Message from Vice Chancellor Parham

Dear Prospective Anteater:You recently received a letter from our admissions team regarding your status at the University of California, Irvine. I understand that the notification may have been disappointing and frightening, so I wanted to take a moment to explain our decision-making process, help you respond, and acknowledge our missteps.This year, UCI experienced unprecedented demand from students eager to join the Anteater family. We received more than 104,000 applications – more than all but two colleges nationwide – and the number of students intending to register for fall classes was higher than expected. You are to be once again congratulated for your acceptance into one of the world’s premier universities.Acceptance into all University of California campuses is provisional, contingent on meeting the contractual terms and conditions that were clearly outlined in your original admissions offer. This includes submitting all academic materials such as transcripts and test scores by the agreed-upon deadline, upholding strong academic performance throughout the senior year of high school that meets agreed upon thresholds, and having no discrepancies between the grades and courses you reported on your application and what we see once we review your official final transcript.Every year, we notify students who are not in compliance with these terms and conditions. And, every year, there are students who did not comply for legitimate reasons. In some cases, the actions which result in an offer being rescinded occur through no fault of the student. Perhaps their high school didn’t process the transcript or a teacher submitted the wrong grade. For those cases, we have an appeal process outlined on our website ( http://www.admissions.uci.edu/apply/faq/appeals.php ). If you believe that you received a withdrawal notification in error, or you have legitimate reasons for not complying with the acceptance agreement, I urge you to appeal. For those of you who already submitted an appeal, we are reviewing them as quickly as possible and we thank you for your patience as we work through the files we are reviewing.We heard from some students that this year’s process was too stringent and our customer-service approach needs improvement. I acknowledge that we took a harder line on the terms and conditions this year and we could have managed that process with greater care, sensitivity, and clarity about available options. Also contributing to the angst many of you have experienced is our traditional communication and outdated telephone systems that did not serve us well in this circumstance. For those who felt ignored or mistreated, I sincerely apologize.We are making every effort to do better, immediately. I have directed the admissions team to step up the personal outreach to notified students. We’re bringing in more people to review appeals and answer phones. We are committed to correcting any errors swiftly and providing the help you need in an empathetic and understanding way.In closing, there is one point that I want to make clear: All accepted students who meet the terms and conditions of the admissions offer will be welcomed into the Anteater Family. No acceptance will be withdrawn due to over-enrollment, despite external reports to the contrary.We are dedicated to providing outstanding educational opportunities to as many qualified students as possible, and strive to ensure Anteaters have a successful and positive experience on campus and in the classroom.Sincerely,Vice Chancellor, Student AffairsUniversity of California IrvineIrvine, California. 92697