Cal Poly SLO Transfer Selection Guides

Understanding Cal Poly SLO’s Admission Process

Selection to all majors is competitive. Cal Poly continues to have more qualified applicants than available new student spaces.  All students must declare a major when submitting their application. Cal Poly comprehensively reviews all applications and looks for students who have strong academic records and are active in and outside the classroom. Beyond the basic qualifications for the California State University, Cal Poly considers other factors for admission and  does so in an objective format. In fact, it is impossible to predict a candidate's chances of admission by looking at  the academic record alone. Factors that Cal Poly considers in admissions are:

• Number of units completed
• Your intended  program of study (the major to which you are applying)
• Completion of CSU  and Cal Poly program required coursework with a grade of 'C' or better
• General Education  or IGETC courses - students who have all G.E. (General  Education Breadth) or IGETC (Intersegmental General Education Transfer  Curriculum) completed will receive maximum consideration in this category.
  Note: Some majors do not require completion of the CSU G.E. (General  Education Breadth) or IGETC
  (Intersegmental General Education Transfer  Curriculum). Make sure and review the the section on the Transfer Selection Criteria guide for your major titled "GENERAL EDUCATION COURSEWORK  CONSIDERATIONS RELEVANT TO UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS."
• Academic  performance in your classes (GPA)
• Your  extracurricular and work experience as specified on the Application for  Admission.

All  transfer applicants must have a minimum of 60 transferable semester (90 quarter) units completed prior to  transfer. For Fall Term admission, applicants must have the coursework completed no later than the end of the previous Spring Term. 

Check out the Cal Poly SLO Student Profile to find the average GPA of admitted students for the previous Fall term. Note: GPA averages are applicable to the specific term only.

All prospective Cal Poly transfers are strongly encouraged to create their Cal Poly VIP account which is a customized webpage designed to provide you with the information in which you are interested.

Academic Course Planning

To identify the courses you will need to complete to be competitive for admission to Cal Poly you will need to use 2 documents:

• the Transfer Selection Criteria guide for you major available on Cal Poly's website at admissions.calpoly.edu/apply/transfer_sc and
• the Articulation Agreement for your Cal Poly major available at www.assist.org

To determine the appropriate courses that satisfy the English Composition, Critical Thinking, and Oral Communication requirements listed on the Transfer Selection Criteria guide refer to SBCC's CSU GE or IGETC. Use the articulation agreement for the major to find the CPSLO course listed on the Transfer Selection Criteria guide and the equivalent SBCC course that satisfies the requirement.  Students with out-of-state  and/or four-year university coursework will  have to compare their catalog course descriptions with Cal Poly's catalog to identify the equivalent course content for these courses.  Cal Poly is unable to evaluate transcripts  prior to selection. All students are strongly encouraged to meet with an SBCC Academic Counselor in your academic course planning process for Cal Poly.

Cal Poly Admission Tips

• All listed courses on the Transfer Selection Criteria guide are important in applying to the major and maximizing (but not guaranteeing) your chance of selection.  It is your responsibility to have these courses completed if you want to be competitive in the admission selection process. Note: Completion of English, speech, critical thinking, math for major, and bolded course(s) are mandatory.  You will not be competitive in the selection process without them!
• Remember, your goal is to accumulate as many points as possible, so complete all the courses on the Transfer Selection Criteria guide for your major.
• If a course indicates that 3 units are required & 6 units are desired – do the desired number of units to increase your competitiveness.
• Students applying for Fall transfer must have courses completed by the end of Spring semester prior to transfer.
• If Cal Poly SLO is your absolute #1 campus choice, it is better to stay longer at SBCC and complete all the courses than to apply early with fewer courses.
• If SBCC does not offer the course/s listed on the Transfer Selection Criteria guide for your major or does not have articulated courses with CPSLO, students are advised to fulfill the requirements at another community college

Your Strategy for Admission: Accumulate the maximum number of points possible by completing all of the required subjects and units listed on the Transfer Selection Criteria guide for your major!

Completing the Cal Poly Application

Accurately completing the CSU application for Cal Poly is an additional admission requirement. Cal Poly takes the data from your admission application and runs it through the admission selection software program designed for each specific major. In order to receive points for the required courses applicants must list the courses in the appropriate section on the application. To assist you with this process, the University Transfer Center has created a guide that indicates where you need to record your SBCC courses on the Cal Poly application. Make sure you use the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Transfer Supplemental Application Guide to complete your application.