Apply now, students!

Competition to get into a California State University campus looks to be stiffer than ever as budget cuts force the CSU system to reduce enrollment by 40,000 over the next two years.

High-school seniors and community-college students looking to secure a spot at one of the 23 campuses are encouraged to meet a Nov. 30 priority application deadline. The date is especially important at Chico State, one of a dozen CSU campuses that will not accept freshman applications after midnight on the closing date.

Of course, applying by the deadline doesn’t guarantee anyone a spot. Impacted campuses may also require higher admissions criteria for out-of-area students.

The picture for hopeful students is so grim, in fact, that officials are encouraging them to apply not only to multiple CSU campuses, but also to other university systems and local community colleges as a backup plan.