Eligibility Index - The eligibility index (see page 31) is the combination of a high school grade point average and a score on either the ACT or the SAT. Beginning with admission for Fall 2004, a grade point average is based on grades earned in courses taken during the final three years of high school that all college preparatory “a-g” subject requirements, and bonus points for approved honors courses (excluding physical education and military science).

Up to eight semesters of honors courses taken in the last two years of high school, including up to two approved courses taken in the tenth grade, can be accepted. Each unit of A in an honors course will receive a total of 5 points; B, 4 points; and C, 3 points.

A CSU Eligibility Index (EI) can be calculated by multiplying a grade point average by 800 and adding a total score on the SAT I. Students who took the ACT multiply the grade point average by 200 and add ten times the ACT composite score. California high school graduates (or residents of California for tuition purposes) need a minimum index of 2900 using the SAT I or 694 using the ACT.  The Eligibility Index Table illustrates several combinations of required test scores and averages.

Persons who neither graduated from a California high school or are residents of California for tuition purposes need a minimum index of 3502 (SAT I) or 842 (ACT). Graduates of secondary schools in foreign countries must be judged to have academic preparation and abilities equivalent to applicants eligible under this section.

When the grade point average is 3.00 or above (3.61 for nonresidents), applicants are not required to submit test scores. However, all applicants for admission are urged to take the SAT I or ACT because campuses use these test results for advising and placement purposes and may require them for admission to impacted majors or programs. Impacted CSU campuses usually require SAT I or ACT scores of all applicants for freshman admissions.

Applicants will qualify for regular admission when the university verifies that they have graduated from high school, have a qualifiable minimum eligibility index, have completed the comprehensive pattern of college preparatory “a-g” subjects, and, if applying to an impacted program, have met all supplementary criteria.

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High School Students - Students still enrolled in high school will be considered for enrollment in certain special programs if recommended by the principal and the appropriate campus department chair and if preparation is equivalent to that required of eligible California high school graduates. Such admission is only for a specific program and does not constitute the right to continued enrollment.

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Making Up Missing College Preparatory Subject Requirements - Lower division applicants who did not complete subject requirements while in high school may make up missing subjects in any of the following ways:

1.   Complete appropriate courses with a C or better in adult school or high school summer sessions.

2.   Complete appropriate college courses with a C or better. One college course of at least three semester or four quarter units will be considered equivalent to one year of high school study.

3.   Earn acceptable scores on specified examinations.

Please consult with any CSU Admissions Office for further information about alternative ways to satisfy the subject requirements.

Due to enrollment pressures, many CSU campuses do not admit or enroll lower division transfer students.

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Provisional Admission First-Time Freshman - California State University, Bakersfield may provisionally admit first-time freshman applicants based on their academic preparation through the junior year of high school and planned for the senior year. The campus will monitor the senior year of study to ensure that those so admitted complete their senior year of studies satisfactorily, including the required college preparatory subjects, and graduate from high school. Students are required to submit an official transcript after graduation to certify that all course work has been satisfactorily completed. A campus may rescind admission decisions for students who are found not to be eligible after the final transcript has been evaluated.

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Provisional Admission Transfer Applicants - California State University, Bakersfield may provisionally admit transfer applicants based on their academic preparation and courses planned for completion. The campus will monitor the final terms to ensure that those admitted complete all required courses satisfactorily. All accepted applicants are required to submit an official transcript of all college level work completed. Campuses will rescind admission for all students who are found not to be eligible after the final transcript has been evaluated.

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Upper Division Transfer Requirements - Generally, applicants will qualify for admission as an upper division transfer student if:

1.   They have a grade point average of at least 2.0 (C or better) in all transferable units attempted; and

2.   They are in good standing at the last college or university attended; and they have completed at least 30 semester units of college coursework with a grade of C or better in each course to be selected from courses in English, arts and humanities, social science, science and mathematics at a level at least equivalent to courses that meet general education requirements. The 30 units must include all of the general education requirements in communication in the English language and critical thinking (at least 9 semester units) and the requirement in mathematics/quantitative reasoning (usually 3 semester units) OR the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) requirements in English communication and mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning.

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Test Requirements

Freshman and transfer applicants who have fewer that 60 semester or 90 quarter units of transferable college credit must submit scores, unless exempt (see “Eligibility Index” on page 31), from either the ACT or the SAT I of the College Board. If you are applying to an impacted program on campus and are required to submit test scores, you should take the test no later than October or November. Test scores also are used for advising and placement purposes. Registration forms and dates for the SAT I or ACT are available from school or college counselors or from a CSU campus testing office. Or students may write to or call:

The College Board (SAT I)

Registration Unit, Box 6200

Princeton, New Jersey  08541-6200

(609) 771-7588

www.collegeboard.org

ACT Registration Unit

P.O. Box 414

Iowa City, Iowa  52240

(319) 337-1270

www.act.org

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Adult Students - As an alternative to regular admission criteria, an applicant who is twenty-five years of age or older may be considered for admission as an adult student if he or she meets all of the following conditions:

1.   Possesses a high school diploma (or has established equivalence through either the Tests of General Educational Development or the California High School Proficiency Examination).

2.   Has not been enrolled in college as a full-time student for more than one term during the past five years.

3.   If there has been any college attendance in the last five years, has earned a C average or better in all college work attempted.

Consideration will be based upon a judgment as to whether the applicant is as likely to succeed as a regularly admitted freshman or transfer student and will include an assessment of basic skills in the English language and mathematical computation.

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Systemwide Placement Test Requirements - The California State University requires each entering undergraduate, except those who qualify for an exemption, to take the CSU Entry Level Mathematics (ELM) examination and the CSU English Placement Test (EPT) prior to enrollment. These placement tests are not a condition for admission to the CSU, but they are a condition of enrollment. They are designed to identify entering students who may need additional support in acquiring basic English and mathematics skills necessary to succeed in CSU baccalaureate-level courses. Undergraduate students who do not demonstrate college-level skills both in English and in mathematics will be placed in appropriate remedial programs and activities during the first term of their enrollment. Students placed in remedial programs in either English or mathematics must complete all remediation in their first year of enrollment. Failure to complete remediation by the end of the first year may result in denial of enrollment for future terms.

Students register for the EPT and/or ELM at their local CSU campus. Questions about test dates and registration materials may be addressed to:

California State University, Bakersfield

Testing Center

9001 Stockdale Highway

Bakersfield, California 93311-1099

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TOEFL Requirement - All undergraduate applicants whose native language is not English and who have not attended schools at the secondary level or above for at least three years full time where English is the principal language of instruction must present a score of 550 or above on the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Some majors may require a score higher score. Applicants taking the Computer Based Test of English as a Foreign Language must present a score of 213 or above. Some majors may require a higher score. Some campuses may also use alternative methods of assessing English fluency.