The number of African-American students accepting admission to UCLA has increased this year as a result of the holistic student admission approach, scholarships from the Black Alumni Organization and outreach efforts by African-American students on campus. Of the 392 African-American students admitted, 203 submitted statements of intent to register (SIR); that means that 51 percent of the students admitted decided to accept. African-American students comprise 4.5% of the entering class.  Latinos also had a slight increase in enrollment, from 13.9% to 14.6%.  The number is 657 Latino students.

 Colleen Grant , an African-American student involved in outreach efforts, commented, “It’s definitely better, but it doesn’t change the fact that the numbers are still low.”  Grant feels a sense of responsibility, as do many other African-American students on campus.  “People came to support the events.  Not just alumni, but the African Student Union hosted accepted students.”  Grant, who chose UCLA over Spellman College as a high school graduate in 2003, said, “I was impacted by the efforts of the Black Alumni and it made a difference.”

King Jody Rucks, an African-American film student, agrees that the number of African American students at UCLA is low. “The numbers are better, however the holistic approach can easily be nullified,” he said.  “This is a trend that is still in danger.   Firstly, we need to restructure the whole American education system.  Students should be prepared.  Every school should be performing well.”

Alfredo Ruiz, a senior Latin American Studies student, agrees that many high school students need to be better prepared for college, “Many schools do not have Advanced Placement classes.  It’s not fair to compare those schools with those that do.”

The number of African-American students entering UCLA in the fall of 2007 is the highest number in more than a decade.

Sasha Loza