we are particularly looking at access and equity and what would be more equitable for the students in our local area.” Olivia Huie, who serves as director of counseling at JSerra Catholic High School, has helped to guide the school’s senior class through the uncertainty of this year’s college application process. With test scores still so strongly built into the culture of admissions, she saw the removal of the requirement bring both relief and anxiety. Redirecting students’ effort towards GPA, an area where they have more control, has been key. “I think for our students, even if (providing test scores) is optional, they still feel a residual stress of having an obligation to do it anyway,” Huie said. “It’s hard for the students because there are a lot of unknowns.” Those unknowns will become clearer as admission decisions are issued this spring. While national college enrollment trends continue to decline, Zavala-Acevez said the current number of CSUF applicants is nearly the same as last year. And the removal of test score requirements extending into a second academic cycle will give the university the ability to further refine its format. “We have to adjust our admissions processes, but I think it provides an opportunity for us to do something different.” Zavala-Acevez said. “I think at the CSU level, it will question, moving forward, if this all worked out great, and we still got the same demographic of student, and they are succeeding and thriving, what does that tell us about standardized testing? I think that is the important piece. This will be our starting point to see.” Cal Poly SLO, the shortened name for California Polytechnic State University—San Luis Obispo, is the most selective of the 23 schools within the massive CSU system that serves nearly half a million students. With affordable and well-regarded bachelor’s degree programs in areas such as mechanical engineering, business administration, computer science, and architecture, it’s no wonder the number of applicants to Cal Poly has more than tripled since the turn of the millennium. Given the growing popularity of this increasingly-selective public university–last year’s acceptance rate was only 29%–you will want to be aware of the following:
Many students applying to Cal Poly may also find the following blogs to be of interest:
Let’s begin with an examination of the most recent Cal Poly admissions data. Cal Poly: Acceptance Rate – Class of 2026The acceptance rate at Cal Poly freshmen competing for an opportunity to enter campus in fall 2022 was 29%, lower than the previous cycle’s 33% mark. The applicant pool totaled 58,935 hopefuls. Cal Poly Admissions – SAT/ACT policy, class rank, and GPAAs a test-blind institution, Cal Poly does not consider standardized test scores. That makes GPA the most important metric and those admitted into the Class of 2026 possessed a mid-50% GPA of 4.08-4.25. Looking back to Class of 2025 data, 49% of attending students were in the top decile of their graduating high school class; 82% were in the top quartile. The average weighted GPA for enrolled students that year was 4.01. Back when standardized tests were still considered, the mid-50% ACT range was 28-33 and the equivalent SAT range was 1240-1420. Cal Poly- Admissions Stats by CollegeCollege of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences
College of Architecture & Environmental Design
College of Engineering
College of Liberal Arts
College of Science & Mathematics
Orfalea College of Business
Admissions Trends & Notes
Who Gets In?Let’s look at the demographics of current undergraduates: Most students hailed from California and paid in-state tuition. The most common counties of residence for in-state students in the Class of 2025 were as follows:
The states sending the greatest percentage of non-resident students into the Class of 2025 were as follows:
Looking at ethnic identity, the breakdown of the entire student body is as follows:
International students came in the greatest numbers from the following countries:
The breakdown by gender of the entire student body shows a fairly even split:
“Feeder schools” into Cal Poly SLO who sent the greatest number of new undergrads to the university in 2021-22 were:
Yield RateCal Poly’s yield rate—the percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted was 27%. To compare this school to other California-based public universities, UC-Berkeley has a 40% yield, UCLA is 44%, and UC San Diego comes in at 17%. How Cal Poly SLO Rates ApplicantsThere are only two factors that this school ranks as “very important” to their admissions decision process and they are: the rigor of your courses and GPA earned within those courses. They “consider” items such as: extracurricular activities, talent/ability, first-generation status, geographical residence, volunteer work, and paid work experience. Cal Poly, along with all other California State University campuses have gone test-blind, meaning they will no longer consider SAT or ACT scores in the application process. Previously, test scores had been a “very important” component of the review process at Cal Poly. In the words of the admissions office:
Tips for Applying to Cal PolyIf you plan on joining the nearly 59,000 Mustang freshmen hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should also know the following:
Should I Apply to Cal Poly?If you earned a 4.0 (or better) weighted GPA in high school, you are a viable candidate to any program within Cal Poly –San Luis Obispo. Students with a 4.1 or 4.2 in a mostly honors/AP curriculum will fare best. That said, very few students are able to consider Cal Poly as a “safety” these days; all students need to make sure that they formulate an appropriate college list, containing a complement of “reach”, “target”, and “safety” schools. You’ll definitely want to do this in collaboration with an admissions professional who is aware of the latest trends and strategies associated with your prospective colleges.  Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020). Does class of 2023 need SAT for Cal States?The CSU will no longer use SAT and ACT scores in admissions. But what does that mean for applicants? In March 2022, the CSU Board of Trustees approved the removal of the SAT and ACT standardized tests from undergraduate admissions processes.
Does Cal Poly SLO require SAT 2024?Share this: On March 22, the CSU Board of Trustees voted unanimously to eliminate SAT and ACT standardized testing from the undergraduate admissions process for all 23 campuses.
Does Cal Poly Pomona require SAT for 2023?You must take either the SAT or ACT as a part of admission requirements. Cal Poly Pomona does not consider writing scores or subject tests for admission purposes.
Are UC test optional for 2023?The University of Cincinnati is proud to offer test-optional admission to students applying for the fall 2023 term and will continue for applicants for fall 2024. To ensure equitable opportunity for admission, ACT or SAT scores are optional for applicants to most programs for these upcoming semesters.
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