Applying for a CSU this year?

Good luck. It looks like a mess to me. There is much discussion on how to reduce admissions due to the $584 Million Dollar Budget cut this year according to CSU Mentor.

For the Fall 2010 term priority application period is October 1 to November 30th.

How to Apply:

Undergraduates may apply online at CSU Mentor.

First, create an account if you do not already have one. After creating an account, go to the applying page and click apply. It will open up an "application manager." The top of the page will say something like "Undergraduate Application 20-- to 20--." Beneath that there is a list of CSU colleges you may apply too. To begin applying, click on a college to start a application. If you have already applied to one, or started to apply to one it will be listed in the next boxes down.

After selecting it will send you to another page hosted by the College you are applying too.

For example if you click onto San Jose State it gives you a letter addressed by College members, Address and Contact information, and Guidelines for applying.

San Jose State Advises:

How to Apply to San Jose State University

1. Collect the following materials for completing the application
   • Your high school and/or college transcripts
   • Your test scores: SAT, ACT, AP, TOEFL (whichever is/are required or relevant)
   • The application fee of $55 (check, money order, or credit/debit card) UNLESS you qualify for an application fee waiver (see screen 12)
   
   
2. Complete the application
   • CSUMentor will be available for students to submit fall 2009 applications on October 1, 2008. You may pay:
     • with a credit or debit card
     • submit a check
     • complete the application fee waiver on CSUMentor (the application fee for up to four campuses may be waived)
   • Check the application filing dates of the campus you are interested in to be sure applications are still being accepted. For impacted campuses or programs, you must submit your fall application during the month of October or November for the following year. August is the initial filing month for spring terms. Example: October and November 2008 will be the initial filing period for fall 2009; August 2009 will be the initial filing month for spring 2010.
     
     To find out what other CSU campuses are currently accepting applications, refer to the Application Filing Status Report.
   
   
3. Apply for financial aid, if needed
   The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be accessed through www.csumentor.edu. You may also authorize CSUMentor to begin your FAFSA application after January 1 by providing data from your electronic admission application.
   
   Fall term applicants applying for financial aid should apply between January 1 and March 2 to receive priority processing. Applicants applying for a spring term should apply as soon as possible.
   
   
4. Arrange to take the English Placement Test (EPT) or Entry Level Mathematics Test (ELM) unless exempt
   CSU placement tests (EPT & ELM), if required, must usually be taken by the first Saturday in May of senior year in secondary school. All students admitted to the CSU must satisfy the EPT and ELM requirements to enroll in college level English and math courses. To understand these requirements, find out who must take them, and to learn how to satisfy the requirements, please visit the EPT and ELM Information Bulletin, the CSU Math Success Website, and the CSU English Success Website.

What happens next?
You will receive an application acknowledgement from the campus to which you applied. Read it carefully and follow any instructions about when to send in documents or when to take placement tests.

You will receive notification of your admission status.

When you are admitted to the campus, you will receive information about orientation, registration, and other activities for new students.

Information Credit to San Jose State University.

Graduation and International Students can also apply online at CSU Mentor.

Best of luck of those of you are also interested in State Colleges. Just acknowledge the State system is a mess and changes are made constantly. Please check any information you hear, or read often. Things are changing fast, so keep yourself updated.

Sincerely,

Madeline.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.

My chances in getting into San Jose State University.

The Good: Those who cannot be accommodated at SJSU will be encouraged to seek spots at a number of other California State University campuses seeking to build up their student bodies, including Cal State East Bay in Hayward and Cal State Sacramento.

The Bad: Over the next few weeks, the university does plan to send out admission packages with provisional acceptances to 10,680 new students for its class of 2013.

The Ugly: Dwindling financial resources resulting from state budget cutbacks means San Jose State University will have to turn away 4,400 qualified freshman applicants for the fall semester.

All according to the Business Journal.

This year I'm planning to apply to San Jose State, Sacramento, and San Francisco..

Though all I really want to do is go to San Jose State.

Now, I have to find out if I'm good enough for San Jose State.

Wish me luck,

Madeline

State and National Testing.

I received my State test results back from Junior Year Last week. I earned a Proficient on Biology, and US History. I took AP Biology and AP US history last year. On my english though, I learned Basic. And I had the AP English Teacher for College Prep English. Despite how well, I did in her class the state decided I was only Basic. I also took my AP Exams in English and US History and despite how I did in the class, I received one's on my exams. I was mortified. I was upset that I wasted all that money on the tests and was upset because I had felt so confident in my work on those tests.

Thus I decided, They must be wrong. Though, I have no real reason to question the results I wonder what happened to make those scores so poor. And Yet, though I tested poorly in the local college classes I take at our Junior College I pass with flying colors.

So who defines my college readiness?

The tests, or the class results?

While looking deep into my results, I noticed my EAP results for English concluded I was not ready for college english. Also it said my reading list level was 12. I also noticed though on my brother's star test results he received Advanced in English and he also had reading list 12.

How can he receive Advance and I receive Basic and earn the same reading score?

So I feel as my Dad put it, "No one cares about the State Scores anyways, forget them".

Yet, I haven't. The program seems flawed and does not seem to accurately define anyone's readiness for anything.

There are too many factors to create true results.

So I must thank colleges for not just comparing state scores but classes and electives.

Sincerely, Madeline

My School's State Test Results.

Star Results, 2009

Californian Article