The President’s Scholar Program at Cal State Fullerton was established in 1979 to attract the “best of the best” from among California’s top high school students. President’s Scholars are viewed as the pinnacle of the larger Cal State Fullerton community, representing a higher standard for comprehensive educational excellence. President’s Scholars receive full tuition for four years, an annual stipend for books and other materials, complimentary parking permits, a laptop computer, highest and earliest priority registration for classes every semester, automatic admission into the Honors Program, access to the Center for Scholars (which offers a private computer lab, free printing services, and class level programming), priority consideration for on-campus employment and study abroad experiences, direct invitations from the University President to private events, and much more.
The prestigious program provides a foundation for high-achieving students to develop and realize their potential for success – as scholars, leaders and citizens. Each year, hundreds of academically gifted applicants from throughout the state apply for this coveted scholarship; through an extensive application process, only the top candidates are selected. These candidates go beyond excellence within the classroom and represent California’s highest achieving, well-rounded future leaders.
Applicants to the President’s Scholars Program must meet the following requirements:
- Apply to California State University, Fullerton as a first-time freshman*
- Attain an unweighted Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.75 in all academic subjects for 10th-12th grade
- Earn above-average SAT scores in both the Verbal and Mathematics components
- Demonstrate evidence of significant contributions to school and community service during high school
- Be a resident of California; residency is determined by the Office of Admissions and Records for fee purposes
Applicants are required to:
1) Complete the online application; this covers academic achievement,
community service, extracurricular activities, leadership roles, an essay,
and recommender information
2) Attend an in-person interview; if the candidate passes the application
review, a time and date is scheduled for the candidate to be
interviewed by a 20-person committee comprised of faculty, staff,
President's Scholars alumni, and current President's Scholars.