Sonja Starr Writes About University’s Admissions Data After Supreme Court Decision

Critics of Affirmative Action Say This Year’s Admissions Data Are Fishy. They’re Not.

As universities have released demographic information about their new freshman classes — the first cohort affected by last year’s Supreme Court decision banning affirmative action — advocates for colorblindness are crying foul.

Though some schools have reported substantial demographic changes — including reduced Black and Hispanic representation and increased Asian American representation — not all schools have seen much change in these directions, if any. Yale, Princeton and Duke, for example, reported declines in Asian American enrollment; all three also reportedly kept Black and Hispanic enrollment near the same levels as the prior admissions cycle.

Affirmative action’s defenders long framed the policy as a crucial diversity tool, while its critics argued that it often harmed Asian American students. If it turns out that not much has changed at certain schools, critics are wondering, are those schools failing to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling?

Read more at The New York Times