Campus to welcome thousands of admitted students on Bruin Day
For the first time ever, UCLA will host an all-day Bruin Day for prospective first-year students who have been admitted for fall 2011. The event, which will take place on Saturday, April 9, is expected to bring more than 12,000 students, parents and guests to campus.
Previously, UCLA had held many similar but smaller “yield” events over the course of several weekends as admitted students decided their college fates. But the desire to have one big event has been on the wish list of campus administrators for many years. Freshmen must enroll by May 1, and transfer students by June 1.
“We have had yield events like this for the past several years, and they have always been of excellent quality,” said Janina Montero, vice chancellor for student affairs. “But they have been on a smaller scale, and spread out over several days." She said the event is the result of an unprecedented cross-campus collaboration between faculty, staff, students and alumni.
Prospective first-year students and their parents will be able to tour student housing, recreation facilities, museums, libraries and other venues on the inaugural Bruin Day, set for April 9.
“Bruin Day will allow all of us to pool our resources and energy into creating one perfect snapshot of academic and campus life for all of our prospective students and their family members. It’s very exciting,” she said.
The university received a record 61,513 freshman applications for fall 2011, of which it admitted 15,551. In addition, 19,800 transfer student applications were received, of which the university plans to admit approximately 5,370. Freshmen have until May 1 to decide on whether to register, and transfer students have until June 1.
On Bruin Day, admitted first-year students will participate in individualized workshops keyed to their interests and hear about the 1,200 clubs and organizations that are available to them.
They will also be invited to talk to faculty, administrators and current students and select from among campus tours of housing, recreation facilities, museums, fraternities and sororities, libraries and more. In addition, they will receive information about financial aid and other student resources.
There will also be several special fairs, including ones focusing on student activities and resources, arts and recreation.
Activities will begin at 9 a.m. and continue all day.
Chancellor Gene Block, who will open Bruin Day with a welcome message, said that the event is a critical component of the university’s effort to bring the best and the brightest students of all backgrounds to UCLA.
“It will give us a chance to showcase our academic departments and student programming as well as our beautiful campus and its stimulating environment,” Block said.
