Freshman Steps to Admission

If you miss an SJSU deadline, we will withdraw your application for admission, and you will not be able to attend SJSU for the term in which you applied. If you have an extreme hardship or unusual circumstance that may cause you to miss one of our deadlines, contact admissions@sjsu.edu prior to the deadline date.

Preference for local applicants

San José State gives preference to local applicants. Freshmen are considered local if they will graduate from a high school in Santa Clara County.

Your path to admission to San José State and becoming a Spartan involves 11 steps. These steps are designed to help you navigate through the process toward admission. We look forward to receiving your application.

Freshman (Domestic)

Freshman (International)

• SJSU determines eligibility based on the major and alternate major you select during the application process. You cannot change your major during the admission process. Once you are admitted, your mandatory orientation, advising, and registration will all be based on the major for which you were admitted. After you are admitted, change of major is never guaranteed and is by petition only. To explore all of SJSU's available majors and programs, please visit our catalog.

• You will receive an application confirmation number: this is your receipt. Keep this number in a safe place; it is your proof that you submitted the application by the deadline. EOP (Educational Opportunity Program for First Generation College Students) is designed for undergraduate students who are considered California residents or AB 540 students with a history of low-income (as determined by the FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application) and from an educationally disadvantaged background. Your parents/guardians cannot have earned a bachelor’s degree in any country (siblings with a bachelor’s degree are acceptable). If you are interested and feel you meet this criteria, submit a completed EOP application via Cal State Apply (calstate.edu/apply).

• Applicants to the Animation & Illustration major will need to submit three short supplemental drawing exercises no later than one week after the Cal State Apply application deadline. Department/Faculty review of submissions could result in a GPA bump in the admission consideration process. The supplemental drawing exercises are a required part of the Cal State Apply application process for this major. If they are not submitted by the deadline, your application will be considered for your alternate major only.

• About 7-10 business days after applying at Cal State Apply, you will receive an email with your nine-digit SJSU ID included. This nine-digit number will be your primary university identification throughout your career at SJSU. Make sure the spam filters on your email account are set to accept email from @sjsu.edu so you receive this email.

• Your SJSUOne ID and password will get you into your MySJSU account.

• Click on the “sign in” link and enter your nine-digit SJSU ID and the password you created. Then, search for “MySJSU” in the search box. Make sure to mark MySJSU as a favorite and then click on the “MySJSU” tile to access your student center. Your MySJSU account is the primary source of information about your application. Make sure your personal information is current—your email address is critical!

• Check your MySJSU account at least once a week for important and timely notices, such as admission, fees, financial aid, enrollment appointment, test, and transcript information and deadlines.

• The California State University (CSU) has eliminated the use of SAT and ACT scores in undergraduate admission consideration. SJSU is test free for admission! We encourage you to submit your official SAT and/or ACT scores, as this is one of several measures to assess math and English placement for admitted first-year students.

• Official Transcripts
  Official transcripts are required and must be sent to Undergraduate Admissions. If your university offers official electronic transcripts, we prefer this method of delivery. If your university requires an email address to send an official, electronic transcript, the recipient address is: etranscript@sjsu.edu Transcripts sent by mail should be sent to:
  Office of Undergraduate Admissions
  San Jose State University
  One Washington Square
  San Jose, CA 95192-0016 All mailed transcripts must be sealed and unopened to be accepted as official documents. *Your graduation date must be included in your final high school transcripts. Re-applying to SJSU
  Official transcripts are held for one year only. You can check your To Do List at MySJSU to confirm any outstanding documents needed after you apply.

• All required high school courses must be completed by the end of the spring semester prior to fall admission. A list of approved courses can be found at University of California A - G Guide.

Congratulations on completing the Steps to Admission!
If you are admitted, you will also need to complete the Steps to Enrollment, which include submitting final high school transcripts, attending orientation, and registering for classes.