Beginning October 1, all 23 California State University (CSU) campuses will accept applications for admission to the fall 2018 term. Students interested in attending the CSU can apply online at the university’s new application portal: Cal State Apply. The priority application period will close on November 30, 2017.

The new portal allows students to apply to multiple CSU campuses with just one easy application. Cal State Apply was launched earlier this year, and provides a streamlined user-friendly application for all CSU incoming freshman, transfer, graduate and international students. .

“Cal State Apply has been designed to improve and simplify the process for the more than 850,000 applications that are submitted online to a CSU campus every year,” said Eric Forbes, CSU’s assistant vice chancellor for Student Academic Affairs/Student Academic Support. “Students are encouraged to research and apply to more than one campus, especially if applying to impacted campuses, to increase their likelihood of admission and to apply early during the priority application period.”

The demand for a CSU education continues to increase. Campuses or programs that are “impacted” receive more applications from qualified applicants than can be accommodated. Applying early during the priority application process is encouraged; after November 30, most CSU campuses will stop accepting applications.

In addition to allowing one submission to serve the application needs of multiple CSU campuses, Cal State Apply also:

Incorporates the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) application, eliminating the need to file a separate EOP application
Automatically calculates the overall GPA for first-time freshman applicants
Shares ACT and SAT test scores with all CSU campuses to which an applicant applies
Transfer students will also benefit since Cal State Apply allows them to enter all of their completed coursework by term. In addition, beginning with fall 2018 applications, transfer applicants will be able to update their application in January with fall grades and include their current spring courses.

Veterans of the U.S. military seeking to apply to a CSU campus will now be able to upload their Report of Transfer of Discharge (DD214) paperwork via Cal State Apply.

The Cal State Apply website is the best place for prospective students and their parents to learn about the degree offerings at each of the 23 CSU campuses, as it includes a comprehensive database detailing undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered at each campus, as well as information about the campus community, student housing and campus life.

After applying to the CSU through Cal State Apply, students should visit the university’s financial aid website and apply for financial aid or learn more about financial aid options. Eighty percent of CSU students receive some type of financial aid, and more than half of all CSU undergraduates receive enough financial aid to cover the full cost of tuition.