Please realize if you are waiting, when people post SAT2’s, AP’s, and impressive extra curriculars, none of that matters for CPSLO admission.
Really, then what does matter? My understanding is that the MCA is the algorithm for admission and factors in those things.
You have a cap of 8 weighted semester classes in grades 9-11. So a kid who took say honors bio, chem, and 2 years of honors English has the same MCA boost as a kid who took 12 AP classes.
A kid with 20 hours a week of extracurriculars consisting of say one sport plus leadership in one club has the same EC MCA boost as one who did research every summer with a Nobel prize winning scientist.
SAT2 scores are not factored in at all.
All I’m saying is, my kid didn’t have super-duper extracurriculars or high SAT2 scores and she maxed out the MCA hours for both EC and work and I suspect had a higher MCA score than some kids at her school with far more impressive EC’s/test scores that are not factored in and was accepted so don’t be intimidated.
She did not fare as well at UC’s that do take those things in to account more.
The Cal State/ Cal Poly application has clues that their decisions are data based, not holistic, since there is no place to describe these activities. The acheivement section is generally left blank — I forget why, but you can look it up. They calculate their own gpa (they do weight for AP/Honors/college) and only include A-G classes. As an OOS applicant, the A-G classes were something we had to learn a lot about. They also only look at math and english ACT sub-sections, so an ACT could have super high Reading and Science sub scores, but lower math and english (that is my D’s situation), and still have a nice, high composite. You cannot tell from the self-reported CC stats of an admitted student what their english/math ACT scores were (if they took the ACT). You also cannot tell from Cal Poly’s freshman profile since they only report the average composite by major. Add all this to the extra points exactly as @VickiSoCal described. Anyway, we shall see soon how it all fared! While my D is a strong and well-rounded candidate, I will be pleasantly shocked if it is a yes for her intended major (EE).
Also, Cal Poly is pretty unique in that they will super score across tests. My D has a 1360 SAT and 30 ACT, but with a 36 English subscore and a 710 math, she effectively has a 1510 for the MCA. She too is much less competitive at a UC test scorewise, but makes up for that in quality of ECs.
I have a 4.25 CSU GPA and a 1510 sat. What is my MCA score?
MCA calculation link: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/19077718/#Comment_19077718
Are we sure they supetscore across tests? I haven’t read that anywhere.
I read they were going to stop doing the super SUPER scoring with the new SAT, since it is easier than the old test. I don’t know if the source is reliable
@momamet we can be absolutely sure of nothing, but at every admissions presentation I’ve been to they have touted their super-superscoring as they call it, and I called this year to double check that they are still doing that with the new SAT, and was told yes.
I like @MelloG’s answer better!
@CopperlineX2 I hope that is wrong. I have heard that they will not super score across old and new SAT, but will do either SAT with ACT. I sometimes wonder if they know themselves.
And superscorig across ACT and SAT (Old or new) would be a new one I’ve never seen or read on any college web site.
We should be at the tail end of seniors who might have taken old SAT.
when i took my daughter for a tour last spring, they said nothing about super-superscoring. it was only superscoring either the act or the sat.
That’s what we understood too.
They may have changed. All I know is I asked last summer if they still cross superscored and was told yes. When I asked what concordance table they use the guy on the phone barked at me that they don’t share details of their process, so I remember it clearly 
I emailed and received the same information that they do super super score across SAT and ACT.
Interesting twist!!
do they send you an email when your admissions decision is out telling you to check the portal, or do you have to check the portal yourself?