UCLA, Cal Rejections Baffle High SAT Scorers

Not UC Berkeley, though. The state university campus, which she had considered a "backup" choice, sent her a rejection letter.

"I was surprised," said Dollinger, 18, who figured her SAT score of 1490, A- average and rigorous course load at Harvard-Westlake in Studio City made her a worthy candidate.

Also surprised are many other high school seniors who, despite strong grades and SAT scores above 1400, have been rejected by Berkeley or UCLA, the University of California's top two campuses.

These schools have grown both more selective and more unpredictable in recent years, as applications have surged and factors besides grades and test scores have been given more weight in admissions than before.

The debate over admissions has flared in the past two months, with disclosure of a report by UC Board of Regents Chairman John J. Moores showing that even as thousands were rejected at the high end of the SAT scale at UC Berkeley last year, hundreds with scores of 1000 or below were accepted.

Data subsequently released by the University of California show that UC Berkeley and UCLA in the past two years collectively have rejected more than 10,000 applicants who scored above 1400 (out of a possible 1600) on the SAT. That's nearly half the applicants in that category who applied to Berkeley, and nearly a third of those who applied to UCLA.

Moores and other critics worry that UC is rejecting top students in favor of those far less qualified -- a charge that UC officials strongly deny.

Some counselors, parents and students say that academic achievement apparently has been eclipsed by more subjective factors.

"You think if they work so hard and do so well, they deserve something better," said Kofen Wang of San Marino, whose daughter Melissa was rejected last year by UCLA and UC Berkeley, despite an SAT score of 1450 and an A- average throughout high school.

"What criteria are they basing it on?"

At its core, the controversy is about the role of a top-tier public university and which students are most deserving of its limited resources, especially as demand soars and budgets tighten. A key question is whether top schools should be strict academic meritocracies or should broaden their reach.