By Delilah Alvarado
(California) The University of California admitted its biggest and most diverse undergraduate class for fall 2021, but it also had one of the hardest applications.
Among the California applicants, Latinos were the largest group admitted for the second year in a row, according to LA Times.
About 45% of admitted students were also low-income, and the other 45% came from families who attended a four-year college.
“These remarkable numbers are a testament to the hard work and resiliency of students and their families across California,” UC President Michael V. Drake said in a statement. “I am particularly heartened by the social and economic diversity of those offered a place at UC. Fall will be an exciting time on our campuses.”
In the admissions process, UC eliminated SAT and ACT test results, along with suspending the letter-grade requirements. This brought in more admissions by an 18% increase over last year.
Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, UCLA vice provost of enrollment management said that the elimination of standardized testing scores had little impact on assessing students.
Admissions did vary for other UC campuses. Such as UC Berkley, admissions dropped from 17% last year to 14%. However, the campus did admit more Californian freshmen from underrepresented groups over last year by increasing diversity outreach efforts that included a “Berkeley En Español” website and a recruiter for Native American students.
UC Irvine also made strides in diversity increasing the number of underrepresented students to 41% compared to 29% last year.
UC’s admission data, although subject to change, is suggesting more students are putting the pandemic behind them, as fewer students are canceling their acceptances.