The CSU and UC System
To apply to any CSU, see helpful hints, find answers to FAQs, take a virtual campus tour, or explore general information, visit the California State University system website
For a presentation on how to complete the CSU application, click here
The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the nation. The 23 campuses and five off-campus centers extend from Arcata, located about 300 miles north of San Francisco, to San Diego. The oldest campus is San Jose State, founded in 1857, while the newest is CSU Channel Islands. The CSU produces 50% more business graduates, computer scientists, and engineers than all other California universities and colleges combined. CSU also prepares two-thirds of the state’s public school teachers educated in California.
California State University, Bakersfield
California State University Channel Islands
California State University Chico
California State University Dominguez Hills
California State University Fresno
California State University Fullerton
California State University Hayward
Humboldt State University
California State University Long Beach
California State University Los Angeles
California Maritime Academy
California State University Monterey Bay
California State University Northridge
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State University Sacramento
California State University San Bernardino
San Diego State University
San Francisco State University
San Jose State University
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
California State University San Marcos
Sonoma State University
California State University Stanislaus
For admission statistics for Fall 2023 by campus, click here. To see the current UC admission testing policy click here.
The University of California campuses
What to include in “UC Additional comments" box on the "Additional information" page at the end of the "Academic history"*
- If you are from a low-income and/or first-generation family, you may want to explain how the lack of financial resources and/or family support has created challenges for you in your pursuit of academic and/or extracurricular endeavors.
- If you had issues with your grades (inconsistent performance, improving grade trend, declining grade trend, one or more C’s, one or more non-passing grades, or a string of W's - basically anything that would raise questions), you may want to explain the circumstances that prevented you from achieving your full academic potential (remember, this is not a competition for who has the best sob story or an opportunity to badmouth your instructors; be factual and aim for "presenting evidence to a judge" rather than "rallying reality TV show audience").
- If you have a learning difference and/or medical condition that affected your academic performance and/or extracurricular participation, you may want to explain the practical impact of your condition and how you worked around that (focus on the impact, not the description, of your condition - avoid gross details because no one wants that).
- If you had family issues, financial difficulties, and/or other challenges that affected your academic performance and/or extracurricular participation, you may want to explain the circumstances that prevented you from achieving your full academic potential (again, this is not a competition for who has the best sob story or who can win the most sympathy; be factual and aim for "presenting evidence to a judge" rather than "rallying reality TV show audience").
- If you used other names on official records that you will need to submit (such as transcripts or test score reports) and/or if you need to clarify citizenship/visa issues, you should provide a simple explanation (don't get flowery about this, aim for practicality).
- For freshman applicants: If you changed school since 9th grade and that affected your ability to take Honors/AP/IB courses at the new school and/or interrupted your extracurricular activities, you may want to describe the challenges and what you did to work around them.
- For freshman applicants: If you took a gap year and didn't talk about it in a Personal Insight Question, you need to explain 1) why you took a gap year, 2) what you did during the gap year, and 3) how the gap year helped better prepare you for the UCs.
From Ask Ms Sun