Students at CSUSM.

ACADEMIC Benchmarks

Students must complete the following BENCHMARKS for the PACE Promise:

Middle School Benchmarks

  • Completion of middle school with an overall grade point average of 2.0 or higher.
  • Grades of "C" or better in math.
  • Grades of "C" or better in English.


High School Benchmarks

  • Students must be continually enrolled in the San Marcos Unified School District beginning in the 9th grade and graduate from a San Marcos high school.
  • Students must complete all A-G coursework required by CSU admissions policies and get a C or better in each class.
  • Students must meet CSU eligibility index requirements.
  • Students must participate in the Early Assessment Program (EAP) in their junior year (11th grade) in math and English.
  • Students must successfully demonstrate readiness for college-level work.
  • Students must take the SAT Reasoning Test or ACT exams.
  • Students must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Description of Benchmarks:

Upon graduation from high school, students must have met the following academic benchmarks of the PACE Promise:
  1. Students must be continually enrolled in the San Marcos Unified School District since the 9th grade.
  2. Complete all A-G coursework required by CSU Admission policies. Students must ensure that the courses they take meet A-G requirements. English Learners or students enrolled in Special Education must be careful to ensure that course offerings also meet A-G requirements. Generally, this means that students must enroll in and complete mainstream courses. Parents should discuss their student's placement with his/her school counselor or IEP team.
  3. Students must meet the CSU eligibility index requirements. In accordance with CSU admission policies, a student's GPA will be evaluated at the time of the application to CSUSM. At that time, grades earned in grades 10-11, including summer school, will be considered along with SAT Reasoning Test or ACT scores. Grades will be re-evaluated upon high school graduation.
  4. During their junior year, students must participate in the Early Assessment Program (EAP) in math and English. These tests assess to see if the students are ready for college-level work or need to take steps to improve their skills during their senior year.
  5. Students must successfully demonstrate readiness for college-level work in one of the following ways:
    1. Acceptable score on 11th grade EAP tests in math and English.
    2. Scores of 550 or above on English and math in the SAT Reasoning Test or a score of 24 in English and 23 in math on the ACT test.
    3. A score of 3 or above in Advanced Placement Exams in English and math.
    4. Acceptable score on the Entry Level Mathematics Test (ELM) and the English Placement Test (EPT), prior to enrollment in CSUSM