College Admissions Shouldn’t Use Race as a Factor in the Admissions Process

Affirmative action policies, which encourage universities to use an applicant's race as an admissions factor in order to increase racial diversity on campus, were never meant to be permanent.

A 2013 University of Washington study found that minority students have a harder time getting accepted to public research universities in states that have banned affirmative action.

It is time for the Supreme Court to ban racial preferences and other discriminatory practices in college admissions.

Abigail Fisher argues that the school's policy of giving racial preferences to preferred minorities is discriminatory and violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Abigail Fisher was a white Texas citizen she did not graduate in the top 10 of her class so her application to UT- Austin was thrown in with a group of students who would be chosen or denied based off of race. Her application was denied and she went on to sue the university for discriminating against her based on her race.

More than 80 percent of minority enrollees for the 2008 freshman class...were admitted through the Top 10 Percent Plan, which suggests the use of racial preferences...is unnecessary

Mr. Garre said UT \"applauds those students,\" but nonetheless, \"our interests in the educational benefits of diversity would not be met if all of our minority students were coming from depressed socioeconomic backgrounds.\"

Mr. Garre said UT \"applauds those students,\" but nonetheless, \"our interests in the educational benefits of diversity would not be met if all of our minority students were coming from depressed socioeconomic backgrounds.\" Chief Justice John Roberts suggested that benefit was exaggerated: \"What unique perspective does a minority student bring to a physics class?\"

\"UT was vague about the way it employed racial preferences, and failed to prove it used them as \"a necessary last resort\" in pursuing diversity\"

The people behind the college admissions applications constructed a program that would bring in more minorities and it did not have to do with their top 10% plan. They felt as if they had to dumb down the requirements for minorities such as African Americans to have what they are looking for.

Abigail Fisher applied for admission to the University of Texas at Austin (UT) as part of the entering class of 2008. Little did she know that being rejected for admission under UT's race-conscious program would bring her before the U.S. Supreme Court, not once, but twice. Fisher v. University of Texas II is scheduled to be heard in the court's new term. The outcome will shape college and university admissions policies nationwide.

\"The issue of whether public colleges and universities can use race as an affirmative characteristic in admissions was first addressed by the Supreme Court in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. \"

\"But in the interest of creating a learning environment that is not racially homogenous - and reflective of the country as a whole - the justices said race could be considered a plus to admitting a student, just as being a talented violinist or champion lacrosse player would be.\"

This article was mainly written to put the readers into the perspective of a student that is applying for colleges

Author John Vettese compares race to grades and extracurricular activity such as sports and music. He also brings up the fact that the several justices who previously ruled on this decision 9 years have all now retired therefore things might change as it is a new era with new justices

\"When it boils down to the hard facts, most colleges and universities are concerned mainly with attaining a high graduation rate. The better your chance of completing your degree, the better your chance of being accepted. In the end, race -- if allowed to be considered at all -- is only one of the many factors college admissions officers can use when deciding to accept students.\"

\"The use of race as a factor in college admissions appears unlikely to end entirely anytime soon, though how it will be used in the future is yet to be seen. Students, educators and others argue for various types of change through essays, research and legal challenges. Some believe affirmative action did its job and that it's time to eliminate it completely. Others say it's a work in progress and needs to be reshaped to fit the modern needs. Others argue it is still needed and should be used to its full degree to help any minorities that might need assistance.\"

Thorin Klosowki discusses how race plays a part in the college admissions process and how it might soon change.

Valeria Strauss wrote this article to discuss why affirmative action is still important in todays society. Strauss also uses excerpts from Richard Rothstein to add more opinions to support her claim as to why race-based affirmative action in college admission still matters.

\"Affirmative action in college admissions for African Americans has been losing support in the United States for some time, with new \"colorblind\" methods of ending gaining ground in the courts.\"