Diversity on the rise among undergraduate applicants to UCLA
UCLA has received more applications for fall 2014 undergraduate admission than any other University of California school, continuing a trend that in recent years has made the campus the most applied-to four-year university in the nation.
Of 86,472 freshman applicants, 4,640 are black (a 5.8 percent increase over 2013), 505 are Native American (up 18.3 percent) and 18,384 are Chicano/Latino (up 4.1 percent). UCLA also saw an increase in the number of states and countries from which students applied.
"UCLA thrives best when a diverse student body brings unique perspectives and a variety of experiences to our classrooms," said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. "We are delighted that so many extraordinary students from a rich mix of backgrounds include UCLA when applying to top universities and colleges around the world."
In a year when the number of California high school graduates is projected to drop, UCLA saw a 1.7 percent jump in the number of in-state freshman applicants, compared with a 0.6 percent increase among UC campuses overall. And while community college enrollment has been flat, UCLA's in-state transfer applicant pool grew, reflecting the university's long history as a valued destination for transfer students. In total, UCLA received 19,352 transfer applications.
"Increases in applications from underrepresented groups and from in-state students reflect the care and attention we've given to California and the communities where these students live," said Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, UCLA's associate vice chancellor for enrollment management. "We follow up on our initial visits to many local high schools by providing workshops on how to apply to college and how to write a personal statement."
This year, 42 percent of UCLA's freshman applicants would be first-generation college students and 37 percent come from low-income families. Meanwhile, the academic quality of the applicants — measured by high school grade-point average, admissions test scores and the number of academic courses completed — remains high.
Despite receiving a record total of 105,824 freshman and transfer applications, every application will be read cover to cover, regardless of GPAs or test scores. UCLA uses a comprehensive, holistic review to score each application, taking into account the context of each applicant's educational and personal experiences.
Freshman applicants will be notified of UCLA's admission decisions by April 1. Admitted students will have until May 1 to notify the campus of their intention to register. Transfer students will be notified of admission decisions by April 30 and will have until June 1 to commit to the campus.
Detailed tables with system-wide statistics and data for all nine UC undergraduate campuses are posted at http://www.ucop.edu/news/studstaff.html.
