The University of California received a record number of enrollment applications for fall 2009, but saw a significant decrease in application growth compared to previous years. UCSD incurred a 0.7 percent decrease in applicants for the class of 2013 compared to the number of applications received last year.
UC spokesman Ricardo Vazquez said the drop in enrollment growth is a result of a smaller high-school graduating class.
‘We are still seeing continued growth despite the decrease in [high- school] graduates and that indicates that there is a strong demand among California students for a UC education,’ Vazquez said. ‘ The UC department of finance has projected incremental decreases in the number of graduating public high-school seniors over the next few years before the application rate stabilizes. According to Vazquez, demographic shifts like these are not uncommon in the UC system’s history.
UCLA secured the highest number of applications, followed by UC Berkeley and UCSD. UC Merced and UC Riverside received the fewest applicants.
According to Assistant Vice Chancellor of Admissions Mae W. Brown, out of 47,032 applicants, UCSD expects to enroll a freshman class of 3,775.
Overall, UC applicants had a mean GPA of 3.67 with an average SAT score of 1,726 and an average ACT score of 25. UCSD applicants had a mean GPA of 3.77, while those applying to UCLA and UC Berkeley held, on average, 3.79 and 3.84 GPAs respectively.
‘The quality of the UC freshman applicant pool remains high, and this year’s outcomes are generally consistent with the last two cycles,’ Vazquez said.
Despite the decrease in freshman applicants, transfer applications to the UC system increased by 13 percent, and by 17 percent to UCSD specifically.
At the advisement of UC President Mark G. Yudof, the Board of Regents voted this month to cut 2009-10 freshman enrollment by 2,300 students due to a lack of state funding. However, at the same meeting, the regents also increased the number of systemwide transfer enrollments by 500 students. ‘[Transfer enrollment] is very important to us,’ Vazquez said. ‘It’s a path that is important to be kept open, especially since it is cost-effective for many students in these economic times.’
UCSD plans to adhere to Yudof’s request to reduce freshman enrollment targets.
‘We are overenrolled at the freshman level and are trying to bring our enrollment in greater alignment with the funding provided by the state so the reduction at the freshman level is appropriate,’ Brown said.
Despite a lack of funding, Brown said UCSD will ensure that ‘we continue to offer quality academic programs for those students that accept our offer of admission.’ She said there are diverse programs for those entering at either the freshman or transfer level, and the university makes no recommendation regarding which path a student should choose to enter the university.
Despite the curtailment of freshman enrollment, the university will still offer placement at a UC campus to every eligible California resident who applied. According to Vazquez, students who are eligible and are not admitted by any of their preferred campuses will be referred to UC Riverside or UC Merced.
Despite slow application growth overall, ethnic and racial minorities increased their presence in the application pool this year. American Indians showed the largest rise, with an 18.9 percent increase in applications compared to last year. Latino applicants rose by 9 percent, while black applicants rose by 5.8 percent and Asian American applicants increased by 4
.8 percent.
‘We are very pleased with the healthy jump in applications from African American and Chicano/Latino [groups], particularly at the transfer level,’ Vazquez said.
According to university officials, with enrollment caps and the increase in freshman applications this year, admission will be more restrictive. As a result, students who may have qualified for admission at three campuses in prior years will most likely receive one or two acceptances this year.
Readers can contact Omair Qazi at [email protected].