UC Davis will welcome hundreds of high school students and their families to receptions in Southern California this week as it awaits enrollment decisions from the more than 17,000 students up and down the state offered freshman admission for fall.

The campus has offered freshman status to 17,284 California high school students, for a 15.7 percent increase over last year's 14,933.

Those in Southern California have been invited to receptions in Los Angeles and Costa Mesa on Saturday and in San Diego on Sunday, where they will meet with professors, current students and alumni and learn about academic programs, student life and financial aid.

Back in Davis, the university has already hosted thousands of other admitted students and families at Picnic Day, its annual open house held last weekend, and at its Welcome Week program of tours and workshops earlier this month.

Pamela Burnett, director of Undergraduate Admissions, said about 7,000 admitted students and others attended Welcome Week — hundreds more than in previous years. "The growth in turnout for Welcome Week has been one of the highlights of this admissions season," she said. "We're pleased about the interest that families are showing and that they're making the most of these special opportunities."

Burnett said enhancements to a Web site for admitted students made it easier for them to get information on Welcome Week and to register.

UC Davis aims to enroll about 4,600 new freshmen from California and elsewhere this fall, or 7.8 percent more than last fall; the campus also is planning for about 1,900 new transfer students this fall, or 2.8 percent more than last fall.

Admitted freshmen have until May 1 to indicate their intent to register at UC Davis. Admitted transfer students have until June 1. Students can indicate their choice to attend UC Davis online at http://myadmissions.ucdavis.edu.

The Office of Resource Management and Planning projects total UC Davis enrollment for the fall quarter will be 30,260 students, an increase of 195, or less than 1 percent, over last fall's 30,065. Enrollment is expected to average 29,060 over the three regular quarters of the 2005-06 academic year.

Evaluation

The admission rate for California freshmen — who continue to account for more than 95 percent of all admitted freshmen — increased, from 52.3 percent of applicants last year to 61 percent.

Student applications were evaluated using comprehensive review, a process that takes into account academic, socioeconomic and personal achievements. At UC Davis, 111 specially trained faculty and professional staff read the applications.

For the first time, the readers reviewed relevant portions of applications online. "The feedback we got from readers — many who were skeptical about the ease of use — was really positive," said Burnett.

"The way we're using technology in our admissions process is seen as a model for other campuses," she added.

Admitted freshmen by ethnicity

Students from underrepresented minorities — African American, American Indian and Chicano/Latino — account for 16.2 percent of California students with freshman admission status who stated their ethnicity. Last year, the figure was 16.8 percent.

The percentage of African Americans rose from 2.4 percent last year to 2.7 percent this year among students who stated their ethnicity. American Indians continue to represent 0.6 percent of admitted students. Chicanos and Latinos account for 12.9 percent this year, compared with 11.6 percent last year.

The percentage of Asian American students rose to 41.9 percent of this year's admitted students who stated their ethnicity, compared with 40 percent last year. Caucasians this year represent 40.1 percent of admitted students who stated their ethnicity, compared with 41.5 percent last year. Those who identified with other ethnic groups account for 1.8 percent of all admitted students stating their ethnicity, compared to 1.7 percent last year.

This year, 6 percent of all admitted students declined to state their ethnicity, compared with last year's 7.9 percent.

Changes in numbers

The number of admitted California freshman students identifying themselves as members of underrepresented minorities increased by 14.4 percent, from 2,308 last year to 2,640 this year.

Increases were as follows: Chicanos and Latinos, from 1,888 to 2,102, or 11.3 percent; African Americans, from 330 to 445, or 34.8 percent; and American Indians, from 90 to 93, or 3.3 percent.

Students identifying themselves as Asian American this year increased by 23.7 percent, from 5,502 to 6,804, and Caucasians increased by 14.2 percent, from 5,710 to 6,518. Those who identified themselves as being from other ethnic groups increased 26 percent, from 231 to 291.

Those who declined to state their ethnicity decreased 12.8 percent, from 1,182 to 1,031.

Systemwide admissions numbers, including those for the Davis campus, are accessible through a Web site of the Office of the President at http://www.ucop.edu/news/factsheets/fall2005adm.html.