The Future of College Admissions without Affirmative Action
The Supreme Court has been hearing arguments in the Affirmative Action case, and the justices are presently deciding whether to uphold the rule in light of a lawsuit brought by Student For Fair Admissions against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. A decision in the case is expected by June, and given the conservative leanings of the court, it is plausible that Affirmative Action may soon be struck down. The New York Times recently published an article discussing the repercussions of eliminating Affirmative Action, and they suggest that the most significant change will be a reduction in diversity in colleges. According to a brief submitted by 33 schools to the Supreme Court, eliminating Affirmative Action will result in a significant decrease in Black students' percentage in the student body. This decrease will affect an entire generation, depriving them of the experience of having their beliefs and perspectives challenged by people of different opinions and backgrounds. This will prohibit their growth, creating a tidal wave that will be felt for years to come.
Another question is how eliminating Affirmative Action will affect the way funding and scholarships are distributed. Scholarships that are reserved for students of color who rely on funding to pay for school may end up being eliminated, and "fly-in" programs that provide expenses-paid visits to college campuses, usually reserved for students of color or low-income students, would also be a thing of the past.
To proactively promote diversity without explicitly focusing on race, colleges are working on various measures. One example is that some colleges are changing their scholarships to include students who are the first in their family to attend college. This would provide opportunities for Black and Latinx students, among others, to fund their education. Colleges are also making test-optional policies permanent, which allows students who are unable to take standardized tests to apply without their scores being considered. This change is beneficial to underserved minority students as standardized tests are often criticized for benefiting white and wealthy students. More than 18,000 colleges have a test-optional policy, though most top schools still require test scores. At test-optional schools, other qualities such as GPAs, extracurricular activities, volunteer and leadership positions in various organizations, may carry more weight.
Eliminating Affirmative Action creates more questions than answers. The court's decision may cause a significant impact on the diversity of colleges and the way funding and scholarships are distributed. It is essential to proactively promote diversity, and colleges are working on ways to continue doing so without explicitly focusing on race.
