031_CentersInstitutes

56 / sacramento state admission, freshmen california state university, sacramento

freshmen

sacramento state admission

First-time Freshmen

Admissions and Recor ds

Lassen Hall Lobby

The following section outlines the requirements for admission to

Sacramento State and other CSU campuses. A high school or com-

munity college counselor or the admissions office at California State

University, Sacramento should be contacted for further questions.

Generally, first-time freshman applicants will qualify for regular

admission if they:

1. graduated high school,

2. have a qualifiable minimum eligibility index (see section on

Eligibility Index), and

3. have completed with grades of “C” or better each of the

courses in the comprehensive pattern of college preparatory

subject requirements (see “Subject Requirements”).

Honors Courses

Up to eight semesters of approved honors courses taken in the

last two years of high school including up to two approved courses

taken in the tenth grade, can be accepted. Each unit (one year)

of grade “A” in an honors course will receive 5 points; grade “B”,

4 points; and grade “C”, 3 points.

Test Requirements

Freshman applicants with grade point averages below 3.00 (3.61

for nonresidents) must submit scores from either the SAT I or

the ACT. Applicants with grade point averages of 3.00 or above

(3.61 for nonresidents) are not required to submit test scores.

However, applicants are urged to take and submit scores from

one of the two tests because these test results are used for advis-

ing and placement purposes and may be required for admission

to impacted majors or programs.

Foreign Language Subject Requirement

The foreign language subject requirement may be satisfied by

applicants who demonstrate competence in a language other than

English equivalent to or higher than expected of students who

complete two years of foreign language study. Consult with a

school counselor or any CSU admissions office for information.

Subject Requirements

The California State University requires that first-time freshman

applicants complete, with grades of “C” or better, a comprehen-

sive pattern of college preparatory study totaling 15 units. A “unit”

is one year of study in high school.

• 2 years of social science, including 1 year of U.S. history, or

U.S. history and government

• 4 years of English

• 3 years of math (algebra, geometry and intermediate algebra)

• 2 years of laboratory science (l biological and 1 physical, both

with labs)

• 2 years in the same language foreign language (subject to

waiver for applicants demonstrating equivalent competence)

• 1 year of visual and performing arts: art, dance, drama/the-

ater, or music

• 1 year of electives: selected from English, advanced math-

ematics, social science, history, laboratory science, foreign

language, and visual and performing arts.

Note: All admission requirements (i.e., grade point average, test scores

and subjects) must be completed prior to the summer semester for a

fall enrollment and the fall semester for a spring enrollment.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Sacramento State recognizes completion of the International

Baccalaureate (IB) program as satisfying the college preparatory

subject requirements for admission.* The applicant’s high school

GPA and score on the ACT or SAT I will also be used in deter-

mining eligibility for admission.

*See Academic Policies/Credit by Examination/Sacramento State

Equivalencies for IB Exams, page 106.

Eligibility Index

The eligibility index is the combination of a high school grade

point average and a score on either the ACT or the SAT. Begin-

ning with admission for fall 2004, a grade point average is based

on grades earned in courses taken during the final three years of

high school that all college preparatory “a-g” subject require-

ments, and bonus points for approved honors courses (exclud-

ing physical education and military science).

Up to eight semesters of honors courses taken in the last two years

of high school, including up to two approved courses taken in the

tenth grade, can be accepted. Each unit of “A” in an honors course

will receive a total of 5 points; “B”, 4 points; and “C”, 3 points.

A CSU Eligibility Index (EI) can be calculated by multiplying a

grade point average by 800 and adding a total score on the SAT

I. Students who took the ACT multiply the grade point average

by 200 and add ten times the ACT composite score. California

high school graduates (or residents of California for tuition pur-

poses) need a minimum index of 2900 using the SAT I or 694

using the ACT. The Eligibility Index Table illustrates several com-

binations of required test scores and averages.

Persons who neither graduated from a California high school or are

residents of California for tuition purposes need a minimum index

of 3502 (SAT I) or 842 (ACT). Graduates of secondary schools in

foreign countries must be judged to have academic preparation and

abilities equivalent to applicants eligible under this section.

When the grade point average is 3.00 or above (3.61 for nonresi-

dents), applicants are not required to submit test scores. However,

all applicants for admission are urged to take the SAT I or ACT

because campuses use these test results for advising and placement

purposes and may require them for admission to impacted majors

or programs. Impacted CSU campuses usually require SAT I or

ACT scores of all applicants for freshman admissions.

california state university, sacramento sacramento state admission, freshmen / 57

sacramento state admission, freshmen

Registration forms and the dates for either test may be obtained

from school or college counselors or from a campus Testing Of-

fice. Testing information is also available at the Sacramento State

web site, www.csus.edu or by writing to:

College Board (SAT I)

Registration Unit, Box 6200

Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6200

(609) 771-7600 www.collegeboard.org

American College Testing Program (ACT)

Registration Unit, P.O. Box 414

Iowa City, Iowa 52243

(319) 337-1270 www.act.org

Applicants will qualify for regular admission when the university

verifies that they have graduated from high school, have a qualifi-

able minimum eligibility index, have completed the comprehen-

sive pattern of college preparatory “a-g” subjects, and, if applying

to an impacted program, have met all supplementary criteria.*

Graduates of secondary schools in foreign countries will be judged

to have academic preparation and abilities equivalent to appli-

cants eligible under this section.

*Refer to Application to Sacramento State/Undergraduate/Im-

pacted Programs, page 53.

Subject Requirement Substitution for

Students with Disabilities

Applicants with disabilities are strongly encouraged to complete

college preparatory course requirements if at all possible. If an

applicant is judged unable to fulfill a specific course require-

ment because of his or her disability, alternate college prepara-

tory courses may be substituted for specific subject requirements.

Substitutions may be authorized on an individual basis after re-

view and recommendation by the applicant’s academic advisor

or guidance counselor in consultation with the director of a CSU

disabled student services program. Although the distribution may

be slightly different from the course pattern required of other

students, students qualifying for substitutions will still be held

for 15 units of college preparatory study.

Students should be aware that course substitutions might limit

later enrollment in certain majors, particularly those involving

mathematics. For further information and substitution forms,

please call the director of disabled student services at the nearest

CSU campus.

Provisional Admission

Sacramento State may provisionally admit first-time freshman

applicants based on their academic preparation through the jun-

ior year of high school and planned for the senior year. The cam-

pus will monitor the senior year of study to ensure that those so

admitted complete their senior year of studies satisfactorily, in-

cluding the required college preparatory subjects, and graduate

from high school. Students are required to submit an official

transcript after graduation to certify that all course work has been

satisfactorily completed. A campus may rescind admission deci-

sions for students who are found not to be eligible after the final

transcript has been evaluated.

Eligibility Index Table for

California High School Graduates

or Residents of California

2.67 16 770

2.66 17 780

2.65 17 780

2.64 17 790

2.63 17 800

2.62 17 810

2.61 18 820

2.60 18 820

2.59 18 830

2.58 18 840

2.57 18 850

2.56 19 860

2.55 19 860

2.54 19 870

2.53 19 880

2.52 19 890

2.51 20 900

2.50 20 900

2.49 20 910

2.48 20 920

2.47 20 930

2.46 21 940

2.45 21 940

2.44 21 950

2.43 21 960

2.42 21 970

2.41 22 980

2.40 22 980

2.39 22 990

2.38 22 1000

2.37 22 1010

2.36 23 1020

2.35 23 1020

2.34 23 1030

2.33 23 1040

2.32 23 1050

2.31 24 1060

2.30 24 1060

2.29 24 1070

2.28 24 1080

2.27 24 1090

2.26 25 1100

2.25 25 1100

2.24 25 1110

2.23 25 1120

2.22 25 1130

2.21 26 1140

2.20 26 1140

2.19 26 1150

2.18 26 1160

2.17 26 1170

2.16 27 1180

2.15 27 1180

2.14 27 1190

2.13 27 1200

2.12 27 1210

2.11 28 1220

2.10 28 1220

2.09 28 1230

2.08 28 1240

2.07 28 1250

2.06 29 1260

2.05 29 1260

2.04 29 1270

2.03 29 1280

2.02 29 1290

2.01 30 1300

2.00 30 1300

Below 2.0 does not

qualify for regular

admission

ACT SAT 1

GPA Score Score

3.00 and above

qualifies with

any score

2.99 10 510

2.98 10 520

2.97 10 530

2.96 11 540

2.95 11 540

2.94 11 550

2.93 11 560

2.92 11 570

2.91 12 580

2.90 12 580

2.89 12 590

2.88 12 600

2.87 12 610

2.86 13 620

2.85 13 620

2.84 13 630

2.83 13 640

2.82 13 650

2.81 14 660

2.80 14 660

2.79 14 670

2.78 14 680

2.77 14 690

2.76 15 700

2.75 15 700

2.74 15 710

2.73 15 720

2.72 15 730

2.71 16 740

2.70 16 740

2.69 16 750

2.68 16 760

ACT SAT 1

GPA Score Score

ACT SAT 1

GPA Score Score

International Students

The CSU must assess the academic preparation of foreign stu-

dents. For this purpose, “foreign students” include those who

hold U.S. visas as students, exchange visitors, or in other nonim-

migrant classifications. Foreign visa students graduating from

U.S. high schools after three years of attendance will be admit-

ted as freshmen under the same requirements as graduates of

California high schools by use of the eligibility index.

Those graduating from foreign high schools (or from California

high schools after less than three years of attendance) may be

admitted if their achievement is equivalent to that of eligible

California high school graduates. They also may need to com-

plete the TOEFL requirement.*

*Refer to Application to Sacramento State/ International Stu-

dents/TOEFL Requirement, page 54.

58 / sacramento state admission, freshmen california state university, sacramento

sacramento state admission, freshmen

Special Categories

Adult Students

As an alternate to regular admission criteria, an applicant who is

25 years of age or older may be considered for admission as an

adult student if he/she meets all of the following conditions:

1. possesses a high school diploma (or has established equiva-

lence through either the Tests of General Educational Devel-

opment or the California High School Proficiency Exami-

nation);

2. has not been enrolled in college as a full-time student for

more than one term during the past five years; and

3. has earned a “C” average or better in all college work at-

tempted, if there has been any college attendance in the last

five years.

Consideration will be based upon a judgment as to whether the

applicant is as likely to succeed as a regularly admitted freshman

and will include an assessment of basic skills in the English lan-

guage and mathematical computation.

*See also Campus Life/Campus Services/Services for Reentry

Students, page 34.

Educational Opportunity Program

EOP, a special admission and support program for students who

possess the potential and motivation to succeed, is designed to

improve access and retention of low-income and educationally

disadvantaged students among California residents who wish to

pursue a college education.*

*See Centers for Academic Support/EOP, page 47.

Veterans

Veterans of United States active duty military service with hon-

orable discharges applying for admission within four years of

their date of discharge who are also California residents may be

admitted as first-time freshmen, even though such applicants

are not otherwise eligible. Veterans who wish to be admitted

under this provision should contact an admission counselor.*

*See also Application to Sacramento State/CSU Impacted Pro-

grams/Supplemental Criteria, page 53.

High School Non-Graduates

Applicants over 18 years of age who have not graduated from

high school are considered for admission only when their prepa-

ration in all other ways is such that Sacramento State believes

their promise of academic success is equivalent to that of eligible

California high school graduates. These applicants may be re-

quired to submit scores of the ACT or SAT I. Applicants should

consult with an admissions counselor concerning eligibility for

admission.

High School Students

Admissions and Recor ds

Lassen Hall Lobby

Students still enrolled in high school will be considered for en-

rollment in certain special programs if recommended by their

principal and the appropriate campus department chair and if

their preparation is equivalent to that required of eligible Cali-

fornia high school graduates. Such admission is only for a spe-

cific program and does not constitute the right to continued

enrollment.

These programs include:

1. Accelerated College Entrance (ACE) for talented students

who can benefit from accelerated academic studies, (916)

278-7032;

2. Capitol Center MESA for underrepresented students in CSU

mathematics, engineering and science programs, (916) 278-

6699.

Students accepted into these programs qualify for reduced fees

(total of $5 per semester).

High school students other than those accepted into the above

programs may also enroll concurrently in college courses with-

out fee reduction upon approval of parents, high school princi-

pal and appropriate Sacramento State academic department

chairs.

Applicants Not Regularly Eligible

Applicants not admissible under one of the above provisions

should enroll at a community college or another appropriate in-

stitution in preparatory courses to meet eligibility requirements.

Only under the most unusual circumstances and only by special

action will such applicants be admitted to Sacramento State.

Advanced Standing Credit and

Advanced Placement Exams

www.csus.edu/admr/evaltce.html

Sacramento State grants advanced standing credit for system-

approved, college-level examinations or courses taken by students

while in high school.

• Students may be granted up to 6 units for each Advanced

Placement (AP) examination for which a score of 3, 4, or 5 is

earned.

• Transferable college courses completed as a high school stu-

dent will be evaluated for possible college credit upon re-

ceipt of an official college transcript.