Affirmative Action In College Admissions
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Affirmative Action was used and implemented in a variety of ways. Its stated goal was to enhance the student body by promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion, and was done to take into account the fact that students from under-represented minority groups often times were otherwise at a disadvantage in the admission process. Often times those from under-represented backgrounds went to schools that were under-funded, or were less likely to have family members assist in the application process, or did not have access to extra-curricular activities that other students had, and so some effort was made, at times, rather clumsily, to level the playing field.
I can’t quite remember when, but quota systems were outlawed, as was race-based explicit point awards (U of Michigan used to have an application system whereby applicants were awarded points for this and that, and needed enough points to get admission – and I remember Mich, because that went to the Supreme Court I believe and was outlawed decades ago).
In fact we’ve had several more ‘explicit’ forms of affirmative action already outlawed. What the Supreme Court made illegal yesterday was the use of race in any consideration. Before that, it was allowed to be implicitly considered, as the more explicit forms I previously mentioned were forbade.
In reality I would not expect the ruling yesterday to be as dire as AA advocates make it out to be. Universities will implement such assistance, but in different ways. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them take home address zip codes, or high school attended in greater consideration to make up for yesterday’s ruling.
And perish the thought if you think AA is especially harmful to whites or Asians. The vast majority of students in college are white. Always remember that those students who didn’t get into the college of their choice and blame AA didn’t beat those white college students either, and yet never complain about the whites.
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