Media Contact: Kate Callen at (858) 534-0361

The University of California, San Diego has admitted 13,268 freshmen for the Fall 2000 quarter. Selected from a record 35,677 freshman applications (the second highest number in the UC system), the group is the most academically prepared admit pool in UCSD’s history. Their mean high school grade point average (GPA) of 4.07 is up from 1999’s record 4.05, and their average composite Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) of 1,309 is up from 1999’s record 1,303.

The 13,268 admitted freshmen include over 1,300 students from San Diego and Imperial Counties. The most popular majors chosen by this class continue to be biology, economics, computer science in engineering and psychology.

Data on the admission of underrepresented students delivers some good news. In parallel with the 19% increase in applications from underrepresented students, there was a 14% increase in the number of underrepresented students in the admitted freshman class for Fall 2000. African-American admits are at 204, up 17% over last year. Mexican Americans are at 953, up 14%, and Native Americans are at 59, up 5%.

Admitted freshman students have until May 1, 2000 to declare whether they will attend UCSD. In the weeks to come, outreach efforts to admitted students will include telephone calls from UCSD students and admissions counselors; home and high school visits; and invitations to campus. These activities will culminate in "Admit Day" at UCSD on Saturday, April 15, when all admitted students and their families will be welcomed to campus by representatives of UCSD’s five undergraduate colleges, departments, faculty, students, and Admissions and Outreach staff.