College Avenue Compact

The College Avenue Compact (CAC) is an agreement between San Diego State University (SDSU) and the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) that guarantees admission to SDSU for Hoover High School graduates who meet specific requirements.

The CAC was formally established in 2011 to promote college readiness and expand access to higher education—particularly for first-generation college students. Since its inception, the partnership has supported hundreds of Hoover High School students in gaining admission to and graduating from San Diego State University (SDSU).

Guaranteed Admissions Requirements

To be eligible for guaranteed admission to SDSU, Hoover High School students must:

• Maintain continuous enrollment at Hoover High School from 9th through 12th grade
• Demonstrate college readiness in both English and mathematics
• Successfully complete all A-G coursework required by the California State University (CSU) system
• Achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 (3.2 for the Class of 2028)
• Must not have any "D" or "F" grades during 12th grade in any subject
• Meet all SDSU admissions/enrollment deadlines, including the first-year admission application to SDSU.

The admission guarantee to San Diego State University does not include admission to nursing, social work, or majors that have additional requirements, such as dance, music, or theatre arts, or for any major for which there is an SDSU approved Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT).

Demonstrate Compact Readiness in English (only one required)

• SAT - score of 550 or higher
• ACT - score of 22 or higher
• Advanced Placement (AP) Exam - a score of 3 or higher on either the English Language and Composition or English Literature and Composition Exam
• A college level (100 level or higher) English composition course - completed with a grade of "C" or higher
• Earn a B grade or higher in the following courses during BOTH semesters of their senior year: AP English Language and Composition and CSU Expository Reading and Writing
• CAASPP/EAP, students who receive Standards Exceeded or Standards Met and show enrollment and successful completion of an approved senior year course and earn a "C" grade or better will meet the readiness requirement

Demonstrate Compact Readiness in Math (only one required)

• SAT - score of 570 or higher
• ACT - score of 23 or higher
• Advanced Placement (AP) Exam - a score of 3 or higher on the AP Calculus (AB or BC) or AP Statistics Exams
• International Baccalaureate - score of 4 or higher
• College Board Math subjects test - score of 570 or higher
• Level 1 or 2 college level Math course (intermediate algebra level or higher, defined a 100 or higher) - completed with a grade of "C" or higher
• Earn a B grade or higher in the following courses during BOTH semesters of their senior year:
  • AP Calculus AB
  • Precalculus 1-2
  • Precalculus 1-2 Honors
  • AP Statistics
  • Statistics & Data Analysis
  • AP Computer Science
  • Data Science
• CAASPP/EAP, students who receive Standards Exceeded or Standards Met and show enrollment and successful completion of an approved senior year course and earn a "C" grade or better will meet the readiness requirement

Requirements for STEM Majors

Students applying for entry to any of the following majors must enroll in one of the four designated mathematics courses in their senior year even if using a different benchmark to demonstrate compact readiness in math:

• AP Calculus AB
• Precalculus 1-2
• Precalculus 1-2 Honors
• AP Computer Science

STEM Majors

• Astronomy
• Biology
• Biochemistry
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Engineering (all majors)
• Environmental Sciences
• Geological Sciences
• Mathematics
• Microbiology
• Mechanical Engineering
• Physics

Transfer Admissions Guarantee

Students in the graduating high school classes of 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028, who do not participate in the direct admission program, are guaranteed admission through the transfer pathway after completion of a minimum of two years of study at any San Diego region community college through SDSU’s Transfer Admissions Guarantee Program (TAG) or CSU Transfer Success Pathways (TSP).

Students will:

1. Complete a minimum of 60 transferable semester units by the end of the spring semester which precedes their planned fall enrollment at SDSU.
2. Complete 100% of their transferable credits from community colleges in SDSU’s local admission area: Cuyamaca College, Grossmont College, Imperial Valley College, San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Miramar College, and Southwestern College by the end of spring semester prior to their fall start date at SDSU. Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) credits will be accepted. In addition, credits earned through SDSU regular session, special session, Open University, or Cross Enrollment will also be accepted.
3. Meet all SDSU admission and enrollment deadlines for upper-division transfer applicants, including filing an application for admission and completing SDSU’s transfer supplemental application. Students are expected to apply for admission as an upper-division transfer student for entry to SDSU within three (3) years after their high school graduation.
4. Complete General Education (GE) requirements in oral communication, written communication, critical thinking, and math/quantitative reasoning with "C" or higher grades.
5. Meet the GPA requirement for the major or 2.4 GPA in college courses, whichever is higher, listed in the SDSU General Catalog. Any SDSU GPA (e.g., courses taken via Cross Enrollment) must be at least 2.00 in addition to the GPA listed above.
6. Complete a certified General Education (GE) package (CSU GE or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)) or any applicable lower division GE pattern listed in the SDSU University Catalog.
7. Complete all major preparation courses for their intended major listed in the SDSU University Catalog.
8. Students must follow the rules of admission of their intended major department to be admitted into the major.
9. Students must plan to take any required course not offered by their institution at another local community college or at SDSU through CSU Cross Enrollment or Open University.
10. Attendance at local community colleges will be verified by the National Student Clearinghouse. Therefore, students who misrepresent institution attendance will have their admission revoked.