UCI STANDARDS FOR ADMISSION

The letter from Winifred Snyder raising the question whether the young premed student would now be at UCI had she been an Asian prompts me to respond. To my knowledge, Asian students, unlike many other minorities, are not given preferential treatment in the UC system. The fact that a substantial number of Asians are enrolled at UCI is more likely due to a combination of scholastic achievement and personal preferences.

The question that should have been raised by Ms. Snyder is not whether UCI should become predominantly an Asisn University, but whether it should remain an institution of excellence.

I, too, share Ms. Snyder’s concern that we may lose the diversity in our campuses, and I hope that the UC system would preferentially admit a reasonable number of out-of-state applicants as well. Likewise, it may even be desirable for some of our residents to seek education elsewhere.

It is likely that the student cited at the Pennsylvania medical school will eventually return to California bringing with her a fresh viewpoint. As the only Asian in the class at an eastern medical school some years ago, I have found the experience rather rewarding.

JOHN T. CHIU, MD

Newport Beach