SAN JOSE, CALIF.—The long awaited California State University (CSU) portal has finally opened for high school seniors submitting their college applications on Oct. 1st for the 2025-2026 cycle, and will last up until Dec. 2nd. 

From balancing other extracurricular activities to academics, the process can appear challenging. But with enough preparation and guidance from administrators, even the busiest senior can submit their application on time.

For starters, a student applying to a CSU will need to meet all basic requirements for standard revision. This includes passing all “A-G” courses taken, maintaining a GPA of 2.50 or greater. Additionally, if a student is admitted to a CSU campus, their standardized test scores (such as ACT or SAT) can be used for placement in certain general-ed classes. 

To make this process a little easier, Silver Creek counselor Vân Nguyễn states, “Connect your CSU application with CCGI to import your grades. Check Canvas for the instructions. This will save you time instead of having to manually add courses and grades, and the grades are verified. But also be sure to review the information for any errors and work with a counselor to review your application.” 

Once gathering all the necessary information, an email account should be made that is separate for college admissions. Making a separate email account can make it easier to reference all the college application portals and the emails received from different colleges. This email will be used to register for an applicant’s CSU account. 

From here on, there are subsequent steps to follow throughout the application. The unique aspect of the CSU application process is that there is no additional essay requirement nor is there a letter of recommendation needed. CSUs mainly focus on an applicant’s academic coursework and the extracurricular activities an applicant has spent time on. 

However, being a Silver Creek student has its perks. An agreement between the ESUHSD and San Jose State University (SJSU) has created a program, the Spartan East Side Promise, for students that have automatic admission to the SJSU campus. Meeting all the requirements for the program will secure an applicant’s spot into the SJSU campus.  

Keep in mind that there are 23 CSU campuses that all have their own respective locations and offered programs. Additional research may be required if there are particular preferences or even a specific major you want to pursue at a CSU campus. Occasionally, a CSU campus may offer in-person or virtual tours around their campus for students that are interested in learning more.