Even as UC Davis boosts from last year the number of high school students admitted for freshman studies for fall 2008, admission continues to become more competitive.

UC Davis admitted 21,256 students for freshman studies in the fall, representing 52.4 percent of 40,568 applicants for freshman status. Last year, the campus admitted 20,473, or 58.7 percent of the 34,854 applicants for freshman status.

The increase in selectivity is more dramatic when considered over the last two years: About 68 percent of freshman applicants were admitted for fall 2006.

Among applicants from California high schools, UC Davis admitted 19,762 of 37,747 freshman applicants. Last year, the university admitted 19,268 California high school students from among 32,957 freshman applicants. Among these students, the mean grade point average increased from last year's 3.89 to 3.94, and there were gains in all other academic measures.

California high school students represent about 93 percent of admitted freshmen. Admissions for fall 2008 also include 908 out-of-state students and 566 international students, respectively 4.3 percent and 2.8 percent of all admitted freshmen.

"Overall, we are very pleased with the academic achievements and the broad range of diversity reflected in the admitted class," said Pamela Burnett, director of Undergraduate Admissions. "These students no doubt have a lot of good choices for enrollment, so we're looking forward with excitement to welcoming them at summer orientation and on move-in day."

Thousands of admitted students and their families on April 12 attended an on-campus Decision Day, a special program of tours and presentations to help them become better acquainted with the campus.

In addition, a total of 1,300 admitted students and other guests attended presentations in Long Beach and San Diego in March. Thousands more are visiting campus for Decision Day today and Picnic Day, UC Davis' annual open house, on April 19.

This fall, UC Davis aims to enroll about 5,000 new freshmen from California and elsewhere. Last year, 4,955 new freshmen enrolled.

The campus also is planning for about 1,900 new students to transfer from another college or university this fall, or 1.3 percent more than the 1,875 who enrolled last fall. Undergraduate Admissions will continue to notify 8,085 transfer applicants of admission decisions through April and host a special Decision program for admitted transfer students on May 9.

In a Feb. 5 projection, the Office of Resource Management and Planning estimated total UC Davis enrollment for the upcoming fall quarter — including continuing undergraduates and graduate students — would be 30,970 students, an increase of 1.4 percent from last fall's 30,553. Enrollment is expected to average 29,740 over the three regular quarters of the 2008-09 academic year.

Total enrollment includes students who will study at locations outside of Davis, such as the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and the UC Washington and Education Abroad programs. Enrollment is usually lower in winter and spring quarters.

Admitted freshmen have until May 1 to indicate their intent to register at UC Davis. Students can indicate their choice to attend UC Davis online at myadmissions.ucdavis.edu.

Each one of the freshman applications was evaluated using comprehensive review, a process that takes into account academic, socioeconomic and personal achievements. Academic factors comprised about 75 percent of the possible weight for all criteria.

Admitted freshmen by ethnicity

The campus has admitted 19,762 California high school students, for a 2.7 percent increase from last year's 19,268. Students from underrepresented groups — American Indian, African American and Chicano/Latino — account for 20.6 percent of California students with freshman admission status who stated their ethnicity. Last year, the figure was 19.1 percent.

Chicanos and Latinos account for 17.3 percent among admitted students who stated their ethnicity, compared with 15.3 percent last year. The percentage of African Americans declined from 3.1 percent last year to 2.9 percent this year. American Indians represent 0.5 percent of admitted students this year, compared with almost 0.7 last year.

The percentage of Asian American students declined to 40.1 percent of this year's admitted students who stated their ethnicity, compared with 41.3 percent last year. Caucasians represent 37.7 percent of admitted students who stated their ethnicity, compared with 37.9 percent last year. Those who identified with other ethnic groups account for 1.5 percent of all admitted students stating their ethnicity, compared with 1.6 percent last year.

This year and last, about 6.5 percent of all admitted Californiafreshman students declined to state their ethnicity.

The number of admitted California freshmen students identifying themselves as members of underrepresented groups increased by 10 percent, from 3,481 last year to 3,831 this year.

Chicanos and Latinos increased from 2,792 to 3,207, or 14.9 percent; African Americans decreased from 567 to 537, or 5.3 percent; and the number of American Indians declined from 122 to 87, or 28.7 percent.

Students identifying themselves as Asian American this year declined by 1.3 percent, from 7,546 to 7,445, and Caucasians increased by 1.2 percent, from 6,921 to 7,005. Those who identified themselves as being from other ethnic groups declined 6.0 percent, from 298 to 280.

Those who declined to state their ethnicity increased 17.5 percent, from 1,022 to 1,201.

Systemwide admissions numbers, including those for the Davis campus, are accessible through a Web site of the Office of the President at www.ucop.edu/news/factsheets/fall2008adm.html.