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Press Release

UC Berkeley Press Release

UC Berkeley releases fall 2005 freshman admission data

– More than 9,600 high school students have been offered admission to the University of California, Berkeley's fall 2005 freshman class, campus officials announced today (Tuesday, April 19).

These highly motivated and academically outstanding students include a nationally ranked fencer, a Grammy-nominated guitarist, a ballet dancer who has performed at home and abroad, and a set of triplets.

"These are wonderful students," said Walter Robinson, who began work as UC Berkeley's undergraduate admissions director in January. "Our goal now is to make sure the students are aware of all the exceptional benefits that a UC Berkeley education has to offer. In addition, we want them to know that the campus welcomes students from all backgrounds, all incomes and all communities."

The students come from every county in California except Alpine, from which there were no applicants. In addition, students offered admission hail from 44 states and 27 foreign countries.

UC Berkeley continues to admit a significant number of students from low-income families. Of the more than 9,600 students admitted to the fall 2005 freshman class, 1,897 or 28 percent report parental incomes less than $30,000 a year. And one in four of them comes from a family in which neither parent has a four-year college degree.

Campus officials were able to offer admission to more students this year - 8,887 for fall 2004 versus 9,664 for fall 2005. According to campus officials, budget cuts imposed in 2004-05 required UC Berkeley to reduce enrollment and, consequently, admission offers. The cuts were partially restored for 2005-06, and the number of offers has been increased accordingly.

Admission numbers were up this year in every ethnic category compared to those for the fall 2004 admitted class. Among African American students, the number increased from 211 for fall 2004 to 276 for fall 2005. Chicano/Latino student admission increased from 955 for last fall to 1,127 for fall 2005. American Indian numbers increased from 40 for fall 2004 to 51 for this fall.

Robinson said the fall 2005 increases are modest but "a step in the right direction."

Among Asian American students, 3,538 were offered admission for fall 2004 and 3,889 for fall 2005. White students received 3,081 offers of admission for fall 2004. That number has increased to 3,318 for this fall.

Additional data show that women represent about 55 percent of the admitted freshman students, as has been then case for the last few years.

For fall 2004, about 24 percent of students who applied were admitted to the freshman class. For this fall, about 27 percent were admitted. The campus received 36,729 applications for fall 2004 freshman admissions and 36, 943 for fall 2005.

Detailed data is available online. All data included here and listed on the accompanying charts represent preliminary statistics. Unless indicated otherwise, all data include both domestic and international students.

Students are evaluated for admission to UC Berkeley based on a combination of factors including grades, test scores, coursework, how they have handled challenges and opportunities, and indicators of personal characteristics including leadership, motivation and persistence.

UC Berkeley officials sent offers of admission to students on March 31, and students have until May 2 to log onto the campus Web site and submit a statement of intent to register. The campus expects to enroll 4,015 students in the fall 2005 freshman class.

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