California State University, Stanislaus Admission
California State University, Stanislaus Undergraduate Program
California State University, Stanislaus Application

The Facts

California State University, Stanislaus is a rather moderately sized branch of the larger CSU system which encompasses 22 universities through the state of California. CSU Stanislaus is located in the town of Turlock, California which is a rural area about 100 miles from San Francisco, and is home to over 4,000 undergraduate students and approximately 4,000 graduate and part-time professional students. The university is divided up into several smaller graduate and undergraduate schools that offer programs in the areas of the liberal and fine arts, business, health science, as well as teacher preparation, which is perhaps the most popular program. These academic programs offer a wide range of majors in the areas of agriculture, biological science (home to a wonderful botany and ecology program), business, communications and the arts, computer and physical science, education, health professions, as well as social sciences (which includes unique and innovative programs in addiction studies and forensic studies). Some of the most popular majors chosen are in the areas of liberal studies, business, psychology, criminal justice, forensic studies, and education and teacher preparation.

Admission to CSU Stanislaus is not incredibly competitive, but the school draws very intelligent students who have been academically successful in the past. Last year, over 2,700 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 1,740 of those students were accepted; of those, about 660 matriculated. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 990 to 1115, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 20 to 29. Additionally, more than 68% of the admitted students were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about 3.65.

CSU Stanislaus has a very manageable student to faculty ratio of 14:1, which is one of the lowest of all the CSU schools. Most students say that the small class sizes and one-on-one time with the professors are the most attractive benefits of attending the Stanislaus campus. They say they never feel neglected by their teachers, and know they are always ready and willing to be of assistance.

The Social Scene

The town of Turlock itself is quite rural, and offers students virtually nothing in the way of entertainment; however, the city of San Francisco is only about 100 miles away, and many students own cars and make the brief trek into the city on the weekends to take advantage of the culture there. The Stanislaus campus itself is quite vibrant, and the administration makes sure to provide the students with plenty of activities, such as wonderful guest speakers, concerts, and other events. The school is also home to fourteen fraternities and sororities, which is quite a few considering the school is relatively small. The Greeks are a huge influence on campus, and basically dictate a large portion of the on campus social life.

The dating scene is the exact opposite of the rather boring locale; there isn’t much else to do but date!

What’s Good

“You really feel like you’re attending a small, private college. You get so much attention from your professors, which is awesome.”

“There are some great research facilities here. You definitely see a lab or two before you graduate.”

“The people are really nice here. It’s like one big community that likes to work hard and play hard.”

What’s Bad

“The whole Greek thing is blown so out of proportion here. The Greeks are royalty, and it seems like everyone else just serves them.”

“I wouldn’t exactly recommend the dining hall food here. Trust me. Don’t eat it.”

“A car is pretty much a requirement here unless you want to be stuck on campus all day, every day.”

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