Record
number of applicants apply to UC Berkeley for fall 2001 freshman
class
30
Jan 2001
By
Janet Gilmore, Media Relations
Berkeley
- A record number of California high school seniors have applied
for admission to UC Berkeley for the fall 2001 freshman class,
including an unprecedented number of African American, Chicano,
Latino and American Indian students.
This increase
in applications represents an across-the-board rise in applications
from all ethnic groups.
In all,
27,688 California residents applied for the fall 2001 freshman
class. The total number of applications, including those from
out of state, was 35,473.
The single
most dramatic increase among California applicants occurred
among Chicano students, with 2,642 of these students applying
to the University of California, Berkeley, up 18 percent from
last year.
"We are
very gratified that so many students from communities all
across California have chosen to apply for an education at
UC Berkeley," said Richard Black, assistant vice chancellor
for admissions and enrollment. "Our staff has worked very
hard to get out the message about the opportunities a Berkeley
education can provide."
UC
Berkeley has greatly expanded its recruitment efforts, adding
more staff and visiting more communities. Foremost among this
enhanced effort has been more visits to high schools across
the state. By the end of this school year, recruitment officials
will have visited more than 350 California high schools and
distributed more than 800,000 recruitment brochures.
Other enhanced
recruitment activities have included:
* Offering
more than 50 workshops in which recruitment officials offered
tips on writing a personal essay and completing the application.
* Working
with community-based organizations such as churches and philanthropic
organizations to bring college admissions information to diverse
populations.
* Holding
informational receptions at UC Berkeley for high school and
community college counselors.
* Adding
a fourth outreach officer to the Southern California staff
and hiring an additional Northern California outreach officer
to visit local schools.
All of
these efforts appear to be paying off.
Applications
from African American students increased 11.8 percent to 1,225.
Applications from American Indian students increased 16 percent
to 166; and applications from Latino students increased 14
percent to 968.
The largest
number of applications continues to come from Asian American
students, up 7.9 percent to 9,751 applications, and the category
of "white/other," up 6 percent to 9,198 applications.
Among community
college transfer students, 5,436 students applied to UC Berkeley,
up from 5,289 at this time last year. The most significant
percentage increases in transfer applications involved Chicano
students, up 33.8 percent to 574 applications. Transfer applicants
will be notified in early May.
While admissions
officials are pleased that such a broad group of students
are interested in attending UC Berkeley as freshmen, they
note that only about a quarter of these students will gain
admission.
Approximately
8,900 students will be admitted to the fall 2001 freshman
class for a targeted enrollment of about 3,800 new freshmen.
"While
it is just not possible to admit all qualified students, we
can guarantee to every single applicant that his or her application
will get careful, individual scrutiny," said Black.
The university's
team of 66 professional evaluators began reading applications
and essays on January 2. Students will be notified by mail
in late March.
Admissions
decisions are based on such factors as the applicant's test
scores, grades, extra-curricular activities, leadership skills
and important individual attributes that he or she might bring
to the university. All accomplishments are evaluated within
the full context of the student's life, including such matters
as the opportunities or limitations provided by a student's
school or home life.
Students
who applied for admissions electronically can log on to the
University of California's Pathways system at https://www.ucapplication.net/ucap/
to determine whether their application has been received.
In addition
to the students admitted to the fall 2001 freshman class,
approximately 2,550 students from the fall applicant pool
will be admitted for Spring 2002 for a targeted enrollment
of 860 new spring freshmen.
###
Statistics
for fall 2001 applications for California residents are posted
on the University of California, Office of the President web
site at www.ucop.edu/ucophome/commserv/2001/application.html.
NOTE:
All numbers are preliminary.
.
|
