California high-school seniors applied to UC Davis in record numbers for fall 1996, with significant increases among Filipino Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans and whites, according to Gary Tudor, director of undergraduate admissions and outreach services. Compared with students applying for last year's fall admission, applications from Filipino Americans, Asian Americans and African Americans increased 10.4 percent, 6.6 percent and 5.6 percent, respectively, for this year's entering fall class. Applications from white students increased by 4.5 percent and the number of Latino applications increased 3.7 percent. There was a slight decrease in the number of Chicano students applying, 1.3 percent. "We are working with K-12 to ensure that the new race-blind admissions policy will not discourage underrepresented ethnic minority student groups from applying," Tudor says. "We want parents and potential high-school students to know of our desire to create a diverse pool of applicants." From a total of 18,207 applications, 13,600 freshman applicants will receive acceptances to be sent out on March 1. Tudor said the gains made at UC Davis reflect the appeal of the diverse majors offered on the campus, especially in the areas of environment, health and technology.