Record High for UC Applications

UC Applications Top 120,000, an All-Time High

The University of California has received 121,005 applications for admission to the fall 2008 term, breaking the record for the fourth year in a row. Overall applications increased by 9 percent over fall 2007, with a 9.2 percent increase at the freshman level and an 8.5 percent increase at the transfer level.
The all-time high number of applications included a 7.7 percent increase in California freshman applications. In-state transfer applications rose by 7.1 percent, reversing last year's dip.
"The growing demand for a UC education coupled with the growing increase in the pool of qualified applicants is welcome," said Susan Wilbur, UC director of undergraduate admissions. "Certainly there's been an increased level of student preparation, with more students fulfilling the 'a–g' requirements, for example."
UC has put effort into a variety of strategies to recruit transfer students from the state's community colleges, Wilbur said, and the increase in transfer applications was a sign these efforts are paying off.
Out-of-state freshman applications increased by 14.4 percent, and international freshman applications by 25.2 percent. Out-of-state and international transfer applications went up by 5.1 percent and 24.9 percent, respectively.
Virtually all prospective students—99.5 percent of freshmen and 99 percent of transfers—applied online. Just 721 paper applications were submitted.
Applicants continued to apply to multiple UC campuses, 3.6 on average for freshmen and 2.9 for transfer students.
UC Davis posted the largest gain in freshman applications, 15.6 percent, followed by Santa Barbara (15 percent), Santa Cruz (13.8 percent), Merced (13.2 percent), Berkeley (9.8 percent), Los Angeles (9.2 percent), Riverside (6.5 percent), Irvine (6.2 percent) and San Diego (5.1 percent).
All nine UC undergraduate campuses saw gains in transfer applications, led by Merced's 37.7 percent jump from 2007 (300 applicants). Other top draws were Santa Barbara (a 12.9 percent increase), Los Angeles (12 percent) and Davis (11.9 percent).
Freshman applications showed increases from every racial and ethnic category. Chicano/Latino applications rose the most, a 17.9 percent increase, and there was a 16.1 percent increase in African American applications.
All campuses saw an increase in African American applicants from California. Applications from this group have increased by 26.4 percent since 2006. Freshman applications from Chicano/Latino students who are California residents went up by at least 16.2 percent on all campuses. Since 2006, applications from California's prospective Chicano/Latino freshmen have risen 30.4 percent.
Transfer applications showed one-year increases of 10.8 percent for Asian Americans, 7.1 percent for white/other and 4.6 percent for Chicano/Latino applicants. The number of African American transfer applicants remained flat.
Applications from California public high school students outpaced the state Department of Finance's projected increase of 3.2 percent more graduates in 2008. The University saw an increase of 6.4 percent from this group.
Transfer applicants from California community colleges increased this year by 8.1 percent, or 1,522 students. All campuses experienced a solid increase, including UC Merced, which had a one-year increase of 231 applicants (32.3 percent). Application growth is noted among the following groups: Asian American (12.3 percent), Chicano/Latino (6.3 percent), white/other (5.5 percent) and Filipino American (2.3 percent).
The academic quality of UC applicants remains high. And slightly more applicants this year reported that they are the first in their families to attend college, have a low family income and are among those who are attending California's lowest-performing public high schools as defined by the school's academic performance index (API) score.
These admissions data are from a preliminary Jan. 4 report. Some UC campuses remained open after the Nov. 30 deadline, so final results may differ.

Want to read more about California colleges? Check out:
Vault California Colleges Buzz Book

Most Popular National Universities by Yield

From US News & World Report

Most Popular Colleges: National Universities

So which colleges do students really want to go to? One way to find out is to look at a school’s yield, the percentage of applicants accepted by a university who end up enrolling at that institution in the fall. The figures in this table are from the fall 2006 entering class and show the admit yield and overall acceptance rate. If a school has a high yield (a large proportion of those admitted enroll), it means that the school is most likely very popular with a top reputation and that the students are highly motivated to go there. A very low yield means that the school could be a “safety” or second choice for many of those who apply. Colleges use yield as a key factor in determining how many students they need to admit each year.

U.S. News Rank	School	Acceptance Rate	Yield
79	Brigham Young University—Provo (UT)	70%	79%
2	Harvard University (MA)	9%	79%
1	Princeton University (NJ)	10%	69%
4	Stanford University (CA)	11%	67%
7	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	13%	66%
91	University of Nebraska—Lincoln*	73%	66%
5	University of Pennsylvania	18%	66%
52	Yeshiva University (NY)	79%	66%
49	University of Florida*	48%	63%
62	Texas A&M University—College Station*	77%	59%
14	Brown University (RI)	14%	58%
9	Columbia University (NY)	12%	58%
19	University of Notre Dame (IN)	27%	58%
28	University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill*	34%	57%
44	University of Texas—Austin*	49%	56%
59	University of Georgia*	58%	55%
85	University of Kansas*	77%	53%
57	Ohio State University—Columbus*	68%	51%
23	University of Virginia*	37%	51%
91	University of Alabama*	70%	50%
11	Dartmouth College (NH)	16%	50%
38	University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign*	65%	50%
85	North Carolina State University—Raleigh*	61%	48%
42	University of Washington*	68%	48%
12	Cornell University (NY)	25%	47%
23	Georgetown University (DC)	22%	47%
91	University of Missouri—Columbia*	78%	47%
96	University of Tennessee*	74%	47%
85	Iowa State University*	90%	46%
35	Georgia Institute of Technology*	69%	44%
71	Michigan State University*	73%	44%
25	University of Michigan—Ann Arbor*	47%	44%
96	University of Arizona*	86%	42%
21	University of California—Berkeley*	24%	42%
38	University of Wisconsin—Madison*	58%	42%
8	Duke University (NC)	23%	41%
67	Clemson University* (SC)	55%	40%
48	Pennsylvania State University—University Park*	58%	40%
75	Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ)	54%	40%
25	University of California—Los Angeles*	26%	40%
71	Virginia Tech*	68%	40%
33	College of William and Mary* (VA)	32%	39%
85	SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry*	58%	39%
19	Vanderbilt University (TN)	34%	39%
75	Indiana University—Bloomington*	80%	38%
14	Northwestern University (IL)	30%	38%
54	University of Maryland—College Park*	44%	38%
71	University of Minnesota—Twin Cities*	57%	38%
5	California Institute of Technology	17%	37%
96	Howard University (DC)	48%	37%
34	New York University	36%	37%
96	Auburn University* (AL)	72%	36%
79	University of Colorado—Boulder*	88%	36%
64	University of Iowa*	83%	36%
30	Wake Forest University (NC)	43%	36%
64	Purdue University—West Lafayette* (IN)	85%	35%
54	George Washington University (DC)	38%	34%
54	Pepperdine University (CA)	28%	34%
17	Rice University (TX)	24%	34%
9	University of Chicago	38%	34%
85	University of Denver	73%	34%
59	University of Pittsburgh*	56%	34%
59	Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey—New Brunswick* (NJ)	58%	33%
67	Southern Methodist University (TX)	54%	33%
14	Johns Hopkins University (MD)	27%	32%
64	University of Connecticut*	51%	32%
27	University of Southern California	25%	32%
91	University of Tulsa (OK)	76%	32%
12	Washington University in St. Louis	21%	32%
75	Baylor University (TX)	43%	31%
28	Tufts University (MA)	27%	31%
71	University of Delaware*	47%	31%
35	Boston College	29%	30%
75	Colorado School of Mines*	84%	30%
17	Emory University (GA)	32%	30%
67	Miami University—Oxford* (OH)	78%	30%
50	Syracuse University (NY)	51%	30%
31	Lehigh University (PA)	39%	29%
31	Brandeis University (MA)	36%	28%
44	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY)	67%	28%
96	SUNY—Stony Brook*	47%	27%
52	University of Miami (FL)	40%	27%
96	University of Massachusetts—Amherst*	71%	26%
96	University of the Pacific (CA)	69%	26%
82	SUNY—Binghamton*	43%	25%
42	University of California—Davis*	68%	25%
96	Northeastern University (MA)	45%	24%
62	Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA)	67%	24%
22	Carnegie Mellon University (PA)	34%	23%
82	Marquette University (WI)	70%	23%
57	Boston University	58%	22%
96	University of California—Riverside*	83%	22%
38	University of California—San Diego*	49%	22%
35	University of Rochester (NY)	45%	22%
44	University of California—Irvine*	60%	21%
41	Case Western Reserve University (OH)	67%	20%
91	Clark University (MA)	60%	20%
67	Fordham University (NY)	47%	20%
82	St. Louis University	67%	19%
44	University of California—Santa Barbara*	53%	19%
96	University of Vermont*	65%	19%
96	Illinois Institute of Technology	54%	18%
85	American University (DC)	53%	17%
79	University of California—Santa Cruz*	80%	17%
50	Tulane University (LA)	38%	11%

Note: These are the Top 100 ranked schools in this category, sorted in descending order by their yield. * denotes a public school.


U.S. News Ultimate College Guide 2008 (Us News Ultimate College Guide)

The following article talks about why it's important to keep your voice in your application essay. It's okay to work with a college adviser, a teacher, or a parent to get advice, but remember not to lose your voice. In other words don't have the essay read like an adult who is a professional writer penned the essay.

One book that can help you with writing your college application essay:
On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance and the College of your Choice

College applications can be too good

Admissions officers wary of slick essays

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff | February 12, 2008

Sometimes it is the choice 10-cent word or two, a spot-on sublime or consummate, that is the giveaway. Maybe it is a series of suspiciously skilled turns of phrase, syntax the envy of Strunk and White, or some pitch-perfect metaphors that raise the red flags.

As college admissions officers sift through thousands of application essays penned by eager-to-please high school seniors, they increasingly encounter writing that sparkles a bit too brightly or shows a poise and polish beyond the years of a typical teenager.

With the scramble to get into elite colleges at a fever pitch and with a rising number of educational consultants and college essay specialists ready to give students a competitive edge, admissions officers are keeping a sharp lookout for essays that might have had an undue adult influence. In some admissions offices, such submissions receive the dubious distinction DDI, short for "Daddy Did It."

Colleges are now cross-referencing student essays against the SAT writing sample, and, if doubts linger, will ask for a graded writing sample or raise their concern with the student's high school guidance counselor. Harvard even passes along suspiciously strong essays to professors for a scholarly opinion.

"There's an awful lot of talk in the admissions profession about this," said William R. Fitzsimmons, Harvard's dean of admissions and financial aid. "It's very difficult to know how much of it is the student's own work. It's just very hard to spot."

The concern over heavy-handed adult involvement is mounting as the admissions essay has become a pivotal part of the application, a key way for students to stand out from the throngs of applicants with top grades and SAT scores. In the past five years, the percentage of colleges attributing "considerable importance" to the college essay has risen from 19 to 28, behind grades, strength of classes, and standardized test scores, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

Admissions officers say they would almost never deny admission solely over a suspicious essay, unless they could prove it was plagiarized. There are many talented writers, and it would be a shame to misjudge them, they say. But at competitive schools that reject the vast majority of students, a hint of doubt can tilt the balance.

"The essay has over time become more important to the admission decisions, and that's trickling down to students," said Melissa E. Clinedinst, assistant director of research for the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

College administrators say that intense pressure to gain acceptance to selective schools has compelled parents to turn to high-priced essay editors and coaches.

"The euphemism we use is polished," said Parke Muth, an admissions dean at the University of Virginia. "If you're paying someone that much money, there shouldn't be fingerprints. But some essays have that sheen, that lemony-fresh smell that makes you wonder."

Outright plagiarism usually sticks out like a sore thumb, and suspicions can often be confirmed with a Google search. But detecting the helpful hand of a parent, guidance counselor, or writing coach, even for admissions officers who have read thousands of personal essays, takes a keen eye.

"We definitely encounter essays that seem too good to be true," said Eric J. Kaplan, interim dean of admissions of the University of Pennsylvania. "Highly sophisticated cadence and tone, perfectly polished prose, revelations that are almost profound, even for the most brilliant 17-year-old."

When an essay raises eyebrows, the first step is to judge it against the rest of the application, administrators say. A shimmering essay from a so-so English student, for example, clashes like "red stilettos and sweats," said Sarah M. McGinty, a Boston admissions consultant and author of "The College Application Essay."

"The application is a bit of an outfit, and mismatches raise questions," she said. "Good writers leave a trail of crumbs behind."

McGinty said that while she advises students on essay topics and edits their drafts, she is careful to let students write in their own voice.

In that vein, some colleges require essays on different topics and compare them, which can expose glaring discrepancies.

"Sometimes the difference in quality is remarkable," Kaplan said. "In the shorter essays, there will be no subject-verb agreement. Then the main one would be something a magazine would be eager to print."

Admissions officers say that there is nothing wrong with students receiving some outside help with their essays, such as suggestions on what to write about and emphasize, and that the vast majority of essays are the students' own. For that reason, admissions officials will only investigate when they believe adults are essentially ghostwriting the essays.

"There's a little bit of a disconnect sometimes," said Gil J. Villanueva, dean of admissions at Brandeis University. "We expect people to write like 17- and 18-year-olds, and sometimes it comes across like it could be in a book."

Admissions officers admit there is a fine line between a vigorous edit and wholesale reworking.

"We focus on the topic that will help personalize the student and help them stand out," said Larry Dannenberg, a college consultant in Framingham. "We are very, very careful to make sure that we're not writing the essay."

Admissions officers are not so sure, and some students protest that essay services can go too far. Rachel Merkin, a freshman from Wellesley at Ithaca College, said she rejected some of her coach's suggested editing, which she thought made the essay sound too mature and writerly.

"The editor definitely made my words sound good, I'll admit that," she said. "She made every word count. But I made sure I kept my voice in the essay."

Merkin's instincts were right, admissions officers say. Heavily edited essays often come across as scripted, sanitized. Essays with some rough edges are not only authentic, they are better reads.

Applicants are better off expressing themselves in their own words, admissions officers say.

"Almost the worst thing is for students to write to what they think we are looking for," said Stu Schmill, interim admissions director at MIT. "The best thing they can do is write from the heart."

© Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

If you are a high school junior, now is a good time to start putting together a list of colleges to apply to. One great resource is the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2008 (Fiske Guide to Colleges)
It provides an overview of colleges including academics and social life.

UC Campuses receive Record Number of Undergrad Applications

Applications soar at University of California campuses

By Matt Krupnick
Bay Area News Group

Article Launched: 01/29/2008 01:39:11 PM PST

The University of California received a record number of undergraduate applications for this year's fall term -- perhaps at a time UC can least afford it.

Every one of the nine undergraduate campuses experienced an application bump, with a 9 percent hike systemwide. UC Berkeley freshman applications were up nearly 10 percent, while transfer applications rose 11.5 percent.

More than 121,000 students applied for admissions this year, up from about 111,000 last year.

UCLA received the most applications, followed by the Berkeley, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Irvine campuses.

But while UC leaders on Tuesday said they were happy to see the bump, they also noted that California's budget crisis threatens to stall the university's commitment to admitting every qualified applicant. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed giving UC $417 million less than it requested.

"Providing access . . . has been one of our central historic priorities," UC Provost Rory Hume told reporters. "We face a significant challenge this year."

Options include steep student-fee increases or limiting enrollment, he said.

Administrators also said they were pleasantly surprised by a significant boost in transfer applications, which rose by double digits on most campuses. The results appear to stem from several factors, UC leaders said, including increased recruiting at community colleges.

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Choosing which college to attend can be the most exciting and thrilling time of a young woman's life... unless your overprotective father isn't quite ready to let you go. In the Disney family comedy, College Road Trip, Melanie (Raven-Symone) is eagerly looking forward to her first big step towards independence when she plans a "girls only" road trip to check out prospective universities. But when her overbearing police chief father (Martin Lawrence) insists on escorting her instead, she soon finds her dream trip has turned into a hilarious nightmare oadventure full of comical misfortune and turmoil.

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To learn more about this movie which releases Nationwide on March 7, 2008

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