Cal State System to More Competitive Admissions (InsideHigherEd)

[tenisghs]

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Here’s the big story in admissions this year: The nation’s largest higher education system (and its most diverse) is shifting from being de facto a non-competitive admissions university to a competitive one. Getting into the California State University System’s 23 campuses (which educate 450,000 students) has just become iffy for many – especially for those attracted to certain campuses and certain majors.</p>

<p>The shifts at Cal State are not the result of a state philosophy about making their campuses more competitive in admissions; rather, they are driven by deep budget cuts in the state, which have led the university’s leaders to try to shrink enrollment at a time of rising demand.

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<p>[News:</a> The Big Admissions Shift - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/12/01/calstate]News:”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/12/01/calstate)</p>

[mom2collegekids]

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As of Monday morning, California State University campuses have 419,000 applications (including some from those who have applied to multiple campuses), up 19 percent from the same date a year ago. People attribute the increases to a rising high school population and years of increasing competitiveness for the University of California campuses, among other factors. </p>

<p>Last year, two-thirds of applicants were admitted, and while there is no final projection for this year, that ratio is expected to go down significantly. (Because California State has specific admissions requirements that most applicants meet, almost all applicants are qualified to be admitted.) </p>

<p>Last year, only 6 of the system’s 23 campuses were “impacted” in admissions – the Cal State term for having so many applications that they needed to go to competitive measures beyond the basic requirements of grades and test scores designed to show that applicants are in the top third of their high school classes. Already this year, that number has doubled to 12, and it may go up. </p>

<p>Last year, only 6 campuses needed to stop accepting applications for admission for the next fall as early as November 30. This year, 14 did so at midnight last night, and more are expected to do so in the days ahead. </p>

<p>Most of the campuses going to competitive admissions are having for the first time to formally set aside slots for athletes or those with particular talents in a way that they did informally in the past. …</p>

<p>Many students seem disappointed by the options, she said. “It’s sad for students,” she said. "First their parents can only afford a Cal State or UC. Then it’s so hard to get into UC that they can’t. Then the new admissions at Cal State mean they can’t get in outside their area. They are saying, ‘I want to go away for school and now that’s being taken away from me, too.’ "</p>

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<p>I wonder if it’s possible to allow some of the CCs to become Bachelor granting institutions for majors (like elem education) that don’t require a lot of pricey labs and such that are found on university campuses.</p>

<p>Also, since these Cal States have dorms, won’t they have to accept some “out of area” student just to fill up those buildings? Or, will they not care?</p>

[coolweather]

<p>My son was lucky to be in a kindergarten class taught by a teacher graduated from UCLA School of Education. I wish every elementary school kids have this same kind of luck: taught by qualified teachers.</p>

[mom2collegekids]

<p>^^^</p>

<p>True. I didn’t mean to suggest that we graduate teachers with lower stats. I’d rather see higher stats required for elem majors.</p>

<p>A comment posted on the article’s website…</p>

<p>* Currently, nearly 60% of CSU freshmen are required to take either a remedial English and/or math course as a condition of admission to CSU. Eliminate those courses. Require students to take remediation courses at either the Ca. community colleges *</p>

<p>Yes, it’s about time that the high schools stop graduating kids who are college bound yet need remedial math and/or English classes. A college-prep kid shouldn’t need these remedial classes.</p>

[mom2collegekids]

<p>*My son was lucky to be in a kindergarten class taught by a teacher graduated from UCLA School of Education. I wish every elementary school kids have this same kind of luck: taught by qualified teachers. *</p>

<p>It’s more important that a teacher be smart and have good people/teaching skills than to graduate from a top UC. I have friends who graduated from CSUF who are very good high school teachers that teach AP classes to students who routinely pass the exams. </p>

<p>I think that to get accepted into education majors, the process should be something like the impacted majors - the student needs to demonstrate more than just the minimum to get accepted.</p>