Graduate Application Guide 24-25

Graduate Application Guide

2024-2025

PAGE 2 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

Table of Contents

Contents

Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................... 2

INTRODUCTION AND PREPARING TO APPLY .............................................................................................. 4

What is Cal State Apply? ............................................................................................................................. 5

When to fill out the application ................................................................................................................... 5

How to apply ................................................................................................................................................ 5

About this guide ........................................................................................................................................... 6

About the Applicant Help Center ............................................................................................................. 6

Required information and materials ............................................................................................................ 6

FIRST STEPS IN YOUR APPLICATION .......................................................................................................... 7

Setting up your Cal State Apply account ..................................................................................................... 8

Completing your Extended Profile ................................................................................................................ 9

Degree Goal ............................................................................................................................................. 9

Returning Students ................................................................................................................................ 10

US Military Status ................................................................................................................................. 10

Selecting the program(s) you will apply to ................................................................................................ 11

Finding a program .................................................................................................................................. 11

Selecting a program............................................................................................................................... 11

Reviewing your program selection(s) .................................................................................................... 12

Overview: the four sections of your application ........................................................................................ 12

COLLEGES ATTENDED ............................................................................................................................... 13

What to report in Colleges Attended ......................................................................................................... 14

For college credit outside the United States/Canada ........................................................................... 14

Add a College or University........................................................................................................................ 14

Can’t find your college/university? ........................................................................................................ 15

Degree information ................................................................................................................................ 15

PAGE 3 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

GPA ENTRIES ............................................................................................................................................. 16

Adding your GPAs for colleges attended ................................................................................................... 17

GPA Conversion ..................................................................................................................................... 18

Entering standardized test scores .............................................................................................................. 18

PROGRAM MATERIALS ............................................................................................................................. 19

Program Materials ..................................................................................................................................... 20

Questions ............................................................................................................................................... 21

Financial Aid Housing Question ............................................................................................................. 21

Documents ............................................................................................................................................. 22

Recommendations ................................................................................................................................. 23

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION ............................................................................................................ 24

Submitting your application ....................................................................................................................... 25

Review the Summary Page carefully before submitting ....................................................................... 25

Application Fee Waivers ........................................................................................................................ 26

Application Coupon Codes ..................................................................................................................... 26

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ............................................................................................................. 27

PAGE 4 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

INTRODUCTION AND PREPARING TO APPLY

PAGE 5 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

INTRODUCTION AND PREPARING TO APPLY

What is Cal State Apply?

Cal State Apply is the Centralized Application System for all 23 universities in the California State

University (CSU) system.

You only need to submit ONE Cal State Apply application even if you are applying

to multiple CSU universities (Note: each campus you apply to requires a $70 fee).

When to fill out the application

Use this chart and the information below to help guide you on application deadlines:

• Be sure to apply for the correct term. Do not apply before the “application opens” date listed in the

chart above. A submitted application is only considered for the term which you applied.

• Deadlines vary from campus to campus, and not all campuses accept applications each term, nor

for every program. For details, contact the

campus admission office.

• You may be asked to provide supplemental materials and/requirements. Check the campus

website(s) for more details and be sure to check your email regularly.

How to apply

Visit calstate.edu/apply. Click the term you are applying for in the drop-down menu.

Term

Application Opens

Application Priority

Deadline

Fall 2024

October 1, 2023

Deadlines vary by

campus

Spring 2025

August 1, 2024

Deadlines vary by

campus

Review the

Application Dates & Deadlines

information on calstate.edu/apply before

starting your application to find out which

programs are available for each term.

PAGE 6 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

INTRODUCTION AND PREPARING TO APPLY

About this guide

This guide assists graduate applicants through completing most parts of the Cal State Apply application,

including: preparing to apply, first steps in your application, completing the Academic History, Supporting

Information, and Program Materials quadrants (quadrants 2, 3 and 4), and lastly, submitting your

application.

While some parts of the application may not be covered in this guide, you can find detailed help text

within the Cal State Apply application and the

Applicant Help Center

Required information and materials

Be sure to have the following before you begin your application:

 Colleges attended, degrees earned, units attempted and earned and grade point average

 Your Social Security number, if you have one

 Your Citizenship Status

 Credit Card or PayPal account (Application fees are due at time of submission)

 Annual income

For more resources to help you in your graduate application, visit the Cal State Apply Graduate

Applicant webpage.

About the Applicant Help Center

Use this guide as a supplement to the instructions

provided in the

Applicant Help Center

. To access the

Applicant Help Center,

click on your name in the upper-

right hand corner of the Cal State Apply application.

PAGE 7 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

FIRST STEPS IN YOUR APPLICATION

PAGE 8 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

FIRST STEPS IN YOUR APPLICATION

Setting up your Cal State Apply account

Once you’ve selected the appropriate term and click “apply” from the Cal State Apply website, you will be

taken to the application portal for that term.

First, you will create an account, which will

include creating a username and password.

Be sure to write these down for future

reference.

Reapplicants

If you submitted or started an application during the previous application cycle, you will be prompted to

confirm your profile information. You are then given the option to start a fresh application or copy

application data from the previous application into the new application.

If you select Copy Application Data, you will then be prompted to select which sections of the application

you wish to copy. Any data you entered previously for those sections will be carried forward and

all

information will be editable. After selecting Continue, the system will copy the previous data and send an

email when the new application is ready.

Common mistake to avoid: Not checking the email address you

provided. Official communication is sent via email regarding your

application, admissions requirements, etc. Be sure you enter the

email address you check regularly.

PAGE 9 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

FIRST STEPS IN YOUR APPLICATION

Completing your Extended Profile

After creating an account, you will complete the questions on the Extended

Profile. Be sure to answer questions on the Extended Profile correctly

. The

answers you provide on the Extended Profile determine which question blocks

(tiles) appear for the remainder of the application and what programs (majors)

are available for you to choose. Come back to your questions on the Extended

Profile any time if you need to make corrections by clicking your name on the top

right-hand corner.

Degree Goal

All graduate applicants should select Second Bachelor’s Degree and Beyond for “what degree you are

applying to?” Then, select one or more of the following that describes your degree goal(s).

Your Name

Your CAS ID

TIP: Select all degree options to view all

available programs at each campus. This is

recommended, as you will not be able to

change these responses after submission.

PAGE 10 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

FIRST STEPS IN YOUR APPLICATION

Returning Students

A returning student is someone who previously attended a CSU campus, left without completing the

program, and are now applying to return to the

same CSU campus they had previously attended to

complete the same program. Select Yes if it applies to you. Then you will be prompted to select the

campus and enter your Campus ID. If you are not a returning student, select No and proceed.

NOTE: If you have graduated or are graduating with your undergraduate degree and are applying to the

same CSU campus for a new program of study, select “No.” You are not classified as a returning student.

US Military Status

If you have never served in the United States Military, select “No. I have not served in the US military.”

Otherwise, select the appropriate response from the drop-down menu.

PAGE 11 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

FIRST STEPS IN YOUR APPLICATION

International Applicant

If you have or will require an F1 Visa (student) or J1 Visa (exchange) to study at the CSU, select Yes. If not,

select No

. Applicants who answer No will be prompted to select the state of their permanent home.

Selecting the program(s) you will

apply to

After you complete your Extended Profile, you will be taken to the Add Program page where you can select

the specific program(s) you will apply to.

Finding a program

Begin by typing in a campus name or a program

(major) in the search box. You can also use the filters

to narrow down your search quickly.

Selecting a program

Once you have found a program you wish to apply to, click the plus (“+”)

sign to the left of the program name. This will add it to your application.

You can apply to as many campuses as you wish, each with a $70

application fee, but note you can only apply to one program per campus.

Once you are done making your selection(s), click Continue.

Common mistake to avoid:

Checking yes classifies you as an

international applicant. U.S.

citizens, legal residents, visa

holders, or those without a

citizenship status should select

No.

Common mistake to avoid:

Applying to the wrong campus—

check the entire name of the

campus and program carefully.

PAGE 12 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

FIRST STEPS IN YOUR APPLICATION

Reviewing your program

selection(s)

Before moving on, review your program

selections. This page shows you all programs

you are applying to, the status of the

application, and total fees due at submission.

You will review this information again in the

Submit Application tab.

Overview: the four sections of your application

The remainder of the application is under the My Application tab and includes four parts (quadrants). Each

part has a status that displays the progress in completing that quadrant. You must complete all sections in

the first three (3) quadrants to submit your application. The fourth quadrant depends on the program(s) you

have selected.*

*Don’t skip the Program Materials section.

Even if it appears

complete, be sure to click and read the Program Materials

quadrant as there is usually important information about the

program(s) you are applying to in this section.

This shows your progress towards completing all the required

information for this quadrant.

PAGE 13 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

COLLEGES ATTENDED

PAGE 14 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

COLLEGES ATTENDED

What to report in Colleges Attended

In this section you will add all colleges/universities attended.

• For each college/university entered include any degrees awarded or

anticipated degrees earned.

• Report each college only once, regardless of the number of degrees

earned or gaps in dates of attendance.

• Include international post-secondary colleges* and U.S. colleges you attended regardless of

accreditation status.

For college credit outside the United States/Canada

For a college/institution outside the United States or Canada, you will be given the option to upload an

unofficial copy of your transcript. This is not required.

Add a College or University

Follow these steps for each college/university you’ve attended or are currently attending.

STEP ONE – Select Add a College or University

STEP TWO – Type in the name of the college/university

Begin typing the full institution name. The system will

display results that match the information. Select the

correct matching institution. Additional matches may be

further down the list. Scroll down to see potential matches.

PAGE 15 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

COLLEGES ATTENDED

Can’t find your college/university?

The lookup table includes all domestic and international institutions with a College Board CEEB code. If

you are unable to find your institution, verify the name is entered without abbreviations and matches the

official name on your transcript. If the institution is still not found, select

“Can’t find your school” and

complete the additional information requested.

Degree information

Identify whether or not you completed (Degree Awarded) or will complete (Degree In Progress) a

bachelor’s degree or other degree(s). If yes, you will be asked to provide details on the type of degree,

date earned or anticipated earn date, major, minor, and whether you had a double major.

PAGE 16 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

GPA ENTRIES

PAGE 17 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

GPA ENTRIES

Adding your GPAs for colleges attended

For each institution you reported in the Colleges Attended will be listed in the GPA Entries section. To add

a GPA, click the “Add GPA” button under the corresponding institution.

Enter School Level (Undergraduate, Graduate or Other), how many units/credits are included in that GPA,

and the GPA earned. Quality Points will calculate automatically based on the information you enter. It

should match or closely match the Quality Points listed on your transcript. Be sure to

Save.

Credit hours = units

Total credit hours equals the total

number of attempted units on

your transcript.

PAGE 18 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

GPA ENTRIES

GPA Conversion

If your transcript doesn’t report your GPA in numeric grade values, use the charts on this GPA Entries page

of the Applicant Help Center to convert your GPA.

If your transcript reports your credits in quarter or unit hours, use the

GPA Calculator worksheet to convert

your GPA calculation.

Entering standardized test scores

If you have test scores or a planned test to report, please enter them here. See campus and program

admissions pages for details on which tests are required.

Click “I Have Reviewed This Information,” which will take you to a page for adding test scores.

No tests to report? If you have not taken any standardized tests and do not have any planned, click:

To add a test score or planned test, click Add a Test Score under the related test name, and enter your

score or the date you plan to take the test.

PAGE 19 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

PROGRAM MATERIALS

PAGE 20 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

PROGRAM MATERIALS

Program Materials

For each program you are applying to, you will see

one blue tile.

Click into each tile to find information for the specific

program and, if applicable, questions or documents

for you to complete.

Once you select the tile, you will see information about that program on the Home tab. Note that you

cannot submit your application if you do not complete all required information in Program Materials.

PAGE 21 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

PROGRAM MATERIALS

Questions

In the Questions section,

you may be asked to

complete multiple choice,

essay, or other questions

pertaining to your

program(s) of interest.

Questions that are

required will be marked with an * asterisk and are required for submission. Questions that are optional are

not required for application submission.

Answer all required questions, and when you have completed answering the questions, click Save in the

top right corner.

Financial Aid Housing Question

Effective fall 2024, applicants will be required to report their housing interest within the Cal State Apply

application. This information is used for financial aid planning purposes. The question can be found in the

Questions section in the Program Materials quadrant.

PAGE 22 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

PROGRAM MATERIALS

Documents

In the Documents section, you will

attach any required documents such as

statement of purpose, unofficial

transcripts, CV/Resume, writing sample,

and many others. Documents listed as

optional are not required for submission

but may be attached by the applicant

for review by the program.

To attach a document, make sure your file is in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf, .txt, .jpg, .jpeg, or .png format. The

size limit for each file upload is 15MB, and the document cannot be passcode protected.

Select

Add Document and attach the corresponding file.

Once the document is attached, you can preview the document by clicking the blue link in the file name, or

you can remove the document by clicking the trash can icon.

PAGE 23 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

PROGRAM MATERIALS

Recommendations

In the Recommendations section, you will

enter the name, contact information,

recommendation submission deadline,

and a personal message for each of your

recommenders. The recommender will

receive a separate, secure email where

they will upload your recommendation

letter.

Once the recommender’s information has been updated, you may track the status of the recommendation

and update the contact information at any point until the letter is completed.

NOTE: Once the recommendation status changes to “Completed,” the recommendation can no longer be

edited.

PAGE 24 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

PAGE 25 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

Submitting your application

Once submitted, your application cannot be changed with minor exceptions. Incomplete or inaccurate

information may affect admission eligibility.

You are ready to submit the application when the first three quadrants

highlight (green), at least one of the program materials sections is

completed, and a red 1 appears in the Submit Application tab.

If you are applying to more than one program, you can either click Submit

All or click Submit under each program that you wish to apply to. You can

submit to programs at different times if you wish, as long as it is prior to

the application deadline.

Review the Summary Page carefully before submitting

Note any warning symbols and red text that may require you to update or fix something in your application

before submitting.

Review your programs. This is the last chance to review, so please do it carefully. There are no refunds

issued if you make a mistake

. You can remove a program by clicking the trashcan icon on the submit

application tab.

When ready, click continue and note the Fee Total. Here, enter payment details and confirm your billing

address. Select Continue to proceed with payment processing. You will receive a confirmation receipt

from Cal State Apply via email upon submission of the application.

Explains where to

make updates to your

information, if needed

PAGE 26 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

Application Fee Waivers

The CSU does not provide application fee waivers to graduate or international applicants. Applicants must

submit a $70 application fee for every application submitted.

Application Coupon Codes

If you have been provided a coupon code to waive the $70 application fee, enter the coupon code on the

Submit Application tab in the payment details and click Continue. Coupon codes are case sensitive.

NOTE: Only one coupon code may be used per application fee.

PAGE 27 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

PAGE 28 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

This section will go over a few frequently asked questions about the Cal State Apply application. For more

FAQ, please visit the

Freshmen Cal State Apply website.

How to

How do I enter attendance dates on my application?

Enter dates by first clicking on the calendar icon. Scroll up or down to change the year (displayed on the

left-hand side). Once you are in the correct year, select the appropriate month.

Troubleshooting common issues

I am having a technical issue with completing the application. How can I contact customer

support?

First, please visit the

Cal State Apply Help Center, which can assist you with completing your application.

If you need additional support from customer service, you will find their contact information and Live Chat

options on the Help Center website. Live Chat is the fastest way to receive assistance.

PAGE 29 I GRADUATE GUIDE 2024-2025 I CAL STATE APPLY LAST REVISED 10/2/23

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Changes to your application

I have new or updated information to submit. How can I do this?

There are limitations to updating information on Cal State Apply. Please contact the campus(es) to confirm

how to submit any new or updated information.

I made a mistake on my application. How can I fix it?

Once you submit your application, the information on the application cannot be edited on Cal State Apply.

Please contact the campus(es) you applied to and provide the correct information.

Admissions-related questions

Can I apply as a graduate student before I finish my bachelor’s degree?

Yes, you can apply to a graduate program while your bachelor’s degree is still in progress. However, your

degree must be awarded before you start the program.

When do I send my transcript?

Submit transcripts only when requested by the campus(es) you applied. Ensure transcripts and other

documents are submitted by the deadline for the program you applied for. See the program or campus

website or contact the campus for details.

Where or how will I receive the admission decision?

The admission decision will not be found within Cal State Apply. You will receive a notification directly

from the campus (usually via email) regarding your admission decision.