You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
The University of California received 840,000 applications for admission to its 10 campuses last year.
The huge volume reflects both the size of California and the prestige of attending a UC campus. Despite having clear standards for admission (one must get good grades in a set of required courses in high school and perform well on the SAT or ACT, among other things), the university also admits some students who don't meet the regular standards. Students of exceptional talent and potential are supposed to be targets for this kind of admission.
But an internal audit by the university system faults the way the campuses have used "admission by exception" and suggests reforms.
The numbers are small. Although campuses may admit up to 6 percent of students that way, the audit says that in recent years the figure has been 2 percent.
But the audit found problems nonetheless and also some figures that may prompt other questions.
Campuses did not have -- or did not clearly document -- the nontraditional measures to admit, the audit found.
"Most campuses either did not sufficiently document or did not retain their admissions decision approvals in accordance with the systemwide records retention schedule," the audit said.
"For example, one campus established a committee that makes final decisions on applicants’ provisional admissions when they have not met their conditions for admission. However, this committee lacked formal documentation such as a charter outlining its structure, charge, review criteria, and decision process," the report added.
The audit found that in the three most recent admissions cycles, international, black and Pacific Islander students were the most likely to be admitted by exception.
Numbers of Students Enrolled by Exception to Normal Rules
| Group | Percentage Admitted by Exception |
| African American | 3.5% |
| Asian | 0.8% |
| Latino | 0.9% |
| Native American | 2.4% |
| Pacific Islander | 3.5% |
| White | 1.6% |
| International | 4.8% |
A possible explanation for the higher share of black students admitted by exception can be found in the athletic data. In the last three years, 58 percent of the black applicants who were admitted by exception and enrolled were athletes.
Numbers of Athletes Among Those Admitted by Exception
| Group | Number Admitted by Exception | Number of Athletes |
| African American | 301 | 174 |
| Asian | 486 | 41 |
| Latino | 483 | 89 |
| Native American | 24 | 5 |
| Pacific Islander | 18 | 9 |
| White | 713 | 233 |
| International | 1,314 | 112 |
In the absence of clear language about why some applicants are admitted who do not meet the regular requirements, the audit cautioned against reading too much into those numbers.
Janet Napolitano, president of the UC system, issued a statement pledging to carry out every recommendation of the audit.
“We are committed to ensuring a level playing field for all applicants,” said Napolitano. “This audit will redouble our commitment to an admissions process built on merit and fairness. The university’s dedication to excellence demands nothing less.”
