A significant change has come to the future of college admissions: the 2023 Supreme Court ruling officially ended the use of race in admissions decisions. But is that really the case?
For high school students, the college application process is already complex. You can be a standout student or a top athlete, but sometimes schools may reject you for reasons beyond your control. A lot of what goes into admissions decisions isn’t public, leaving applicants unsure of why they didn’t get in.

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling ending affirmative action, many colleges expected significant changes in their racial demographics, especially a decrease in Black students and an increase in Asian American students. According to the New York Times, while this shift occurred at several selective schools, including Columbia and Brown, some institutions like Yale and Duke saw no decline in Black student representation. Duke actually reported an increase in the number of Black students.

The varied results have left experts and admissions officials puzzled, with some attributing the confusion to different methods of reporting data and an increase in students choosing not to disclose their race. While race can no longer be factored directly, applicants can still write about how their racial identity has shaped their experiences in their main or supplemental essays. However, many students are opting not to disclose their race while applying and even once accepted and attending their schools.

As universities continue to adapt to the new race-neutral admissions policies, the full impact remains uncertain, and long-term effects are yet to be fully understood.

Affirmative action policies in college admissions, introduced during the Civil Rights Movement, were meant to counterbalance the disadvantages faced by minority groups. The goal was to provide access to education and employment opportunities regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or other factors. However, affirmative action has always been a controversial issue. Supporters argue that it helps level the playing field for minority groups who may have attended underfunded schools or lack access to resources like tutoring. Detractors believe the focus should solely be on merit, saying that race-based policies may disadvantage high-achieving students.

According to a 2022 Pew Research study, three-quarters of Americans believe that the college admissions process should be based on merit. Some, like junior Maggie Xiao, argue that instead of race or gender, affirmative action should focus on socioeconomic factors. She pointed out that students from wealthier families often have access to resources like tutors or SAT prep courses, giving them an advantage in admissions.
“As an example, I have a friend who is living under the poverty line but managed to score just 10 points below me on the SAT,” Xiao said. “While that doesn’t seem like a huge difference, her family couldn’t afford any SAT prep classes, whereas I had access to one, which gave me an advantage.”

Now that affirmative action has officially ended, attention has turned to other policies like legacy admissions. In late September, California became the fourth state to ban legacy admissions, aiming to level the playing field. This new ban applies to both public and private institutions, although the University of California (UC) system has banned legacy admissions since 1998. Now, 26 years later, the remaining California schools have followed suit. Banning legacy admissions could further alter the admissions landscape, potentially making it more merit-based.
The effects of this new reality on college admissions will continue to unfold. North High students, like others nationwide, are reflecting on how these changes might impact their own applications.
“The changes to affirmative action definitely make me nervous about applying to college,” said junior Ethan Lam. “Even though I’m still a junior, I’m worried that without those policies, there will be fewer opportunities for students from underrepresented backgrounds, but I also think that things like race, gender, and sexuality shouldn’t be factors in admissions. Colleges should focus more on income and access to resources—that’s what really affects a student’s opportunities.”
The real question remains: will we continue to see the effects of the ban on affirmative action, and what does the future of college admissions hold?