After a year that saw the largest incoming freshman class in UCLA history, applications from potential freshmen have increased another 18.1 percent, according to a report released Thursday by the University of California Office of the President.
At the same time, the number of people applying as transfers dropped by about 4 percent.
UCLA saw the largest percentage increase in applications in the system, as the UC reached a record number of applications for the eighth year in a row, according to the report.
The UC received a total of 160,939 applications ““ a 13.2 percent increase from last year. For its part, UCLA saw a 12.7 percent increase in total applications since last year, receiving 91,512 applications and shattering last year’s record submissions by more than 10,000 applicants.
One of the factors that may have contributed to the increase in applications was the UC’s removal of the SAT subject tests from the application process, said UCLA spokesman Ricardo Vazquez.
“One of the goals with that change in admissions policy was to look at a broader pool of high achieving students,” Vazquez said.
Only 40 percent of applicants took the subject tests this year, UCOP spokeswoman Dianne Klein said.
Vazquez also said that students nationwide are applying to more colleges, which could have also contributed to the increase in applications.
Because of the large number of applicants to the UC, competition for available spots in the system will increase, said Klein.
“We’re thrilled that students and families realize the UC’s excellence, but the bad news is that we’ll have to turn down qualified applicants who would benefit from an education,” Klein said. “We’re only going to enroll the number of California students for whom we have state funding.”
Despite increased competition for admissions into the UC, the appeal of the system continues to be strong overseas. About 5,800 more international students applied to UC campuses this year, amounting to a total of 17,551 international applicants for fall 2012.
“Out-of-state students have recognized that the system is now much more open to them,” Klein said. “But the competition for them is going to be tough because of the large number of applicants.”
Nonresident students make up 6.9 percent of the entire UC system undergraduate population, which corresponds with the policy set by officials of capping nonresident undergraduate enrollment to 10 percent.
At UCLA, this increase translated into a 69 percent rise in international freshman applications in a year that featured recruitment visits overseas specifically targeting an increase in international student enrollment. Freshman applicants from out-of-state also increased by 48 percent.
While the overall number of applications rose, the number of transfer applicants to UCLA dropped by about 4 percent.
Vazquez said that while it is unclear what led to this drop in transfer applicants, the increased difficulty of getting into classes at community college may have played a role.
“Because of budget cuts, students at community colleges may be having a more difficult time completing their coursework,” Vazquez said.
He added that he does not believe the cost of the UC was a factor in the decrease in transfers.
UCLA followed the system-wide pattern of receiving a greater number of applications from African American, Chicano/Latino and American Indian students. Applications also increased for low-income students and first-generation college students.
“The demographics of the applicant is changing because the demographics of the state are changing,” Vazquez said.