By J. Sharon Yee Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The number of underrepresented students admitted as freshmen for
fall 2000 increased slightly from last year, according to
statistics released Monday.
A total 10,752 high school seniors were offered admission,
compared to 10,296 admitted last year.
"We are delighted to have admitted a superb group of students
with outstanding academic credentials. Now we must focus our
efforts in encouraging all admitted students at UCLA," Chancellor
Albert Carnesale said in a statement.
While adding he was pleased the overall numbers of
underrepresented minorities remained steady, he said there was more
to be done to make sure all parts of the state are adequately
represented on campus.
This year, 1,544 students from historically underrepresented
ethnic and racial groups – African American, American Indian, and
Latina/o – were admitted as first-year students, 14.6 percent of
the total admitted.
This is an increase over last year , when 1,411 underrepresented
students were admitted, making up 14 percent of the total.
African Americans were the only group that experienced a decline
in the number and percentage of students admitted.
This year, 315 African Americans were admitted, compared to 329
last fall.
"I am deeply disturbed at the decline in the number of African
American students admitted," said Raymund Paredes, associate vice
chancellor of academic development.
Paredes suggested reevaluating admissions criteria, particularly
credit given to Advanced Placement and honors courses.
"First of all, we need to take a continuing look at admissions
criteria and do all we can to admit high- achieving students," he
said.
The number of Latina/o students admitted increased from 10.3
percent (1,041 students) last year to 11.2 percent (1,180 students)
this year.
American Indians also experienced a slight increase in the
number of students admitted, with 49 admitted this year, compared
to 41 last year.
A total of 4,376 Asian Americans were admitted, compared with
4,194 in fall 1999, and 3,579 white students were admitted,
compared with 3,461 last year. In addition, 917 declined to state
their race and 176 identified themselves as "other."
Undergraduate Students Association Council President Mike de la
Rocha expressed outrage at the admissions statistics.
"The admissions numbers this year prove once again that UCLA
operates under exclusionary and discriminatory policies," he
said,
De la Rocha noted that despite the small increases in minority
admissions this year, there has been more than a 50 percent drop in
admission of underrepresented students since 1995.
He called for a reconsideration of admissions policies in
bringing a greater ethnic diversity to UCLA, advocating the repeal
of the UC Regents’ SP-1 and SP-2 decisions, which officially ruled
out the consideration of race and ethnicity in admission and hiring
policies. Proposition 209, passed by voters in 1996, outlawed the
use of affirmative action in hiring and admissions by all state
institutions.
"Compared to 1995, these set of numbers are like a slap in the
face to students of color because UCLA is clearly not
representational of the population of California," he said.
Ramon Richardson, USAC internal vice president, discussed the
decrease in the number of African American students admitted.
"It is clear that African Americans are being discriminated by
admission policies because the university does not take into
account how the African American experience is different from
experiences of other ethnic groups," he said.
Rae Lee Siporin, director of undergraduate admissions, said the
university is required to admit a minimum 50 percent of its
applicants based on academic criteria alone, including GPA, test
scores, the number of college preparatory classes taken, and the
number of honors and AP classes taken.
The remainder of students are admitted based on students’
involvement outside of classes, volunteer work, and leadership
roles, but Siporin also noted the significance of looking at other
criteria, such as whether the student has to work, comes from a
low-income, or lives in a single parent household.
"We are very much interested in looking at the ways applicants
are coping with life challenges and that weighs heavily in
admissions," she said.
The overall GPA for admitted students was 4.17, down from 4.23
last fall. The median SAT score of admitted students was 1,328,
compared to the median score of 1,326 last year.
Recruitment of admitted students will be intensified over the
next month, prior to the May 1 deadline for students to submit
their statements of intent to register, Siporin said.
Many activities begin this week, including alumni personally
phoning students, Scholars’ Days, which invite the most competitive
students to tour and have lunch on campus, and programs
specifically geared toward recruiting students from
underrepresented groups.
Though UCLA received the most freshman applications – a total of
37,742 – of all universities nationwide, director of undergraduate
admissions, Siporin attributed the increase in students admitted to
a larger target freshman enrollment.
"We do not have to accept many more students than in past years,
however, because the yield has been creeping up as more and more
people are considering UCLA," Siporin said.
"Over the course of time, I think people have realized how the
academic and athletic programs at UCLA have gotten stronger, in
addition to the school being a bargain, tuition-wise," she
added.
Siporin also noted the acceptance of fewer students for winter
quarter admission to help reach a targeted 4,200 freshmen
enrollment. This year’s freshman class had just under 3,900
students.
Across the UC system, slightly more than 46,000 students were
admitted to at least one UC campus. Of this total, 7,336
underrepresented minorities were admitted.
"We are pleased to welcome these highly qualified students and,
by the time the admissions process is completed in the next few
weeks, we expect to meet our longstanding commitment to offer
admission to all eligible California high school graduates," UC
President Richard Atkinson said in a statement.