UCLA BREAKS ADMISSIONS RECORDS
Rebecca Kendall | December 19, 2016
For the first time in UCLA history, freshman applications have surpassed six figures. According to preliminary data, more than 102,000 high school seniors applied for admission to UCLA for fall 2017. They represent the most economically, ethnically and geographically diverse pool of talent to ever apply to UCLA. Contributing to this success is a record number of applications from California high school seniors.
Overall, UCLA received 5.3 percent more freshman applications than last year. The largest portion of that increase came from California students. Applications from California residents surpassed 63,400, an increase of roughly 4,600, or 7.8 percent compared to last year. This growth marks UCLA’s largest-ever one-year increase in applications from California residents.
UCLA received a total of more than 100,000 applications from prospective freshmen and transfer students, combined, in each of the past three years. Data for incoming transfer student applications are not available yet, because the deadline for transfer applications was extended to Jan. 3, 2017.
“We’re pleased to see the response from California students from all across this great state,” said Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, UCLA’s vice provost for enrollment management. “Our admission, outreach and financial aid staff have worked hard to ensure that students throughout California had the information they needed to decide whether UCLA is the right place for them. And, overwhelmingly, they chose to apply.”
This jump in in-state applications will help UCLA enroll a larger number of California students over historic California enrollment targets, part of the University of California’s commitment to enroll an additional 10,000 California undergraduates over three years.
More modest gains were made in out-of-state applications, which rose by 1 percent from last year, and international applications, which grew by 1.8 percent.
INCREASE IN UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENT APPLICATIONS
There was a notable increase in applications from students from groups that have traditionally been underrepresented on campus. The number of prospective Pacific Islander freshmen jumped by 15.7 percent from last year, while the number of Chicano/Latino applicants increased by 9.4 percent. Applications from Native American and African-American students rose by 5.5 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively.
Applications from Asian-Americans increased by 5 percent, and applications from white students by 3 percent.
In its assessment of prospective students, UCLA uses a comprehensive holistic review process to ensure a thorough review is conducted and that each applicant’s educational and personal experiences are considered.
“Even with our extraordinary volume, we are committed to reading and considering everything students might share with us in their applications,” said Gary Clark, UCLA’s director of undergraduate admission. “We look forward to getting to know these students as we review their applications in the coming months.”
