Supreme Court Ruling Overview

Supreme Court Ruling Overview

In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to prohibit the use of race in admissions.  

The Court’s Rationale

The Court asserted three bases for its determination that the Harvard and UNC admission policies violated federal nondiscrimination law. The Court ruled that:

• Neither institution sufficiently justified why racial status should be considered in admissions.
• The institutions’ used racial status as a negative which led to “fewer Asian American and white students being admitted” to Harvard.
• Neither institution established a sufficient end to the consideration of racial status.

What the Court Said Is and Isn’t Permissible 

• Institutions have the authority to establish their mission, including articulating and pursuing institutional diversity goals.
• Institutions may not consider or weight race in admission decision-making.
• Institutions are not prohibited from considering an applicant’s essay because it describes an experience related to race, but institutions cannot take account of the student’s race.  They may only consider what the essay shows in terms of the student’s resilience, character, and other such qualities.