Affirmative action has been part of the American vernacular since the 1960’s, generating out of the civil rights movement. Having been challenged over the years, it was not until the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in the college admissions process on June 29 of this year that it suffered a fatal blow. Prior to this, enrollment at public colleges and universities would take into consideration students of color and could use race as factor for making admission decisions in an effort to create diversity within the higher education system.
However, as part of the Supreme Court ruling that recently banned affirmative action in college admissions, the door was left ajar allowing colleges a work around if they desired. In the official opinion it stated that, “nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected the applicant’s life, so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that the applicant can contribute to the university.” Making way for colleges to seek out this information by way of essay submissions (i.e. discussions).
In light of the judgement, some colleges have promptly updated essays questions for their 2023-2024 applications, creating an avenue for students to share this information. While some schools may have already had similar prompts in the past designed to allow an applicant to elaborate on their personal experience, clearly some are new and/or updated this application season, with one getting straight to the point and directly asking about the courts decision.
Below is a sampling of prompts speaking to this topic:
CommonApp
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
Sarah Lawrence College
Drawing upon examples from your life, a quality of your character, and/or a unique ability you possess, describe how you believe your goals for a college education might be impacted, influenced or affected by the Court’s decision.
Harvard
Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?
Barnard College
Barnard’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion mission statement says “Our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity has the potential to disrupt and transform entrenched practices and thinking.” In what ways have you challenged ideas, practices, or spaces? What did you learn from these experiences?
Columbia College
A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia’s diverse and collaborative community.
Duke University
We recognize that “fitting in” in all the contexts we live in can sometimes be difficult. Duke values all kinds of differences and believes they make our community better. Feel free to tell us any ways in which you’re different, and how that has affected you or what it means to you.
Georgetown University
As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your own background, identity, skills, and talents.
University of Michigan
Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a place that seeks to be welcoming to all – and has been since our founding. Explain why you are interested in Syracuse University and describe a personal experience in which you persevered through adversity, rejected discrimination, learned a lesson, or were inspired by the courageous actions of others and how you will apply what you learned to our community in a positive way.
University of Miami
Located within one of the most dynamic cities in the world, the University of Miami is a distinctive community with a variety of cultures, traditions, histories, languages, and backgrounds. The University of Miami is a values-based and purpose-driven postsecondary institution that embraces diversity and inclusivity in all its forms and strives to create a culture of belonging, where every person feels valued and has an opportunity to contribute. Please describe how your unique experiences, challenges overcome, or skills acquired would contribute to our distinctive University community.
Only time will tell if the decision by the Supreme Court will have a meaningful impact on college campuses, either positive or negative. We can all agree, however, that each one of us brings a unique set of skills, talents, experiences and perspectives and these are key that making up a diverse population.