CSU Application Tips


Getting ready

  • Have all your college work ready: transcripts from each school you attended. They do not have to be official, just complete. You’ll need them to calculate your CSU transferrable units and g.p.a. from each school to fill out Screen 7.
  • Meet with a counselor to make sure you are applying to is either impacted or not and to make sure you will have your 60 CSU transferrable units, major prep (for impacted programs) and requirements for a CSU transfer Associates Degree (Administration of Justice, Early Childhood Education, English, Kinesiology or Mathematics) completed by Spring 2016.
  • Complete one application first before starting a new one for another campus. Information from your first application will populate the next application. You will only have to complete Screen 1 for the new campus.

THE APPLICATION

  • Applying for Fall 2016 or Spring 2016 (Applications for Spring opens on August 1, 2015)
  • Emphasis/Concentration and alternate major is optional. Put an alternate major if you are willing to be admitted to that major if your first choice is closed.
  • “Degree objective” is sometimes listed right behind the major in the “Intended Major” box, like “BA” or BS”. If not, got to ASSIST. ORG to find the correct “Degree Objective”.
  • Entry Status- Most, if not all, transfer students should select “60-89.5 semester/90-134.5 Quarter units”, even if you will have more than 89.5.
  • Campus Authorization Information-Fall applicants applying October 1-November 30 can ignore this, as can Spring 2016 applicants (August 1-31, 2015 is the filing period for spring 2016).

Put your current address and if it changes later, there will be directions provided by each campus applied to.

  • Social Security number and California Statewide Student Identifier are both optional. No extra points for putting it in, or not putting it in.
  • AB540 students and SSI number: IF are DACA qualified, you can enter your work permit social security number, if you are not, leave SSI number blank.
  • Foster Youth, Orphans or Wards of the court are special designations of certain United States citizens.
  • Family Education, Income and Size Information needed for EOPS applicants and students that want fee waivers. Domestic Students born before 1992 are considered independent.
  • Do not put comma’s in dollar amounts entered or an error message will occur.

The first drop down arrow has a field for “Foreign Country” for international students.

There are Federal funds available to institutions that are considered “Hispanic Serving Institutions”, so they are trying to collect that data on this page. You can choose “Decline to State” on all three of these questions, too. This will not help or hinder your application.

  • If the name of the high school does not appear after putting the name of the school in the “Search” Box, click the “Search for a school” button 3 times, and at the bottom of the page, an option for “[not on the list]” can be clicked on, and the name of the school can be entered manually.
  • SAT and ACT scores are not necessary for transfer students with 60 or more CSU transferable semester units that will be completed by the time of entry to the CSU.
  • TOEFL, IELTS or PTE scores should be entered by all international students coming from non- English speaking countries, if available. Please confirm if you need these requirements on Transfer Admission web pages of the CSU you are applying to.

  • If the name of the college does not appear after putting the name of the school in the “Search” Box, click the “Search for a school” button 3 times, and at the bottom of the page, an option for “[not on the list]” can be clicked on, and the name of the school can be entered manually.
  • When entering information for the college, they ask for “Units attempted to date” and “Grade Points”. These fields are optional and can be left blank.
  • “Units completed to date” should be CSU transferable, and cumulative GPA should also be CSU GPA.
  • The questions about the Associate of Arts/Science Transfer Program only applies to a few LATTC students that are pursuing degrees in Administration of Justice, Early Childhood Education, English, Kinesiology and Mathematics. Check with a counselor to see if you are eligible for one of these degrees before indicating “Yes”.
  • Transfer Guarantee/Dual Admissions Programs do not exist at LATTC with a CSU.

If they are not grayed out, re-check the “Entry Status” question in section 1. Students completing 60 CSU transferable semester units by the end of Spring 2015 should be clicking on “60-89.5 semester/90-134.5 Quarter units” on “Entry Status”. (You may take additional coursework in summer 2015, after you have completed the Golden Four and 60 CSU transferable semester units by the end of Spring 2016).

  • Courses in Progress-These are the courses you are enrolled in for this term right now.
  • Courses Planned-These are courses you plan to take in the future before going to CSU. If you change these courses, you can report those changes to each CSU you apply to, and they will explain that procedure to you after you have applied to that CSU.
  • CSU General Education Requirements-This is where you enter your CSU Transferable Math, Communication/Speech and English courses. If you have a grade in the course, you list the grade, or the other option for a ‘grade’ is “In Progress/Planned”.

  • This is a program for domestic students including AB540 students, not for international students.
  • The EOP program serves California residents from low-income households who demonstrate the motivation and potential to earn a baccalaureate degree.
  • After submitting the CSU application, students must return to the CSU Mentor “Apply Online” website, and submit an EOP application online for each CSU they apply to.

  • Fee waivers are for domestic students, not international students.
  • EOPS student will automatically qualify for the fee waiver as long as you identify EOPS.
  • Fill in all the information and you will be told immediately if you qualify for a fee waiver. If you qualify, you can get a fee waiver for 4 CSU’s. If you do not qualify for a fee waiver, each application costs $55.
  • International applications also cost $55.

Check all the information for accuracy, then click, “Submit Your Completed Application”

What happens next?

You will receive emails from the schools you apply to, telling you what to do next. All CSU’s do something different for the rest of your application process. For example, Northridge wants you to send transcripts immediately, and CSU Long Beach wants you to complete a supplemental application in January for Fall admission. Pay attention to your emails twice a week (Wednesday and Sunday), and always check your spam folders, too. If you miss deadlines, they assume you no longer want to attend, and your application will not be considered.

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