News and Information for California State University Leaders.
Volume 3, No. 6: December 5, 2003

www.CalState.edu

Online Applications Continue to Rise

In what marks the seventh year of snowballing growth for online college planning and applications, the California State University has already received nearly 50 percent more online applications for fall 2004 than it did for fall 2003.

CSUMentor, the web-based system that helps students plan for and apply to the CSU, received 343,429 applications between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30, a 47.6 percent increase over applications received during the same period last year. More than 38,000 applications were received on Nov. 30, with over 14,000 coming in during the hours of 8 p.m. to midnight.

"Students have clearly responded to our message encouraging them to apply early and to apply online, and CSUMentor continues to work smoothly for them," said Allison Jones, the CSU's assistant vice chancellor for student academic support. "During this period of heavy enrollment demand, both students and campus staff seem to appreciate the convenience and flexibility of CSUMentor and the online application process."

Students intending to enroll at a CSU campus in fall 2004 had been strongly advised to submit their applications for admission no later than Nov. 30, given that state budget cuts have forced the CSU to limit the number of students it admits for next year. Now that the initial application window has closed, CSU campuses will continue to accept applications on a space-available basis. However, students who have not yet applied run the risk of not being admitted to impacted campuses or to the campus of their choice. A complete campus-by-campus list of application status for fall 2004 is available here. (Select "Undergraduate" and "Fall 2004" from the pull-down menus.)

CSUMentor, which was designed by the Los Angeles-based Xap Corporation in cooperation with the CSU, has experienced soaring popularity since it was first introduced in 1996. This fall's increase follows a 47.5 percent increase in online applications in fall 2002, a 69 percent increase in fall 2001, and a 70 percent increase in fall 2000 over the previous year.

CSUMentor, a free service, also offers multimedia campus tours, student-campus matching assistance, free e-mail accounts, academic planners that allow students to track their progress in meeting admissions requirements, and assistance in completing financial aid forms. Students pay only the application fee charged by the CSU campus when they submit an application for admission.

More information: CSU Mentor

CSU Economic Impact

As an "economic engine" that prepares students for success in California's workforce, the CSU is vital to California's economic prosperity.

Two recent campus surveys demonstrate the extent to which the CSU impacts local economies:

CSU Sacramento is a key economic engine in the six-county capital region, with an annual economic impact of $743.5 million and 15,946 jobs, according to a new report. The "Golden Asset" report found that $438.8 million in regional economic activity is directly generated by operations of the university and its auxiliaries. An additional $304.7 million in indirect activity results from that spending. More information.

San Francisco State and its students contributed nearly $1.2 billion to the San Francisco Bay Area economy and supported about 15,150 Bay Area jobs in fiscal year 2002/03 through direct and indirect spending, according to a recent economic impact analysis. For every dollar received from California's General Fund, the university returns $3.82 back to the local and state economy. More information.