collageCal Poly, San Luis ObispoCal Poly SLO does not have Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) programs with any California community college, including Cuesta. Our students compete on the same playing field as all other transfer students in the Cal Poly SLO’s selection process.
Cal Poly SLO does not have Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) programs with any California community college, including Cuesta. Our students compete on the same playing field as all other transfer students in the Cal Poly SLO’s selection process.
One of the most important statistics when considering transferring to a university is acceptance rates (the percentage of students that were actually accepted out of those who applied). Although Cal Poly SLO’s acceptance rates have been on an overall decline since Fall 2007 (meaning it’s been getting more competitive and tougher to get in), acceptance rates to Cal Poly SLO for Cuesta students have remained among the highest in the state and substantially higher than the statewide average. Here are the numbers for 2007-2020.
| Term | Cuesta Acceptance Rate | Transfer Average |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2021 | 49% (Preliminary number) | 12% (Preliminary number) |
| Fall 2020 | 52% | 19% |
| Fall 2019 | 36% | 14% |
| Fall 2018 | 36% | 15% |
| Fall 2017 | 47% | 21% |
| Fall 2016 | 47% | 19% |
| Fall 2015 | 47% | 19% |
| Fall 2014 | 39% | 17% |
| Fall 2013 | 51% | 24% |
| Fall 2012 | 36% | 19% |
The other impressive fact about Cuesta students transferring to Cal Poly SLO is that every year literally hundreds more students are accepted to Cal Poly SLO from Cuesta than any other community college in the state.
A few reasons explain why Cuesta students do so well in the Cal poly selection process:
- Cuesta students are highly motivated and many are focused on transferring to Cal Poly SLO so they prepare themselves very well.
- Cuesta has more comprehensive course articulation with Cal Poly than most other community colleges, especially in majors such as Agriculture, Architecture, Engineering where students can complete all of the required/desired courses for admission.
- Our counselors are kept up-to-date on the transfer selection process and the Cal Poly admission point system so they advise our students effectively.
Check out the Cal Poly Transfer Selection Criteria. There you’ll find a more detailed picture of what a particular major is looking for in an applicant.
Also, visit www.assist.org for course equivalency information from the community colleges to UC or CSU universities. For example, first choose Cal Poly then choose Cuesta College and then your transfer major.
Click here to visit the Cal Poly admissions YouTube page!
Currently Enrolled Cal Poly Students:
Refer to Evaluations Form and Transcript Processing Timeline for information about when we process transfer work for current Cal Poly students. Once the official transcript has been evaluated, courses will be added to the student’s record and will be viewable on the Degree Progress Report.
Transfer work received after the last day of classes will be evaluated after the Expected Academic Progress (EAP) gauge updates the next quarter; we will make every effort to do so before registration begins, in order to help students meet prerequisites.
Requesting Transcripts from Other Schools:
Once you have completed course(s) from another institution, please request for them to send your official transcript to:Cal Poly
Transcript Processing
MC 1001
1 Grand Avenue
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Cal Poly will accept transcripts received via Parchment. If your school is registered with Parchment, please select Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as your institution and your transcripts will be sent directly to us.
If your institution provides certified electronic transcripts through a provider other than Parchment, please have those transcripts sent directly from your institution to cptrans1@calpoly.edu
Final Transcripts Required:
The Evaluations Unit requires students to send transcripts from ALL external colleges and universities where enrollment has occurred, even if those courses are not needed to count towards the Cal Poly degree. The Evaluations Unit will not award a student’s degree until all transcripts are sent with final grades/resolution. Final grades/resolution may be a letter grade, a grade of W, or the removal of the course from the transcript. If a transcript is received with “in progress” grades, Evaluations will hold for the final grades/resolution, even if a student withdraws or fails.
Articulation and ASSIST
ASSIST is the official transfer and articulation system for California’s public colleges and universities.
- The ASSIST Database
- How to Use ASSIST
Course articulation agreements up to and including the 2019-2020 academic year are currently published and available, including agreements between Cal Poly and all California Community Colleges.
To search for articulation, choose an Academic Year, select Cal Poly (“California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo”) as the home Institution, and a Community College from the Other Institutions drop-down menu.
Once you have established your choices, you have access to course-to-course articulation and CSU Transferable, GE-Breadth and US History, Constitution, and American Ideals courses for the Community College.
Course-to-course articulation can be viewed three different ways:
- Articulation by Major
- By Major agreements contain helpful transfer information and online resources, as well as listing lower-division courses pertinent to that major.
- Articulation by Department
- By Department will list courses alphabetically, by prefix. This view may show courses under a variety of prefixes. For example, Biological Sciences lists Biology (BIO), Microbiology (MCRO), and Marine Biology (MSCI) courses, as they all reside within that department.
- Articulation by Prefix
- By Prefix will show articulation for that specific subject prefix. For example, MATH for Mathematics.
- Please note, when searching for specific articulation by Prefix, you should remember to check all associated prefixes. For instance, a Community College Mathematics course may articulate with a Cal Poly STAT course rather than a MATH course.
It is recommended all agreements be used in conjunction with the Cal Poly Catalog, which will indicate the most up-to-date curriculum, and the Transfer Selection Criteria, indicating up-to-date course listings required for competitive admission.
ASSIST is only one resource available to transfer students. It is important to also seek the guidance of a college counselor when developing a transfer plan.
cal poly slo transfer gpa
GPA. Although the CSU requires an overall college GPA of at least 2.00 for transfer, Cal Poly is highly impacted and admits typically have a higher GPA. Transfer students also must be in good standing at the last college or university attended.
Beyond the basic qualifications for the California State University, Cal Poly considers other factors for admission for transfer students. We require you to declare a major when submitting your application and our selection process evaluates you compared to other applicants within the same major. When we review your application, we consider:
Your Intended Program of Study
We evaluate and admit students by their major and admission is competitive in all majors. Each major has its own selection criteria and required coursework for transfer students to have completed in order to be considered competitive during the selection process.
Number of Units Completed
All transfer applicants must have a minimum of 60 transferable semester (90 quarter) units completed prior to transfer. For admission to the fall quarter, applicants must have the coursework completed no later than the end of the previous spring.
General Education or IGETC courses
As a transfer applicant, you must have completed four required General Education courses, with a grade of C- or better. We call these courses the “Golden Four.” They include:
- Critical Thinking (Engineering majors are excluded from this requirement)
- Math Concepts/Quantitative Reasoning
- Oral Communication
- Written Communication
Beyond these requirements, applicants will receive consideration for any General Education courses completed. Transfer students are not expected to fully complete all GE-Breadth or IGETC (Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum) requirements. If your current institution does not have a GE-Breadth or IGETC curriculum, you can reference Cal Poly’s General Education curriculum.
GPA
Although the CSU requires an overall college GPA of at least 2.00 for transfer, Cal Poly is highly impacted and admits typically have a higher GPA. Transfer students also must be in good standing at the last college or university attended.
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.
Other Variables
Cal Poly is an impacted campus and admission is competitive in all majors. While GPA is important, it is impossible to predict a candidate’s chances by looking at this alone. Cal Poly considers other factors for admission deemed important to our campus. All candidates are objectively evaluated by the cognitive and non-cognitive variables such as veteran status, area of residence and more 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.
Architecture, Music, and Art and Design Applicants
Select applicants will be notified in mid-January to submit a portfolio. More information is available through the Architecture Department, Music Department and the Art and Design Department.
TRANSFER STUDENT PROFILES
Architecture, Music, and Art and Design Applicants
Qualified applicants will be notified in mid-January to submit a portfolio or complete an audition. More information is available through the Architecture Department, Music Department and the Art and Design Department.
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