cal poly college essay prompt

Freshman Application Checklist

Application Process

Cal Poly Pomona wants to make the application process as simple as possible, which is why we have put together an application checklist that lets you know what you need and best practices when applying. You can apply via Cal State Apply .

Before you apply, we recommend that you carefully review the Cal Poly Pomona freshmen  admissions requirements to be considered.  Cal Poly Pomona is impacted at the campus level and for several of our majors/programs. Selection to all Cal Poly Pomona programs is competitive as we have more qualified applicants than we can admit.  Cal Poly Pomona will consider you for admission to your alternate major if space is available. However, we cannot guarantee consideration for your alternate major/program. We prioritize applicants within the same academic college.  Students who have been admitted should review the Next Steps Checklist .

Spring 2025

Application checklist, ✓ explore majors.

Freshmen applicants must declare a major at the time of application. Visit our list of Academic Programs.  

All undergraduate majors are open during the application period. Please explore majors offered by visiting Cal State Apply.

✓ Unofficial Transcripts

✓ biodemographic information.

• Make sure to have the correct social security number as entering it incorrectly can impact your financial aid.
• Double-check that your name and date of birth are also entered correctly.Use an e-mail address that you will continue to be able to access. School e-mails are not recommended.

✓ Review Application Resources

Applicants are encouraged to review the following helpful resources when completing the Cal State Apply application.

• Top Freshmen Do’s and Don’ts (PDF)
• Freshmen Application Guide (PDF)
• Freshman Application Checklist (PDF)
• Freshman Dual Enrollment Guidance (PDF)
• Cal State Apply Resource Page (PDF)

✓ Apply Online

Apply online for the Fall 2025 semester between October 1 - November 30, via Cal State Apply . 

Cal Poly Pomona makes admission decisions based on self-reported information from the application, therefore make sure that all of the information entered is accurate.

Provisionally admitted students who intend to enroll at Cal Poly Pomona will be required to submit an official transcript from all institutions attended, when requested from the Admissions Office.

✓ Pay Application Fee

✓ check application status.

The Office of Admissions will communicate your next steps in the admission process via Bronco Direct , your student account.  Please keep in mind that admission decisions will be made between February - April for Fall applicants.

Those who have faced academic, financial or personal hardship and cannot attend CPP are encouraged to apply for our Transfer Success Pathway (TSP) .

If you would like to withdraw your application, please submit the withdrawal form . 

For technical issues regarding your application , contact Cal State Apply customer support by email at [email protected]  or by phone at (857) 304-2087.

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College of liberal arts.

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Composition Program

First-year composition.

• Fresh Voices Submission
• Taking the Right GE Course

The Learning Goals of 100-level Composition Courses

Our first-year writing courses are rhetorically focused, which means that students study the complex relationship between writers, readers, and the text itself.  Our composition courses teach students to:

• craft focused and effective arguments
• understand the relationship between form and content
• use language effectively
• synthesize multiple texts and viewpoints
• locate reputable outside sources and cite them appropriately
• implement the basic rhetorical concepts of ethos , pathos , and logos
• read closely and critically
• approach the act of writing as a recursive process that includes drafting, revising, editing and proofreading  

English 133 and 134

While each section of English 134 has the instructors’ unique approach to teaching writing embedded within the curriculum, these sections still tend to follow a basic curricular template, thereby ensuring that students learn the same skills, regardless of the section they take.  The papers students write in their courses may not be exactly the same, but they are likely to be very similar in focus and approach.   

• You can find a more detailed discussion of the curriculum on the English 133 and 134 page.
• You can find sample essays written by Cal Poly students in our collection, Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly (link opens new window).

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Cal Poly Requirements for Admission

What are Cal Poly's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

• GPA requirements
• Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
• Application requirements

In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into Cal Poly and build a strong application.

School location: San Luis Obispo, CA

This school is also known as: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Admissions Rate: 30.3%

If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at Cal Poly is 30.3% . For every 100 applicants, 30 are admitted.

This means the school is very selective . If you meet Cal Poly's requirements for GPA, SAT/ACT scores, and other components of the application, you have a great shot at getting in. But if you fall short on GPA or your SAT/ACT scores, you'll have a very low chance of being admitted, even if you meet the other admissions requirements.

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Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.

Cal Poly GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 4

The average GPA at Cal Poly is 4 .

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 4, Cal Poly requires you to be at the top of your class . You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. Furthermore, you should be taking hard classes - AP or IB courses - to show that college-level academics is a breeze.

If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 4, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate . This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.

Cal Poly hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't."

Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to Cal Poly will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. We therefore recommend that you consider taking the SAT or ACT, and doing well.

Cal Poly SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.

Average SAT: 1335

The average SAT score composite at Cal Poly is a 1335 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes Cal Poly Moderately Competitive for SAT test scores.

Cal Poly SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile SAT score is 1260, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1450. In other words, a 1260 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1450 will move you up to above average .

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

SAT Score Choice Policy

The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.

Cal Poly has the Score Choice policy of "Highest Section."

This is also known as "superscoring." This means that you can choose which SAT tests you want to send to the school. Of all the scores they receive, your application readers will consider your highest section scores across all SAT test dates you submit .

Click below to learn more about how superscoring critically affects your test strategy.

For example, say you submit the following 3 test scores:

Even though the highest total you scored on any one test date was 1000, Cal Poly will take your highest section score from all your test dates, then combine them to form your Superscore. You can raise your composite score from 1000 to 1400 in this example.

This is important for your testing strategy. Because you can choose which tests to send in, and Cal Poly forms your Superscore, you can take the SAT as many times as you want, then submit only the tests that give you the highest Superscore. Your application readers will only see that one score.

Therefore, if your SAT superscore is currently below a 1450, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it . You have a very good chance of raising your score, which will significantly boost your chances of getting in.

Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the SAT. Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on. This will give you the highest Superscore possible.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

Cal Poly ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, Cal Poly likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.

Average ACT: 29

The average ACT score at Cal Poly is 29. This score makes Cal Poly Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.

The 25th percentile ACT score is 28, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 33.

Even though Cal Poly likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 28 or below, you'll have a very hard time getting in, unless you have something else very impressive in your application. There are so many applicants scoring 29 and above that a 28 will look academically weak.

ACT Score Sending Policy

If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.

Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.

This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 33 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.

ACT Superscore Policy

By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to Cal Poly, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 33.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and ACT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.

Cal Poly considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require it.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is very selective, strong academic scores are critical to improving your chances of admission . If you're able to score a 1450 SAT or a 33 ACT or above, you'll have a very strong chance at getting in.

For a school as selective as Cal Poly, rounding out the rest of your application will also help. We'll cover those details next.

But if you apply with a score below a 1450 SAT or a 33 ACT, you unfortunately have a low chance of getting in. There are just too many other applicants with high SAT/ACT scores and strong applications, and you need to compete against them.

Admissions Calculator

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are. Pick your test: SAT ACT

• 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
• 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
• 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
• 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
• 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

At PrepScholar, we've created the leading online SAT/ACT prep program . We guarantee an improvement of 160 SAT points or 4 ACT points on your score, or your money back.

Here's a summary of why we're so much more effective than other prep programs:

• PrepScholar customizes your prep to your strengths and weaknesses . You don't waste time working on areas you already know, so you get more results in less time.
• We guide you through your program step-by-step so that you're never confused about what you should be studying. Focus all your time learning, not worrying about what to learn.
• Our team is made of national SAT/ACT experts . PrepScholar's founders are Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers . You'll be studying using the strategies that actually worked for them.
• We've gotten tremendous results with thousands of students across the country. Read about our score results and reviews from our happy customers .

There's a lot more to PrepScholar that makes it the best SAT/ACT prep program. Click to learn more about our program , or sign up for our 5-day free trial to check out PrepScholar for yourself:

Application Requirements

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of Cal Poly here.

Application Requirements Overview

• Common Application Not accepted
• Electronic Application Available
• Essay or Personal Statement
• Letters of Recommendation
• Interview Not required
• Application Fee $70
• Fee Waiver Available? Available
• Other Notes

Testing Requirements

• SAT or ACT Not used if submitted
• SAT Essay or ACT Writing Optional
• SAT Subject Tests
• Scores Due in Office December 1

Coursework Requirements

• Subject Required Years
• Foreign Language 2
• Social Studies 1
• Electives 1

Deadlines and Early Admissions

• Offered? Deadline Notification
• Yes November 30 April 1

Admissions Office Information

• Address: 1 San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
• Phone: (805) 756-1111 x1111
• Fax: (805) 756-5400
• Email: [email protected]

Other Schools For You

If you're interested in Cal Poly, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to Cal Poly.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Cal Poly. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for Cal Poly, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for Cal Poly, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Cal Poly is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2023 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.

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Writing and Learning

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Graduation Writing Requirement

The Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR) is a CSU-mandated program that requires students to achieve and demonstrate a level of writing proficiency expected of college graduates. All students must fulfill the GWR at the upper-division level as a requirement for the baccalaureate degree. 

• Undergraduate students may attempt to fulfill the GWR after they have completed 90 quarter units. 
• Graduate and postbaccalaureate students  admitted for fall 2023 or thereafer are not required to fulfill the GWR.

How to Confirm You Are Eligible to Fulfill the GWR:

Before pursuing GWR completion through either a GWR-certified course or the UNIV 401 GWR Portfolio, students should check their Degree Progress Report (DPR) or Poly Profile to confirm they are eligible to do so.

If a student is not yet eligible to fulfill the requirement:

• In the DPR, the "Grad Writ Req" section will include a "GWR REQ Message" that states that the student is not yet eligible to meet the GWR as they have not yet completed 90 quarter units.
• In the Poly Profile, the Milestones box under the "Career Programs Plan" section will list "Ineligible/Required" to indicate a student has not yet completed 90 quarter units and is therefore not yet eligible to fulfill the GWR. 

Once a student has completed 90 quarter units and has reached junior standing, the "Grad Writ Req" section of the DPR will show a message about GWR eligible courses, and the Poly Profile Milestones box will change to "Eligible/Required."

What Options Are Available For Fulfilling the GWR:

• Earn a C or better in a GWR-certified upper-division course , with a C or better on the major GWR writing assignment and at least 35% of the final grade based on the cumulative grade of all writing projects; OR,
• Earn credit for UNIV 401: GWR Portfolio, a 0-unit course that carries a $35 fee. The GWR Portfolio  consists of three required documents: one writing reflection of 500 or more words and two independently completed writing artifacts of 750 or more words with an earned grade of C or better from any Cal Poly credit-bearing upper-division (300-, 400-, or 500-level) course.  UNIV 401 is offered all four quarters.

Visit the GWR-certified Courses or GWR Portfolio webpages for more information, or contact the Office of Writing and Learning Initiatives , for more information.

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Come visit us in our temporary space in the Graphic Arts Building (26), Room 110A .

Tutors are available to support your learning during Summer Term! Click here for summer tutoring hours . Connect. Collaborate. Achieve. We look forward to supporting your learning!

Academic Preparation and Transitions

The Academic Preparation and Transitions Department plays an integral role in help incoming first-year students prepare for a successful college experience through the Early Assessment Program and the Supportive Pathways for First-Year Students program. More information is available on the Academic Preparation and Transitions webpage . 

Learning Support Programs

The Learning Support Programs department offers a comprehensive menu of programs and resources designed to help you navigate course expectations and achieve your learning goals: free tutoring for subjects across the curriculum, peer-led supplemental workshops and study sessions for STEM-specific courses, and an online study strategies library. More information is available on the Learning Support Programs webpage. 

All undergraduate students who are seeking a Cal Poly degree must fulfill the GWR before a diploma can be awarded. Students must have upp division standing (completed 90 units) before they can attempt to fulfill the requirement and should do so before the senior year. The two pathways to GWR completion are 1) in an approved upper-division course and 2) via the GWR Portfolio. More information is available on the GWR webpage . 

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Dates and Deadlines

Application filing period.

Cal Poly’s application is open from Oct. 1 – Dec. 2. You must submit your application and fees (or fee waivers) through Cal State Apply by 11:59 p.m. (PT). Late applications are not accepted.

FAFSA & Dream Act Application Filing Period

The  California Dream Act applications and the FAFSA  open on October 1. Please visit our  FAFSA Simplification webpage  to learn more. We recommend submitting your application as early as possible to maximize your potential aid opportunities. The deadline for priority filing for both applications is April 2.

Application Changes

The last day to request a change to your application is Jan. 15. Applicants to Music or Art and Design must make changes by Jan. 1. We will only accept changes to biographical information, primary or alternate majors, and new test scores.

Admission Notification

All applicants will be notified of their admission status by April 1.

Financial Aid & Scholarship Notification

Students who have been admitted to Cal Poly will receive details of their Financial Aid awards in April. Scholarships are awarded April through August.

Decision Day

You must accept or decline your offer of admission on your My Cal Poly Portal by May 1.

California Polytechnic State University | Cal Poly

Cost & scholarships.

• Essay prompt

Your chances

Acceptance rate, acceptance rate breakdown, applicant breakdown, average net cost after aid.

Published costs and averages can be misleading: they don’t fully account for your family’s finances (for financial aid) or your academic profile (for scholarships).

Want to see your personalized net cost after financial aid and scholarships?

Applications

How to apply, enrolled breakdown by gender, race & ethnicity diversity, special academic offering, study abroad, credit for ap exams, offers graduate degree, similar schools.

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