What Does the Supreme Court’s Ruling Against Affirmative Action Mean for Your Student?
Elton Lin
The status of affirmative action in college admissions, or admission policies that consider the race of applicants in order to admit more students of underrepresented and historically-discriminated groups into higher education, has been in question for years. California was the first state to ban affirmative action in its schools back in 1996, and Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, Arizona, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Idaho have since followed suit over the past few decades (Washington initially also banned affirmative action, but rescinded its decision in 2022).
Now, the Supreme Court’s recent ruling against affirmative action in college admissions has taken this ban to the national level. What does this mean for top selective colleges and universities, and how will this affect students applying to colleges from now onwards?
LOOKING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SYSTEM
If your student is interested in applying to any of the schools in the University of California, then this Supreme Court ruling should not affect their admission prospects. As mentioned prior, affirmative action has been banned in California for its public schools for nearly three decades, so current admissions trends in UC schools will remain unaffected.
Though the UCs, unlike many top schools such as private Ivy League institutions, are public universities, they are similarly selective and provide one example of what admissions in top schools may look like post-ruling. The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, too, provides such an example, as another selective public university in a state that has banned affirmative action.
SCHOOLS WILL ADJUST POLICIES IN EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN DIVERSITY
Harvard University, which – along with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – has been under specific scrutiny by the Supreme Court over the course of the decision on affirmative action, has announced its intentions to stay resolute in its efforts to create a diverse community and environment for its students, even without affirmative action. Other schools, including Columbia, Brown University, and more have echoed this continuing commitment despite the ruling.
However, without affirmative action, schools will necessarily shift their admissions policies to achieve these goals. Here are some possible directions schools may take:
Test-optional policies. More and more schools may join others (including the UCs) in test-optional admissions policies, which have already been implemented largely in efforts to mitigate the disproportionate impact that standardized testing has on disadvantaged students’ access to higher education.
Increased opportunities and programs for financial aid. Schools may also adjust their financial aid programming (e.g. free-college programs) in efforts to increase opportunities for any lower-socioeconomic status (SES) students that may be further disadvantaged by this ban on affirmative action.
Using other information to interpret a student’s context. Racial background is not the only factor that can play into a student’s disadvantaged situation. Schools already look at contextual information, such as high school attended, resources available, classes offered, location, and more when evaluating each applicant, and more emphasis may be placed on this in the future given the ruling.
Additional questions and essay prompts. Colleges may incorporate questions and/or essay prompts that specifically ask about adversity or life experiences to better understand students' backgrounds.
Tailored outreach programs. Colleges may develop more intentional outreach programs to reach all types of students, and to ensure they are provided equal opportunity regardless of their background or ethnicity.
WHAT CAN YOUR STUDENT DO?
Ultimately, college admissions has and will continue to involve an evaluation of a multitude of factors, especially in the context of holistic admissions. Test scores, GPA, extracurriculars, achievements, demonstrated interest, application essays, letters of recommendation – these are just some of the factors that play into college admissions, and these remain aspects of the college application process that every student should focus on improving.
For students who have specific experiences related to their racial background that may have impacted their life and high school experience, and thus may impact their application materials, there should remain ways these students can share these experiences meaningfully to admissions boards. College application essays, for example, may remain strong and viable places for students to share such experiences.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Diverse perspectives have long surrounded the issue of affirmative action. Some regard it as an essential measure to correct past inequities and foster diversity, while others believe it encroaches upon the principles of meritocracy. Yet, regardless of individual judgments, we can all agree on the critical role that higher education institutions play in shaping the future of our society.
Research has shown that diversity, in turn, has an undeniable beneficiary impact on higher education, as well as all students. A 2019 study by the American Council on Education, for example, found that racial and ethnic diversity in education and the workforce leads to “greater productivity, innovation, and cultural competency”. It is of utmost importance that college admissions procedures are equitable, inclusive, and effective for all students, regardless of their background.
Irrespective of the status of affirmative action, as well as the role it plays in the admissions process, we at ILUMIN remain committed to finding ways to support a broader array of students, especially those from underrepresented communities, in achieving their higher education aspirations.
If you would like to join us in this mission, please consider making a donation to a nonprofit for college access equity, such as the BLU Educational Foundation, whose mission is "to provide educational and human services programming to youth, adults and organizations in order to build healthy, productive communities.”