The admissions debate flows largely from the adoption two years ago of "comprehensive review," a policy that directed campuses to consider personal factors along with grades and test scores for every applicant. It was intended to broaden admissions to students from diverse socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds without factoring in race and ethnicity.
Among the state's major racial and ethnic categories, only Asians attend UC schools in percentages that exceed their share of California's public high school graduates. According to 2002 figures, Asians account for 15% of the state's 325,895 public high school graduates. Latinos represent 33% of such graduates, and blacks come to 7%. The biggest group, whites, accounted for 43%.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Friday November 07, 2003 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 55 words Type of Material: Correction
UCLA admissions -- An article in Monday's Section A incorrectly reported that black and Latino students with SAT scores of 1,000 or less were about one-quarter more likely to be admitted to UCLA than Asian or white students with similar scores. The correct figure is 53%, as shown in the chart that accompanied the article.
UC contends the admissions guidelines allow the system to evaluate students more completely. UC officials also stress that the SAT's importance in UC admissions has diminished because of growing concerns about its usefulness and fairness. In fact, the test is being revamped by its owner, the College Board, largely as the result of complaints from former UC President Richard C. Atkinson.
"It's a dead test in many ways," said Galligani, the UC associate vice president for student services.
The UC data do not provide clear signals on what might give applicants an edge in admission. For instance, the quality of a low-scoring applicant's high school -- a possible sign of challenging personal circumstances -- appears to have varying influence on the likelihood of being accepted.
Latinos were far more likely to be admitted if they came from a low-performing high school, but the quality of high school appeared to have little effect in the case of Asians, whites and blacks.
Overall, Galligani said, a high percentage of UC applicants with low SATs are admitted largely because students are aware of the university's basic eligibility requirements -- which, if met, guarantee admission to one of the system's campuses.
The criteria are designed to allow admission to the top 12.5% of the state's high school graduates -- as determined by test scores and grades -- although all campuses apart from UC Riverside impose additional requirements.
UC maintains an index, available on the Internet, that shows which combinations of grade point averages and entrance exam scores meet the requirements. As a result, UC officials said, students with low SAT scores who are unlikely to qualify don't tend to apply.
