Number of UC Irvine applicants on the rise

UC Irvine, which boasted its largest freshman class in history in September, may shatter its own record when next fall rolls around.

According to a report from the UC Office of the President, the Irvine campus had 48,527 applications from prospective freshmen and transfer students this month. The total represents a 4% increase from last year. UCI expects to contact its applicants in March and April to let them know about acceptance.

Many of the students applying to UCI applied to other campuses as well. In the fall, an unprecedented number of accepted students chose UCI — resulting in such a high number of students that some of the campus dorms had to pack three students to a room.

UCI’s applicants for this fall included increased numbers of minority students, with 4% more black students and 8% more Latino students than a year ago. Chancellor Michael Drake, who trumpeted diversity as one of his main goals upon taking office in 2005, said the latest figures were encouraging.

“I think that the university has always wanted to be a place of opportunity for all Californians,” he said. “When we’re able to see eligibility in those groups improving, that’s a good thing for California.”