Media Contact: Kate Callen at (619) 534-0361 or kcallen@ucsd.edu

UCSD POSTS RECORD FRESHMEN, TRANSFER APPLICATIONS FOR FALL ’99

The University of California, San Diego has posted a record 37,452 undergraduate applications for the Fall 1999 Quarter, including 32,233 freshman applications (the second highest number in the UC system) and 5,219 transfer applications.

The total number of applications to UCSD is up 13.5 percent from 1998's record count. Freshmen applications are up 13.9 percent, and transfer applications are up 11.0 percent.

The academic quality of the freshmen applicants to UCSD continues to rise with the average high school grade point average up to 3.72 from 3.70 in 1998; and the average SAT composite score up five points to 1209.

"We are pleased to learn that our long-standing recruitment efforts and our new partnerships with high schools and community colleges have helped boost applications, both in general and from underrepresented groups," said Dr. Joseph W. Watson, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. "Still, as gratifying as these numbers are, we know we must work ever harder to attract a talented and diverse group of students into the UCSD campus community."

Comparing new application data on gender and racial/ethnic groups from the UC Office of the President, percentages of applications from men and women remained the same with women comprising 55 percent and men 45 percent of the applicant pool. Applications from African-American students increased by 91 to 899, a rise of 11.2 percent. Mexican-American applications increased by 382 to 2,480, a rise of 18.2 percent. Native-American applications increased by 11 to 190, a rise of 6.1 percent. Latino applications increased by 212 to 946, a rise of 28.8 percent. Asian-American applications increased by 1,567 to 9,225, a rise of 20.4 percent. Caucasian applications increased by 3,075 to 12,985, a rise of 31.0 percent. The numbers of students who did not indicate a racial/ethnic category dropped by 25 percent from 1998, from 5,444 to 4,068.