UCI Sees Increase in Applications From Minorities

Applications to UC Irvine have increased 12% since last year, with those from underrepresented minority groups up even more--20%.

The growth in applications from blacks, Chicanos and Latinos is an indication that despite the ban in affirmative action, efforts to increase minorities on campus have been successful.

“We are elated that indeed the applicant pool is reflective of that kind of diversity,� said Manuel N. Gomez, vice chancellor of student affairs.

Applications from Asian Americans increased 11%, and the number from Filipino Americans grew 7%.

The University of California does not consider those two groups underrepresented. At UCI, Asian and Filipino Americans make up 56.4% of the undergraduate population.

The number of Chicano students applying to UCI grew 22%, African Americans 19%, Latinos 18% and whites 10%. The number of American Indians who applied fell 8%.

UCI’s numbers bettered the combined figures for the nine UC campuses. The number of applications to the UC system rose 2.5%--less than a fourth of the growth shown at the Orange County campus.

In addition, the systemwide number of applications from Latinos grew 6.4%, Chicanos 6.3%, African Americans 3.6%, Asian Americans 2.6%, and Filipino Americans 2.3%. Applications from American Indians dropped 2.6% and applications from white applicants dropped 0.3%.

UCI’s Gomez said that efforts to target students from low-income schools in the Anaheim, Long Beach and Compton school districts have been successful. UCI has been sending students to high schools to act as tutors, he said, and has been discussing with teachers ways to strengthen the curriculum.

Several programs with community colleges also have helped increase the number of transfer applicants. They include having UCI admissions counselors working more closely with the two-year schools and bringing more potential transfer students onto campus during the summer to give them a taste of college life.

Another reason for the rise is the increasing numbers of students applying to several UC campuses. The average student applies to 3.3 campuses, more than ever before.

UCI received 29,435 applications for admission in fall 2000, the most ever. Because of a growing number of students reaching college age, UCI plans to increase its student population by 5% a year. But because of the increased number of applicants, UCI will tell 7,000 students who meet the entrance requirements for UC that there is no space for them at Irvine.

About 3,800 freshmen and 1,100 transfer students will be admitted to UCI in the fall.

“We do know we’ll be turning away the largest number of students ever,� Gomez said. “That’s the downside of reaching this milestone.�

More than 66,000 students applied to become freshmen at a University of California campus next fall, an increase of 4.4% from last year, according to preliminary figures released by the president’s office.

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UCI Enrollment

The number of students applying to UC Irvine rose 12% over last year and included increases for nearly every ethnic group except for American Indians. Students applying to UCI for fall enrollment:

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Ethnicity Number % change African American 736 19 % Asian American 10,126 11 Chicanos 2,475 22 Filipino American 1,577 7 Latino 781 18 White/other 6,318 10 American Indian 103 -8 Decline to state 1,591 22

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Source: UC Irvine