What Does the Supreme Court's Ruling on Affirmative Action Mean for Future College Applicants?

On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Fisher v. University of Texas that colleges and universities cannot use race as a factor in admissions decisions. This decision effectively bans affirmative action in college admissions, and it is likely to have a significant impact on future college applicants.

What this ruling mean?

The Supreme Court's ruling means that colleges and universities will no longer be able to consider race as one of many factors in admissions decisions. This will make it more difficult for students from historically underrepresented groups to gain admission to selective colleges and universities.

In the past, affirmative action programs have helped to increase diversity on college campuses. These programs have allowed students from underrepresented groups to have a fair chance at admission, even if they did not have the same academic credentials as white students. However, the Supreme Court's ruling will make it more difficult for these students to gain admission, and it is likely that the number of students from underrepresented groups on college campuses will decline.

How Will the Ruling Impact Standardized Testing?

The Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action is also likely to have an impact on standardized testing. Standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT, have long been used as a factor in college admissions decisions. However, the Supreme Court's ruling has raised questions about the fairness of standardized tests.

Some critics of standardized tests argue that these tests are biased against students from underrepresented groups. They argue that these tests measure skills and knowledge that are not relevant to college success, and that they do not take into account the unique challenges that students from underrepresented groups face.

It's quite likely that this ruling will lead to increased scrutiny of standardized tests. Colleges and universities may be more likely to question the validity of standardized tests, and they may be less likely to rely on these tests in admissions decisions. This could lead to a decline in the use of standardized tests in college admissions in future years.

So, how can you maximize your chances?

The Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action is certainly going to cause some changes in the admissions process, but there are still steps that can be taken to increase the your chances of admission - regardless of your background.

The first step is to focus on academic achievement. This means getting good grades in challenging courses at school and scoring well on standardized tests. While the future of standardized testing is yet to be seen, colleges are still very much relying on SAT and ACT scores today.

Another factor to boost admissions chance is participation in extracurricular activities. The longer your participation and the more senior position you hold (director, founding member, president, etc.), the better. Extracurriculars help showcase not only your success outside the classroom but also your ability to lead others.

Finally, spending more effort on your personal statement will be worth your while. Even though the personal essay can be brute-forced in a mere couple of hours, taking the time to plan out what you want to write about and writing several drafts will undoubetly yield a more polished result, which can be the deal-breaker in your applications to selective schools.