State universities cut back admissions (4/09)

By Ruby Wong

Apr. 28, 2009

The University of California is offering fall admission to fewer freshmen this year despite an increase in the number of applicants.

Though this year has seen a record high number of applications, the Regents of the University of California, a 26-member governing board governing California’s public university system, have reduced the number of admission offerings to their incoming freshmen class of 2013 by 1,400 students in total, approximately three percent, and slightly increased the number of transfer students by 500 students, approximately four percent, due to the shortage of state funding.

UC freshmen applicants for the 2009-2010 school year increased by about three percent this year over the number of applicants for the 2008-2009 school year, reaching the highest recorded number of applicants to the UC system to date, according to the University of California’s online admission data summary Web site (ucop.edu/news/studstaff.html).

Regardless of the increasing number of applicants, the UC system has spots for only approximately 226,000 undergraduate and graduate students and receives state funding for only approximately 216,000 students. Among those, roughly 58,000 of in-state high school seniors were offered a spot at a UC school this year — about 1,400 students less than the previous year.

These cutbacks in freshman admissions stem from the insufficient funding as the nationwide economic crisis deepened and state deficits worsened. The UC system will receive $3.2 billion in state funds for the 2009-2010 school year, $48 million less than budget two years ago, according the University of California Web site (www.universityofcalifornia.edu). Amidst these financial challenges, UCs may still receive a mid-year $65 million budget cut.
As the admissions process becomes more competitive, some students have expressed concerns over getting into their top choices of the UC schools next year. “The competition and stress level (at Lowell) is already very unhealthy and taxing,” junior Lauren Sit said. “I think it'll have an overall negative effect on students. Sure, the standards will be higher, but that means that more will fall behind.”

Recognizing the effect of the worsening budget crisis, Lowell counselors are emphasizing the importance of broadening college choices when time comes to apply. “As counselors, we encourage students to apply to not just the top, prestigious, brand-named UCs,” counselor May Choi said. “(Students) have to realize that if you don’t get into your first choice UC, you need a second, third and fourth plan. What I’ve noticed about students here at Lowell is that they always apply to the most selective colleges, and they don’t apply to other UCs, such as Riverside and Merced, that might be just as good as the more popular ones. This way, they limit their opportunities if they do not apply broadly.”

For the students applying only to the popular campuses, Regents of University of California also announced they will evaluate students separately, according to the campus they are applying to, according to the Jan. 15 article from the Los Angeles Times Web site “UC cuts freshman enrollment for fall by 6 percent”

Students that are deemed eligible for UCs and are turned down from their choice campuses will be guaranteed a spot at a campus with open spots. Often times, campuses with open spots are UC-Riverside and UC-Merced, the two newest additions to the UC line.

The Regents are setting aside a new category of students called “Entitled to Review” composed of applicants who have a minimum unweighted grade point average of 3.0 and are late in finishing UC A-G requirements, according to the Los Angeles Times article.

Students in this category will be given a chance for further assessment, allowing campuses the opportunity to recognize that their raw GPA does not reflect their true GPA, which includes the extra grade points from honors and Advanced Placement classes.

Counselors also encourage students to consider first attending a local community college and then transferring to a UC.
According to Choi, going to community college for the first two years and fulfilling certain criteria first grants students a higher likelihood of transferring into the four-year college of choice, especially with the recent increase in the number of accepted transfer students into the UC line. “We have to play down the stigma of saying it’s a waste going to City College after four years of Lowell,” Choi said.

Despite “Entitled to Review” and other beneficial policies that the UC regents plan to implement and the help that school counselors can provide, many Lowell students are still apprehensive about the cutbacks.
“Students are worrying about whether or not they’ll get into the college they want,” junior Amy Yee said. “Sure, they probably still have some benefits for the applicants, but the bottom line is there are still so many people applying. Only so many people will get in.”

Facing the reality of the financial times will help students recognize what they have to do in order to get into the school of their choice.
“Students will have to work even harder,” Sit said. “No matter what, colleges will be choosing the best of the best. Unfortunately the choices are these: sink or swim.”
According to Choi, acknowledging the truth of the current economic situation is key.
“In this economy, we need to be realistic,” Choi said. “It’s very rigorous this year with the high competition level. What’s important is that students need to realize that Lowell prepares them very well for college. Wherever students end up, they need to be proud of the four years they spent getting there, and they will shine and do well at any college.”

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