With the United States Supreme Court set to rule against race-based admissions policies, colleges are looking for new ways to continue to factor race when admitting students, according to Axios.
In October, after hearing oral arguments against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina’s use of affirmative action in their admissions processes, the Supreme Court showed favor towards ruling against the use of race-conscious admissions policies. In the event that the Supreme Court rules against the admissions practices, universities may axe standardized tests, which schools argue discriminate against minority students, according to Axios.
“A lot of people are still sort of in a wait-and-see pattern with test-optional policies,” Julie J. Park, an associate professor in the College of Education at the University of Maryland, told Axios.
In addition to dropping standardized tests, colleges may consider “the socio-economic background of a student” and focus their recruitment on different areas of the country to recruit students of color, Axios reported. Universities worry that without race-conscious admissions processes, they may not understand the entire student and their background.
“An applicant’s race is so connected to so many aspects of their life and their experiences and the background,” Vern Granger, the director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Connecticut, told Axios. “I would worry about that and the impact on our holistic review and getting a full picture of the applicant.”
Proponents for affirmative action in higher education rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on October 31, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Since the Supreme Court heard oral arguments, several top law universities including Yale and Harvard Law school have pulled out of the U.S. News & World Report, a national ranking system, claiming that the “flawed” rankings fail to reward schools which help students who come from “low-income backgrounds” and have lower test scores. Universities could be potentially dropping out of the rankings ahead of the Supreme Court’s ruling because they plan to deemphasize standardized tests in the admissions process to preserve diversity. (RELATED: Famous College Ranker Overhauls System After Law Schools Pull Out In The Name Of Equity)
“I’ve heard the word diversity quite a few times, and I don’t have a clue what it means,” Justice Clarence Thomas said during the oral arguments. “It seems to mean everything for everyone.”
Though universities are yet to release their plans in the event of the Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action, many institutions will have to make changes, Axios reported.
“Institutions are just going to be scrambling,” Park told Axios.
Granger, Park, Yale and Harvard law school did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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