UC admissions drop for California students
There’s been a slight drop in the number of California students accepted at University of California schools compared to a record high last year.
This year, preliminary numbers show nearly 70,000 California undergraduates received admission letters to a University of California Campus. That’s down about 1.7 percent from last year.
According to the numbers released Thursday, UC Santa Cruz did have the biggest drop out of all nine campuses when it comes to the number of instate students the school allowed in this year, but the Director of Admissions told KION that was also due to the large amount of people the school accepted in 2016.
“Last year across the UC system it increased 5,000 undergraduates and that was split between freshmen and transfer students so most of the campuses this year had to go back to California budgeted numbers after the large increase so that’s why you’re seeing a decline in offers of admissions from each of the campuses,” said UC Santa Cruz Director of Admissions Michael McCawley.
UCSC saw a 13.7 percent drop, but the admissions rate for community college students increased by 13.6 percent, the highest one year increase of any UC campus.
The Chancellor said the university is committed to enrolling one California resident for every two California resident freshman with 19 percent more transfers compared to fall of 2013.
The Director of Admissions, Michael McCawley, said “I’m particularly pleased that we were able to admit at least one student from 113 of the 114 community colleges underscoring our commitment to serve all the community colleges of California.”
70 percent of the offers from UC Santa Cruz were also to California students totaling 19,258 of the 27,216 offers for the upcoming academic year.
“All UC campuses ensure we are enrolling California residents at our budgeted number so we always ensure that happens,” said McCawley.
McCawley told KION UCSC is committed to diversity on campus, but the school will also be continuing to recruit in-state students.
“We are everywhere in California from the furthest tip north to the furthest tip south in reaching out to Californians so we want everyone to know they’re welcome at UC Santa Cruz.”
That is part of what brought some California students to UCSC along with all the Central Coast has to offer.
“There are lot of different types of students here. I’ve made some good friends and this university is a relaxed place,” said Southern California resident and UCSC student Thais Hogarth.
“I got into a bunch of other UC schools, but here you get the beaches and mountains and this beautiful setting and to be going to school in an area like this it doesn’t get any better than that,” said UCSC student Alden Moir.
UC Santa Cruz will continue to be committed to enrolling one California resident transfer for every two California resident freshmen and expects to enroll 19 percent more transfers compared to fall 2013.
The latest numbers also show UCSC accepted more international students this year and the percentage of admitted African American and Chicano/Latino students remains steady.
“For a lot of people thinking of a campus like UC Santa Cruz, the one thing I want them to know is our commitment to diversity includes students from other geographic areas,” said McCawley.
