Affirmative Action, Explained
The Supreme Court Banned Affirmative Action in College Admissions
The Supreme Court of the United States
Last week, the supreme court banned affirmative action causing a big stir in the college admissions process and a lot of revolt across the country—some in favor and some against this new action.
Affirmative Action and its Impact on College Admissions
I’m sure that by now, you’ve heard the news on TV, radio, or newspapers worldwide. But I’d like to give you the college advising perspective and how this will affect students applying in this coming cycle.
The affirmative action term is related to a policy to increase the workplace and education opportunities for underrepresented people in various areas of American society.
Exploring Both Sides of the Affirmative Action Debate
Let’s examine it a little closer. In the Common App, the platform used by millions of students to apply for college, there was a little box in which you must fill out your race. The words precisely say the following:
Harvard College Campus
What is your race?
White
Black
Asian
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Other
The Impact of Banning Affirmative Action
The Ward Laboratory at the Cornell Engineering School is a big hub for Asian and Indian students. Will it continue as such after the barred affirmative action?
Let’s look at both sides of the coin.
From the people who are in rage:
The saddest part of banning affirmative action is that it is heartbreaking for democracy. Ultimately, we will see less Black, Asians, and Latinos in our colleges.
While this action does not prevent employers from pursuing diversity in the workplace, the banning of this action will also produce a whiter corporate America. This is just the very beginning. Less diversity in colleges also leads to less diversity in society altogether. We will see fewer Black doctors, Latino judges, Asian lawyers, and fewer Black dentists. Professions considered safe and capable of providing a sustainable livelihood will have fewer minority citizens.
Shifting Dynamics in College Admissions
A Surge in Black Colleges
From the college advising perspective, applications will become more segregated. Black people will prefer to apply to Black colleges such as Howard College, Tuskegee University, Delaware State University, and Xavier University of Louisiana, for fear of being unwanted in traditional campuses. According to The New York Times, Black students seeking a nurturing environment and a sense of belonging flocked to historically Black colleges and universities (Saul, S., 2023, July 1).
Changes in the Application Process
She did it! It’s graduation time!
Weight in on the Essays
If you’re a student who enjoys writing, expect more weight in the essays. With the banning of affirmative action, students will find a way to highlight their racial background in the essay part of the application since the racial box will no longer exist. In other words, instead of writing a personal essay about sports, music, family, or any other random personal subject, students will find themselves compelled to talk about their race background in the essay.
The Future of Standardized Tests and Legacy Admissions
SAT & ACT
Standardized tests like SAT or ACT will also go through a major shift. Even before the pandemic, colleges recognized that these exams always favored the fortunate who had the resources to pay for private tutors to guide and train students through the strategies of these exams. When the pandemic hit, hundreds of colleges adopted the test-optional system. Students with good grades were welcome to submit them, and students who didn’t do the exam, or didn’t get a good grade, didn’t have to submit them. Now that applications will favor the white population even more, colleges will feel almost required to drop this requirement permanently, responding to critics who say these tests always favor wealthier families. Some universities might even adopt the “test-blind” system, meaning they won’t even look at the grades from these exams if students submit them.
She did it too! Congratulations!
Legacy At Risk
Say what you want; legacy heavily influences college admissions, meaning that having a family member who previously graduated from a particular institution greatly increases your chances of acceptance, even if your application is only average. This advantage is particularly significant if those family members belong to your immediate nuclear family. During my ongoing college visits, I am constantly astounded by the multitude of legacy stories tour guides share. While admitting students based on legacy is inherently unjust, it proves difficult to abandon from a business perspective since it fosters a sense of community and, most importantly, remains one of the primary factors for successful fundraising, aspect universities heavily rely on.
Blacks, Latinos, and Asians on graduation day. Congratulations!
Students Applying to Colleges X Recruiters Seeking Students
Most universities select their students after receiving hundreds of thousands of applications. Now that affirmative action is banned, admissions officers might have to scout for Black, Latino, and Asian students, just like talent managers scout for models, actors, and athletes. They will go into minority communities in strategic locations and seek the most talented students from each group.
On the flip side… it’s intriguing to note that a recent poll revealed that 52% of Americans support the court’s decision, 32% express disapproval, and 16% remain undecided. Watch here.
Engaging with various students who endorse the Supreme Court, it became evident that their argument centered around the belief that college admissions should be based solely on MERIT and not on race and that universities should not have to fill certain quotas for specific demographic groups.
Which raises a lot of controversies—like this whole subject. Not revealing race in an application is almost like a blind interview. Think of the famous TV program The Voice, where coaches judge singers solely based on their voices without looking at their faces. Only after they press the button they turn the chair around and can put a face to a voice. The formula is perfect for this kind of TV program, making it very entertaining and one of the most successful TV formats of all time. In this case, there is a lot to justify: the voice alone and nothing else is on the table.
The set of The Voice is one of the most successful TV programs worldwide.
Let’s apply this analogy to college admissions. When affirmative action is prohibited, it mimics the premise of The Voice. Admission officers become color-blind and evaluate students solely based on the quality of their applications, disregarding their racial background. Yes? No? Does that happen in real life? Have you ever been to a job interview with a curtain between you and the employer? Can we bring the format of The Voice to college admissions? Does our society genuinely act color-blind?
Understanding the Broader Implications
The purpose of this text is not to sway you toward any particular side. As a college advisor, I aim to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of both perspectives. By doing so, we, as a society, as professionals, and as students and families, can become more informed about this subject and grasp the full impact of this action.
If you’d like to have a consultation about colleges or if you’d like to chat about this subject, please feel free to reach out, and let’s schedule a 30-minute conversation.
See you next time,
Leticia Schwartz
All photos in this post - except The Supreme Court (Free Images) and The Voice - are from Leticia Schwartz.
Hi, I’m Leticia Schwartz, a College Admissions Consultant.
Thanks for reading and browsing this site.
Make sure to share this story with someone who cares about this topic.
I’d love to know what you think about this article. Please comment or send me an email.
For more tips on education and college application, follow me on Instagram.