All about fall’s new faces

New Anteaters came out fighting Tuesday, Sept. 30 and broke another Guinness World Record — this one for the largest pillow fight. With a field of 4,200 participants wielding foam cushions, UC Irvine broke the previous record by about 400. The event was one among a week’s worth of fun events and activities, including convocation and the Anteater Involvement Fair. An evening concert in Aldrich Park and a trip to nearby Newport Beach will let students make friends and explore the campus before the rigors of the academic quarter kick in.

The newcomers are an impressive group. There were 82,615 applicants to UCI for fall 2014. Of these, approximately 37% of freshman applicants and 45% of transfer applicants were admitted. Among this group of admitted students, the university looks forward to enrolling approximately 5,440 freshman and 1,965 transfer students this fall.  Here, courtesy of the Office of Admissions & Relations with Schools, are a few facts and figures about students who submitted a statement of intent to register as of Sept 8, 2014:

• 80 percent of freshmen are California residents.
• 20 percent of freshmen are from out of state and around the globe, demonstrating a growing international interest in UCI.
• 88 percent of incoming transfer students are California residents.
• The average freshman GPA is 3.94, compared with 3.92 last year.
• The average GPA of incoming transfer students is 3.42, compared with 3.38 last year.
• 38 percent of in-state freshmen are from underrepresented minority groups: 3 percent are African American, compared with 2.6 percent last year; and 28.9 percent are Latino, compared with 25.9 percent last year.
• 26.8 percent of incoming transfer students are from underrepresented minority groups.
• 35.6 percent of freshmen are from low-income backgrounds, a testament to the University of California’s commitment to accessibility – as demonstrated by aid programs such as the Blue & Gold Opportunity Plan – and the availability of federal and state aid programs.
• 52 percent of freshmen are the first in their family to pursue a four-year degree.
• 55 percent of incoming transfer students are the first in their family to pursue a four-year degree.