Ep 94: Supreme Court Ruling Impact on Law School Admissions
For today’s episode, we dive into the recent Supreme Court ruling on race-conscious admissions policies, often referred to as affirmative action. The ruling prohibits schools from explicitly considering race as a factor in admissions decisions, leading to potential changes in the application process. If you’re a student of color applying to law school this cycle, you might be wondering about these potential changes. Don’t worry, we have you covered in this week’s episode, and are here to help you understand the implications of it all. We delve into the arguments made by the court and examine the impact on schools and their efforts to promote diversity. We also address the potential impact on law school essays. So listen in as we provide insights on alternative factors schools may consider and offer guidance on crafting strong law school applications in light of the ruling.
Episode Highlights
The Supreme Court ruled to strike down race-conscious admissions policies in two cases: at the University of North Carolina and at Harvard University.
Affirmative action is a broad term referring to policies that give groups benefits or preferences based on race to correct historical injustices. Race-conscious admission is a narrower subset, considering race as one of many factors in admissions decisions.
The 2003 ruling Grether v Bollinger allowed race to be considered as a factor in admissions to maintain diverse campuses.
Today's ruling means schools can no longer use race as a factor in their admissions decisions, impacting selective institutions more than non-selective ones. This includes K-12 all the way to law schools and higher education.
Schools may have to consider other factors, such as socioeconomics or first-generation status, to promote diversity.
Law schools are still committed to increasing diversity but will have to do it in ways that comply with the ruling.
Students can still help themselves by presenting their diversity in a thoughtful and meaningful way in their applications. One of these ways is through your essay
Students should avoid merely emphasizing their racial background in essays; instead, focus on crafting strong, meaningful statements about their backgrounds and aspirations.
If you haven’t already, write a diversity statement!
Tweetable Quotes
“We do not live in a race blind, colorblind society.
We live in a society where systemic oppression and systemic racism is in every facet of society. So to say, ‘Oh, but admissions should be colorblind because people need to be judged based on their skills. This is America. This is a meritocracy,’ is complete ignorance. It ignores the reality of what’s actually happening in society.”