What does Cal Poly look for in applicants?

To get into Cal Poly (SLO), you need strong high school academics, focusing on specific "a-g" courses with excellent grades (often 3.9+ weighted GPA), particularly for competitive majors like Engineering (4.1+ GPA range). They use a Multi-Criteria Admission (MCA) process, valuing leadership, extracurriculars, challenging coursework (AP/IB/Honors), and essays, with no SAT/ACT required for freshman admission.

How does Cal Poly select students?

All candidates are objectively evaluated by the cognitive and non-cognitive variables under our faculty-mandated Multi-Criteria Admission (MCA) process. We encourage students to apply to the program they feel best fits their academic and professional goals.

How do I increase my chances of getting into Cal Poly SLO?

Because this school is very selective, strong academic scores are critical to improving your chances of admission. If you're able to score a 1420 SAT or a 33 ACT or above, you'll have a very strong chance at getting in. For a school as selective as Cal Poly, rounding out the rest of your application will also help.

What majors are easiest to get into at Cal Poly SLO?

The "easiest" majors at Cal Poly SLO, meaning those with higher acceptance rates or more applicant-to-space ratio, tend to be in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) (like Plant Sciences, Dairy Science, Agricultural Systems Management, Wine & Viticulture, Ag Communication) and some within the College of Engineering (Industrial Engineering, Industrial Technology & Packaging, Bioresource & Agricultural Engineering) or Liberal Arts (Liberal Studies, Recreation Parks & Tourism), though "easy" is relative as all majors are competitive. Programs like Psychology, Computer Science, and some Engineering fields are notoriously difficult to get into. 

How hard is it to get accepted into Cal Poly?

Yes, Cal Poly is considered hard to get into, especially for popular majors, due to its high selectivity, large applicant pool (often exceeding 80,000), and "impacted campus" status, meaning many qualified applicants aren't admitted. Admission is competitive and relies on a comprehensive review, with strong academics (high GPA, test scores if applicable) and a well-rounded application being crucial, though some majors have extremely low acceptance rates (under 4%). 

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Is it harder to get into UCLA or Cal Poly?

UCLA is generally harder to get into than Cal Poly SLO based on overall acceptance rates, but Cal Poly becomes extremely competitive, even harder than some UCs for specific programs like Computer Science, making the choice depend heavily on your major and qualifications. While UCLA's overall admission is tougher (around 9-10% acceptance), Cal Poly's selectivity has surged, with some majors seeing <4% acceptance rates, rivaling top UCs. 

What is the 25-35 rule at Cal Poly?

The Cal Poly "25-35 rule" is a guideline recommending students study 25-35 hours per week, or about two hours of study time for every one hour of class time (2 hours/unit), treating coursework like a full-time job (40-50 hour work week) to manage the demanding quarter system. This means dedicating significant time outside of class for self-learning, reading, and assignments to keep up with the fast pace and build deep understanding. 

What are the 10 hardest majors to get into at Cal Poly?

The hardest majors to get into at Cal Poly SLO are consistently in high-demand fields like Computer Science, Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and Psychology, often with acceptance rates below 5%, alongside competitive majors in Biological Sciences, Kinesiology, Marine Sciences, and emerging fields like Public Health and Statistics, with exact rankings shifting yearly based on applicant pools but generally favoring STEM and popular health/social science majors. 

What are the feeder schools for Cal Poly?

“Our largest feeder schools are Cuesta College, Allan Hancock College, San Luis Obispo High School, and Arroyo Grande High School. Students who graduated from a local high school remain twice as likely to gain admission to Cal Poly than those outside our local area.”

Is Cal Poly SLO or SDSU harder to get into?

A Chronicle analysis of admissions rates found that Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is the most competitive school in the California State University system.

Does Cal Poly look at extracurriculars?

Extracurricular Activities and Work Experience

Cal Poly takes your activities such as work experience, internships, volunteer programs and extracurricular activities into consideration. We are also interested in any leadership roles you may have held in these activities.

Is a waitlist basically a rejection?

No, being waitlisted is not the same as being rejected; it means you're in a holding pattern—not accepted, but not a definite "no"—where you might get an offer if spots open up after initially accepted students decline their offers, making it better than a rejection but still uncertain, so you should treat it as a "maybe" and have backup plans. 

Which CSU is hardest to get into?

The hardest CSU to get into is consistently Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (SLO), often cited for its low acceptance rates (around 30% or less) and high academic standards, rivaling some University of California campuses. Other highly competitive CSUs include San Diego State (SDSU) and CSU Long Beach (CSULB), with particularly difficult-to-enter programs like Nursing, Engineering, and Computer Science being extremely selective across the system. 

How likely is it to get accepted after being waitlisted?

Waitlist confirmation probability varies by system (trains, universities), calculated by algorithms using historical data, current demand, and cancellations, often shown as a percentage (e.g., <50% red, >65% green) or specific statuses like GNWL (higher chance) vs. RLWL (lower chance). Higher waitlist numbers, off-peak travel, and specific quotas (like GNWL) generally improve odds, while fewer available seats or high demand decrease them.
 

What companies recruit from Cal Poly?

Cal Poly grads are working at top employers, including Abbot, Amazon, Applied Medical, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, LinkedIn, Northrop Gruman, PwC and SpaceX.

What is the easiest Cal Poly to get into?

Here are the last 5 least competitive majors for freshman applicants at Cal Poly in 2024-25 (based on % of seats available vs. applicants): 6️⃣ Plant Sciences – 23.8% 7️⃣ Agricultural Science – 23% 8️⃣ Food Science – 22% 9️⃣ City & Regional Planning – 21.8% 🔟 Dairy Science – 21.4% What does this mean?

What is the #1 community college in California?

There's no single "#1" community college in California, as rankings vary by source and focus (e.g., transfers, online, affordability), but Irvine Valley College (IVC), Foothill College, and Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) consistently rank high, with IVC often cited as #1 by WalletHub for overall quality, Foothill praised for online programs and overall experience by Niche, and Mt. SAC noted by EdSmart for its vast programs and value.
 

Is Cal Poly or UCLA harder to get into?

UCLA is generally harder to get into than Cal Poly SLO based on overall acceptance rates, but Cal Poly becomes extremely competitive, even harder than some UCs for specific programs like Computer Science, making the choice depend heavily on your major and qualifications. While UCLA's overall admission is tougher (around 9-10% acceptance), Cal Poly's selectivity has surged, with some majors seeing <4% acceptance rates, rivaling top UCs. 

What is the #1 easiest major?

There's no single #1 easiest major, as it depends on your strengths, but Psychology, Education, English, and Criminal Justice frequently rank as the easiest due to higher average GPAs and less demanding technical skills compared to STEM fields, often focusing on human behavior, societal structures, and communication. Majors like Sociology, Social Work, and Communications are also commonly cited as easier liberal arts options. 

What is the least impacted major at Cal Poly?

At Cal Poly SLO, liberal arts and humanities majors generally have less competition compared to engineering, architecture, and certain disciplines in the sciences. Examples of less impacted majors include English, history, philosophy, psychology, and sociology.

What are the top 3 majors?

The top 3 most popular college majors consistently include Business, Health Professions (like Nursing), and Social Sciences/Psychology, often followed by Engineering/Computer Science, based on enrollment and degree conferral data in the U.S. These fields dominate due to broad career paths (Business), high demand/job security (Health), and strong earning potential (Engineering/CS), though rankings vary slightly by source.
 

Do colleges really look at senior year grades?

Depending on when you receive your college admissions letters, the use of your senior year grades could vary. For students who are applying for Regular Decision (as opposed to early decision or on a rolling admissions basis), then colleges will surely request your grades from your first quarter of senior year.

What day do Cal Poly decisions come out?

Admission Notification

All applicants will be notified of their admission status by April 1.

What percent of Cal Poly is white?

The racial composition of California Polytechnic State University includes 57.13% White, 16.8% Asian, and smaller percentages for Black or African American, other race, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and multiracial populations.