Counselor Connection
Frequently Asked Questions about the SDSU Supplemental Application
As of: 9/28/07
Fall 2008 Transfer Admission Process
The initial admission eligibility decision will be determined based on self-reported information provided by the student in the form of a supplemental application.
Once students apply to SDSU, they will receive an e-mail within three days containing their SDSU RedID. The e-mail will direct them to create their SDSU WebPortal account (www.sdsu.edu/portal). Once the student has created their WebPortal account, they can begin the process of completing the supplemental application by selecting the “Supplemental Application” menu option. Students should refer to copies of their college transcripts when completing the supplemental application. It is very important that students understand the importance of accuracy when completing the supplemental application. Students may access the supplemental application once they receive their SDSU RedID. The last date to complete the supplemental application is January 23, 2008, at 6 p.m.
Provisional offers of admission will be sent in late February or early March. Students will receive notification by mail and through the “Admission Status” section of their WebPortal accounts.
Q: Once the student is admitted, what are their next steps?
A: Provisionally admitted students must submit the Intent to Enroll $250 deposit and all official transcripts (with fall 2007 grades) by May 1, 2008. SDSU will use these official transcripts to confirm the provisional admission offer that was initially determined from the self-reported information on the supplemental application. Students must submit their final transcripts with spring 2008 grades by June 30, 2008.
Students must maintain eligibility throughout the admission process and up through enrollment at SDSU. If at any point during the admission process the student does not meet the transfer admission criteria, their offer of admission may be rescinded.
Supplemental Application
Q: How will students learn about the supplemental application and transcript submission requirements?
A: At the beginning of the CSUMentor application, students see a “Notice to Applicants” that states that students must submit a supplemental application. Students also receive an e-mail from SDSU directing them to create their WebPortal account and begin the supplemental application. This e-mail is sent within three days of applying on CSUMentor. Information about the supplemental application is also available on SDSU’s Admissions Web site and on our publications.
Q: What happens if a student does not submit a supplemental application?
A: Their application for admission may be considered incomplete and not considered for admission. Students will be evaluated on a specific set of minimum criteria and then ranked based on completion of lower division General Education course work and preparation for the major. Students who do not submit the supplemental application will fall to the bottom of the ranking and be considered for admission on a space-available basis.
Q: Why do students have to submit a supplemental application?
A: SDSU requires a supplemental application to collect the cumulative units and GPA earned through the fall 2007 term. We also collect information on lower division GE courses and preparation for major that are used during the ranking process.
Q: When should students submit the supplemental application?
A: Students have access to the supplemental application once they create their SDSU WebPortal account. The supplemental application can be accessed and updated until January 23, 2008 at 6 p.m. After January 23, the supplemental application will no longer be accessible.
Q: How do the students know their supplemental application information was received?
A: Students will receive an e-mail acknowledging receipt of their supplemental application after January 23, 2008.
Admission Eligibility
Q: A student fails or withdraws from a course(s), which results in the student falling below 60 units by the end of spring 2008. How does this impact the student’s admission status?
A: Students who do not complete 60 units by the end of spring 2008 will have their admission rescinded.
Q: A student fails, withdraws or does not complete their GE English Composition, GE Oral Communication, GE Critical Thinking, and/or GE Math course with a grade of “C” or better by the end of spring 2008. Can the student make up either of these course deficiencies in the summer?
A: No. Students must have these courses completed with a “C” or better by the end of spring 2008 to meet CSU minimum eligibility requirements.
Q: Can cross enrollment courses count towards the 60 units needed for transfer, and are they included in the GPA calculation?
A: Cross enrollment courses at SDSU will count towards the 60 units for fall 2008 admission, if they are completed by the end of spring 2008. SDSU cross enrollment courses are calculated in the cumulative GPA. Effective fall 2003, SDSU cross enrollment carries resident credit and an SDSU GPA calculation. SDSU credit contributes to service area credit.
Service Area Credit Determination
Q: If a student has AP credit or military credit, this credit is not considered from the SDSU service area. Does SDSU consider this credit as out-of-the service area?
A: SDSU will not count this credit as service area OR outside the service area. Such credit will be ignored when we consider whether a student has at least 50 percent of their credit from within the service area.
Q: How do you determine the service area status for returning SDSU students who want to reapply for admission at SDSU?
A: All SDSU readmission applicants are considered service-area students since they met SDSU admission requirements in their previous admission at SDSU.
General Education
Q: Is an American Institutions course required to complete a student’s lower division GE pattern?
A: Students transferring from a certifying institution have the option of completing a GE certification, which may or may not include an American Institutions course as part of their Social Behavioral Sciences area. If the student does not have a complete GE certification AND they do not have an Area D certification, they must complete the SDSU GE pattern. This consists of six units of Social Behavioral Sciences and a three unit American Institutions course. If a student is following SDSU’s GE pattern, three units of American Institutions MUST be completed.
Q: Do students have to complete an Area E course?
A: Students who have completed Area A, Area B, Area C, and Area D certifications, and have a minimum of 39 units of lower division General Education do not need to have an Area E course to have completed lower division GE for SDSU admission or graduation.
Q: Are students required to send a paper copy GE Certification from their transfer institution?
A: It is not necessary for students to send a paper copy GE Certification to SDSU. We will evaluate the student’s credit from the community college and complete partial and full GE certifications in accordance with CSU Executive Order 595.
Major Preparation
Q: Is the foreign language requirement part of the preparation for the major requirement?
A: Students must satisfy a foreign language requirement if they are seeking the following degrees: Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences or Bachelor of Music. This requirement is not part of the lower division preparation for the major. Foreign language courses are considered preparation for the major only when they are specifically listed as required for major preparation (e.g. International Business, Spanish, French, etc.).
Q: Do students have catalog rights to an earlier catalog year than the term in which they transfer to SDSU?
A: Students are held to the catalog in effect at the time of admission and enrollment at SDSU. The student can ask for an earlier catalog year for graduation requirements if the student declared the same major at the community college and maintained continuous enrollment. Students can make this request once they have registered at SDSU. BE ADVISED: Students must meet the impaction criteria for the catalog in place at the time the pre-major or major is declared at SDSU. Impaction criteria rights are established at the time the student declares the impacted major at SDSU.
Q: Can students apply for admission to two majors (double major)?
A: No. Applicants can apply to one major. Students can declare a second major once they have been admitted and are enrolled at SDSU.
Nursing Admission
Q: What are the chances of a student being admitted to the School of Nursing?
A: The nursing admission process is very competitive. Therefore it is difficult to assess the chances of a student being admitted into the nursing program. Applicants are ranked against other applicants. The admission criteria varies depending on the given group of applicants.
Q: What is the Nursing supplemental application?
A:Nursing applicants must submit the School of Nursing supplemental application to be admitted to the major. The application is completed while the student is completing their pre-requisites. Students should be directed to the School of Nursing Web site for additional information.
Q: What happens if a student is not admitted to the School of Nursing?
A: Students who are not admitted to the nursing major have the option of changing their major to another program offered at SDSU. They also have the option of re-applying to the nursing program. Students who are re-applying are encouraged to speak with the nursing adviser to help determine what they need to do in order to be a successful candidate.
Miscellaneous
Q: How does SDSU determine if a student meets the language requirement for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences or the Bachelor of Music degree as a native speaker from a foreign country?
A: Native speakers from foreign countries where English is not the principal language and who have finished high school or the equivalent in that country will be considered to have satisfied the language requirement for graduation and will not be given credit for taking lower division courses in their native language except with advance approval from the language department.
Q: If a student is required to take the TOEFL, by what date must the TOEFL be taken? When should a student who is required to take TOEFL request a waiver?
A: Answer to both questions: As soon as possible.
Q: Where do I find information regarding the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)?
A: Information regarding TAG is located on the SDSU Counselor Connection Web site and the SDSU Office of Admissions Web site.
Q: What if a student wants to be admitted into a different major than indicated on their application for admission?
A: Students must submit an appeal asking for admission to a new major. The appeals committee will review the student’s academic history to determine if the student meets the criteria for the desired major and space availability.
Q: What if an institution cannot meet the transcript deadlines imposed for admission?
A: If an institution is unable to post spring grades and prepare a transcript by the June 30, 2008 deadline, students should contact the Office of Admissions at (619) 594-6336 so a note of an exception can be indicated on their record.
Q: What criteria does a previously admitted SDSU student need to meet for re-admission to the university for fall 2008?
A: Returning SDSU students (i.e. re-admission applicants) must meet the same criteria as a transfer student and their SDSU GPA must be within a 9 grade-point deficit. Students who have been disqualified from SDSU twice are not eligible for re-admission.
Q: How are students given upper division standing in an impacted major such as business or psychology?
A: To declare an upper division major, students must meet the impaction criteria of the desired major. Impacted major criteria may be found in the SDSU General Catalog, or on the Impacted Major GPA Web site.
Students should contact the appropriate department to determine the filing process and procedures for declaring upper division. Students must provide proof of upper division major eligibility to the department by a transcript or degree evaluation. Students will receive information on this process at transfer student orientation.
Q: Who responds to questions from a counselor or student regarding the Transfer Admission Planner (TAP) Web site?
A: Questions regarding the TAP site should be referred to Cassie Steadman, Director of Advising and Evaluations (619-594-1734), or Stephanie Samuels, Articulation Officer (619-594-1748),
Q: If a community college counselor sees a course that a student has completed at a different institution and the course appears to be comparable to a major prep course, but the course is not listed on ASSIST or TAP, how should the community counselor advise the student?
A: The counselor should advise the student to petition the major department for a determination regarding the use of the course in the student’s major preparation. Petitions can be submitted once the student has attended orientation and registered for courses at SDSU.