How Affirmative Action Changes the College Application Landscape

In June 2023, the Supreme Court found in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. University of North Carolina that educational institutions’ race-conscious affirmative action policies violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The rulings prohibited higher education institutions from discriminating against certain races and ethnicities through direct racial categorization in the admissions process. Two years after the ban on race-conscious affirmative action, the Deerfield community adapts to the resulting changes.

The elimination of race-conscious affirmative action policies has already had immediate and noticeable effects on college admissions, including a downturn in minority group enrollment and an increase in Asian and white college acceptance rates. According to a 2024 study by The New York Times, the percentage of Black students entering Amherst College dropped from 11 percent to 3 percent. Meanwhile, the percentage of White students and Asian American students enrolling rose from 33 percent to 39 percent and 18 percent to 20 percent respectively. At M.I.T., the percentage of newly enrolled Black students dropped from 15 percent to 5 percent, while that of Asian American students rose from 40 percent to 47 percent. These trends show a decrease in admission rates for previously favored racial groups and an increase for racial groups that were previously disadvantaged under race-conscious affirmative action. 

Despite the ruling, colleges are still striving to maintain diversity in their student bodies. “Colleges still value diverse populations…and [want] to find students from different walks of life and backgrounds to add to the diversity of the campus,” explained Dean of College Admissions Mark Spencer. Colleges retain the right to assess the impacts of racial factors on an applicant’s life. Mr. Spencer believes they do so with essay questions about “lived experiences.” These prompts invite students to discuss significant impacts in their lives, of which racial background could still play an important role in admissions decisions.

When asked about his thoughts regarding the ruling, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Chip Davis expressed similar ideas on how race and culture “inform how [students] think and what their values are.” Mr. Davis said racial and ethical factors are “underlying data.” He commented on how colleges  “can't take that variable and surface it and then use it as kind of a fulcrum to make any decisions.” 

However, when asked if the ruling would dramatically alter the college admissions process, Mr. Spencer believed that colleges have been, and will continue to, “figure out the student’s story.” Even before the racial consideration was removed, an applicant’s essay and personal story played an integral part in the admissions process. Mr. Spencer described the responsibility of the Deerfield college advising team, stating, “It is part of our job to have relationships with colleges, understand what changes they're making, and understand how they are looking for things.” This process includes helping students discover their true identity and write their authentic story. 

He emphasized that, ultimately, students should not approach their application by trying to “game the process” but rather by embracing what makes them stand out. “What stands out [is] you being authentic, right? What is your story? Who are you?” he asked. His words highlighted that, instead of focusing on their race’s impact, students should feel more encouraged to build their application around the depth of their own experiences and personal narratives. 

The removal of race-conscious affirmative action means that colleges can no longer categorize students solely by their race. Instead, the admissions process has since worked towards putting more weight on personal essays and lived experience, allowing students to showcase their values, aspirations, and unique perspectives in ways that transcend racial categorization. Though diversity remains a priority for colleges, the emphasis is now on the individual’s story as opposed to the predetermined label of race. In this evolving landscape, students work to express who they truly are, shaping their own narratives in the admissions process.