Norwalk students given priority admission to Cal State Long Beach
(Photo courtesy CSULB.edu)
NORWALK - The Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District announced Monday that it has gained local admission area status for students seeking to enter California State University, Long Beach.
The designation, starting for the 2021-22 school year, means that qualified NLMUSD graduates seeking entry to CSULB as first-time freshmen or upper-division transfers will be given priority admission as local residents.
“This great achievement is the result of concerted efforts between us and the university,” said NLMUSD Supt. Dr. Hasmik Danielian, who will retire on July 1 from her position. “The partnership creates a special legacy for our school community that will allow generations of students to not only expand their horizons, but also take advantage of unlimited opportunities that lie ahead by attending such a prestigious university. I am beyond elated!”
The change in status, which was recently approved by university and CSU system officials, is the successful culmination of a lobbying campaign that had begun with school counselors then was stepped up last year by district representatives. The process included public hearings with campus officials in February, two of which were attended by district administrators, counselors and other staff, as well as scores of students and parents who had arrived by school buses.
Historically, NLMUSD, an 18,600-student Hispanic majority school system with four high schools, had not been included in the local admission areas of any of its three closest CSU campuses: Long Beach, Fullerton and Los Angeles. Without the designation, NLMUSD students, in effect, had only limited access to those nearby campuses, competing with students from across California and beyond.
In addition, the three campuses, because the number of applicants is greater than the number of available spaces, have been considered “impacted” for undergraduate degrees — which means students have had to meet higher, more stringent admission requirements.
The status change, in keeping with the CSU Graduation Initiative, removes an administrative barrier for NLMUSD and its annual average of 400-plus graduates who are eligible to attend a CSU or University of California school.
“We are excited to welcome the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District as a new partner and its qualified high school graduates to The Beach!,” said CSU Long Beach President Dr. Jane Close Conoley. “We can’t wait to welcome them to our campus and to the exceptional learning opportunities offered by our faculty and staff inside and outside of our classrooms.”
The change will also benefit NLMUSD students who attend community college prior to applying as transfers to CSULB. Traditionally, the district’s graduates who have opted for a two-year school have primarily attended Cerritos College and Long Beach City College, with a smaller number attending Compton, Cypress and Rio Hondo colleges.
“It is truly a red-letter day for the students of our distinguished district to be accepted into the CSULB local admission area,” said NLMUSD Board of Education President Jude M. Cazares. “I am over the moon with happiness for the students and families, and for the opportunity this will offer them. It is truly wonderful!”