The end of affirmative action

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that college admissions programs that consider race as part of their admissions process are unconstitutional. This decision will have sweeping implications for college admissions, and may affect my advice to clients applying to college. Allow me to explain.

First, though, let me offer a few words of perspective. Colleges and universities have been anticipating this decision for some time now. Most admissions departments have been planning for race-based affirmative action admissions programs to go away. Many colleges count diversity, inclusion, and equity among their core values, and this decision does not change that. The trend toward reducing the role of standardized testing in college admissions has been part of an effort to improve access to higher education to include students who do not have the resources to pay for a course, or hire a tutor, to study for the SAT. So I encourage families not to overthink what might happen.

That said, I do think there may be a few things students of color can do to enhance their college prospects in a post-affirmative action world:

1. At least two of the Common App personal statement prompts allow students to reflect on an identity that is important to them, or describe how they've overcome an obstacle. If a student has a compelling story to tell that highlights their race or ethnicity in one of these ways, this is an opportunity to tell admissions committees that story.

2. In an effort to ramp up their racial and ethnic diversity, colleges in the future may offer more scholarships that consider race and/or ethnicity. The Supreme Court's decision, as most legal scholars understand it, targets admissions, but not scholarships. Consider applying for these.

3. Take another look at HBCU's. Most experts think these schools will see an uptick in applications in coming years. These institutions tend to offer lots of support internally to help underserved students succeed academically.

If you'd like help navigating the college process, use the contact form on my website to schedule your free consultation!

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