Not trying to boast or anything. I like Cal Poly SLO since it’s unholistic so is a bit easier to understand.
My kid is doing a full IB diploma (4 HL, 3 AP classes) and has a 4.0 GPA in them.
They are ranked 1 in their school out of 500+. So why wouldn’t they get into a Bio Degree There?
Make sure that the student lists high school level math and foreign language courses taken while in middle school in order to get the bonus points for courses taken beyond the CSU minimum in those categories.
Unfortunately, it is not transparent about its admission formula and prior year thresholds, unlike some other CSUs like SJSU.
Although we do not know the exact admission formula, Cal Poly SLO uses capped weighted GPA for grades 9-11, plus (as mentioned by @ucbalumnus) bonus points for extra coursework in some areas, and bonus points for a few other factors.
You can use the RogerHub calculator to calculate SLO GPA, but instead of grades 10-11, use grades 9-11. The SLO GPA will be the “Weighted and Capped” GPA. GPA Calculator for the University of California – RogerHub
Because of how capped GPA works, strong students with lots of coursework may actually have lower capped GPA than students who took the minimum number of courses in high school. So, Cal Poly SLO is not necessarily a slam dunk for strong students, at least in the more impacted majors.
I remembered reading once that Cal Poly recommends students to take 5 years of math and english while in high school ( High School Course Requirements | Cal Poly ). So if you want to stand out for admissions, you should try to take a college course in math and english before graduating high school
Because WAY more people who are well qualified apply than can be accepted.
That being said, your kid is a strong applicant so apply and see. I think they have a great shot at acceptance.
My kiddo had very similar stats (IB dip, 5 HL, 2 AP) and did get in. But so did many others and didn’t get in. Very important to understand that the number of years of courses is a unique requirement. My kiddo had 6 years math, 4 years foreign language, 4 years art, 4 years science and 4 years English (1 less than recommended) 4 years History. Middle school classes can be counted (if they qualify) and summer courses. There’s YouTube videos that help reconcile the classes. A student can have perfect stats in very hard classes, but if the number of courses by category don’t match up, it can affect their acceptance. hope that helps!
Also note that they like to see the student in a job working during high school that supports intended major.
5 yrs would include high school math taken in middle school, such as algebra 1, a very common scenario.
I don’t think there’s a formula benefit specifically for taking a summer college math course, for example, if the student is already on track for AP calc in high school. I don’t know what the equivalent IB course would be, but I’m guessing that’s HL.