Ready to apply to CSU Channel Islands
1. Review Admission Requirements
A first-time freshman is a student who has earned no college credit after the summer immediately following high school graduation. You are eligible for admission as a first-time freshman if you:
- Have or will have graduated from high school by the end of the spring term preceding fall enrollment at CI; AND
- Meet the CSU Eligibility Index, which is the combination of your high school GPA (calculated from 10th, 11th, and 12th grade a-g courses) and your test score on either the SAT (critical reading/Evidence Based Reading and Writing + math) or ACT composite score; AND
- Have or will have completed 15 year-long college preparatory courses (see below chart) with a grade of “C-” or better upon graduation from high school (see first bullet point).
| Years Required | Subject |
|---|---|
| 2 years | U.S. History and Social Science (must include 1 year of U.S. History OR 1 semester of U.S. History and 1 semester of Government, AND 1 year of history/social science from either the “a” or “g” subject area) |
| 4 years | English: 4 years of college preparatory English composition/literature (including no more than 1 year of Advanced ESL/ELD) |
| 3 years | Mathematics (min. of Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra II OR integrated math sequences) |
| 2 years | Laboratory Science: 1 year physical and 1 year biological (one course from the “d” subject area and the other from the "d" or “g” area) |
| 2 years | Language other than English (2 years of the same language) |
| 1 year | Visual and Performing Arts: one year or two-one semester courses in the same discipline required, chosen from the following disciplines: Dance, Music, Theatre, Drama, & Visual Arts (e.g., painting, web/graphics, design, film/video, inter/multimedia arts) |
| 1 year | College Prep Electives (chosen from the "a-f" courses beyond those used to satisfy the requirements of the "a-g" subjects, or courses that have been approved from the U.C. "a-g" list |
2. When to Apply
Freshmen are admitted once per year in the fall semester. Applications are only accepted between October 1 and November 30. Late applications are not accepted.
Submit your Application Online at: www.calstate.edu/apply
3. Pay a $70 Application Fee or Request a Waiver
- You may qualify to have the cost of applying to a CSU campus waived. Applicants applying for admission through CSU Apply are provided an opportunity to apply electronically for a fee waiver with immediate analysis of their eligibility.
- Unless your fee has been waived, you will need to include a $70 application fee before your application can be submitted.
4. Take the ACT or SAT
- Take the SAT or ACT exam no later than December of your senior year. If you choose to take the SAT test, you should list the CSU institution code (3594), so that any CSU campus may retrieve it.
- Alternatively, you may have your test scores sent electronically to CI by using SAT code 4128 or using ACT code 0204.
- For more information about the two exams and how to register online to take these exams, please visit:
IMPORTANT: The name, birth date, and social security number you use for your test scores must match with the name you use when filing your application for admission.
After you've Applied
- Check your email for your myCI login information, which is typically sent 48 hours after your application is submitted and downloaded. During peak processing times, this may take up to 3-4 business days. If you did not receive this information, please contact admissions@csuci.edu as soon as possible so login information may be resent.
- Activate this account and login to your myCI to check your admission status and any items CI is requesting from you in order to process your application.
- You will receive a letter and enrollment guide sent via postal mail if you are offered provisional admission to CSUCI. If we are unable to offer you admission, you will receive a denial notice via the USPS.
- Throughout the admissions and enrollment process, CSU Channel Islands will communicate via messages posted on your To-Do List in your myCI account and the email address listed on your application. You will be held responsible for frequently checking your CI email and monitoring your myCI account throughout the remainder of the admission and enrollment process. Check your bulk mail and/or spam filter folder, and set your email to accept all messages from the @csuci.edu domain.
