Showing increased numbers across the board and setting a national record for the second year in a row, data on 2008-2009 applicants to the University of California was released Tuesday by the Office of the President.
UCLA in particular saw a record-setting 55,369 applicants for freshman admission, an increase of over 9 percent. According to the data, each demographic saw increases in the number of freshman applicants. In particular, there was a 12.9 percent increase in African American freshman applicants from 2007 to 2008, and a 17 percent increase in Chicano/Latino freshman applicants over the same period.
Transfer admissions also increased from 13,451 in 2007 to 14,991.
The gender breakdown of all applicants UC-wide did not change from 2007, with 54.3 percent female applicants and 45.7 percent male applicants.
Among both freshman and transfer applicants, the pool became more competitive, with rising average GPAs and test scores.
“As you can see from these numbers, there’s clearly a strong demand among California students,” said Susan Wilbur, UC director of undergraduate admissions. “It’s very good news for California to see more and more students aiming for the UC.”
Janina Montero, vice chancellor of student affairs, said she thinks improved outreach and promotion for the university was an important factor.
“UCLA has been pretty visible lately. People have noted the desirability of the university,” she said. “We have institutionally made some important strides in being more present in more schools in Southern California, as well as in the Bay Area.”
Not only was the quantity increased, but the quality of both transfer and freshman applicants was particularly impressive, said Wilbur, Montero and Wyatt R. Hume, provost and executive vice president of the University of California.
The percentage of UCLA freshman applicants to UCLA with a GPA above 4.0 was 44.6 percent, up slightly from last year. Transfer applicants showed a sharp increase in the number of units acquired prior to application ““ up from a range of 101 to 103 in previous years to 116.7 ““ and had a 3.3 average GPA.
Hume and Wilbur said an increasing number of students are meeting UC eligibility requirements, which could contribute to both the increase in applicants and a rise in quality.
But officials said that as a result of recent state budget cuts, the UC faces the possibility that it may not be able to offer admission to all eligible students next year as it has previously, particularly since the budget cuts coincide with the high number of applicants.
“The application numbers are very positive and they’re very welcome … but it also illustrates the very difficult budget situation we’re in today,” Hume said. “The goal really is to meet our historic commitment (to admit all eligible applicants) … but that commitment has always been contingent on the appropriate levels of funding.”
Though Hume, Wilbur and Montero all agreed that the rising numbers were a positive sign about the popularity of the UC, Montero said UCLA has already reached its maximum growth ““ currently there is a slight over-enrollment ““ and does not have much more room to expand. She added that she hopes the rising numbers of applicants will plateau at some point.
“Selectivity is pretty high already. We aren’t looking for more applications,” she said.
Student Regent Designate D’Artagnan Scorza said he believes rejecting eligible students should not even be a consideration.
As for the university’s efforts to increase diversity, Scorza said he believes that increasing the quality of the applicants, coupled with UCLA’s holistic admissions will help bring the most well-rounded, diverse group of students.
MEChA chairwoman Christina Davila said it is too early to tell if increasing numbers of underrepresented minority applicants will translate into a more diverse student body. Davila added that UCLA’s outreach has helped to an extent, though she hopes to see a strengthened effort in the future.