<p>Back to the OP question, UCR is known as UC Reject mainly because it is official UC policy to redirect some rejected Berkeley applicants to Riverside. </p>
<p>"Overall, 46,923 California (Berkeley) freshmen were admitted from 64,146 applicants compared with 50,291 admitted from 66,410 applicants last year. About 2,661 freshmen who were rejected received an alternative offer of admission in winter or spring. Another 1,120 who had applied for an engineering major were offered admissions at UC Riverside, which is trying to expand its engineering program. "</p>
<p>[Eligible</a> students rejected by UC / Rain checks offered to those who attend community college - SFGate](<a href=“http://articles.sfgate.com/2004-04-21/news/17422615_1_uc-eligible-student-uc-campus-uc-riverside]Eligible”>http://articles.sfgate.com/2004-04-21/news/17422615_1_uc-eligible-student-uc-campus-uc-riverside)</p>