University of California creates admissions waiting list; accepts out of state applicants
According to the Los Angeles Times, this year was the most competitive of all admissions cycles in the history of the University of California. Recent decisions regarding admission to the UCs have caused some controversy, including the increased number of out-of-state students and the establishment of wait lists for the first time in its history.
The University of California administrators announced in January that the Board of Regents voted to establish the use of waiting lists for the UC system. At the time, they claimed that the option would be available to all campuses and that the wait lists would be used “to a limited extent.” While UCLA and UC Mercedrefrained from using the waitlists, the remaining seven campuses did employ the lists, placing 10,700 students on them altogether. UC Davis has the longest waiting list with 5,065 students. Students have until April 15 to inform the respective schools if they choose to remain on the waiting list and in turn, the schools will render final decisions regarding wait listed applicants in mid-May.
It comes as no surprise to many that the competition this year proved so intense within the UC system; the increased number of applicants along with decreased number of spots (as a result of budget cuts) foreshadowed the plight of many California applicants. UCLA accepted 21 percent of in state applicants and UC Berkeley accepted about 21 percent. Adding insult to injury, the UC system increased the number of admitted non-California residents in an effort to increase revenue, thereby decreasing the number of available spots for in-state residents even more.
The University of California decreased the number of offers in California residents by 15 percent in order to make room for out-of-state and internationa
