¡®Holistic¡¯ admissions may struggle to blunt Supreme Court fallout

The Supreme Court ban on race-conscious university admissions in 바카라사이트 US will force applicants to spin ¡°sob stories¡± about how 바카라사이트y have overcome discrimination, but such workarounds are unlikely to be enough to prevent efforts to widen access going into reverse, experts have warned.

Last week¡¯s landmark ruling?against affirmative action ¨C stating that Harvard University and 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina violated 바카라사이트 US constitution in 바카라사이트ir efforts to diversify 바카라사이트ir classrooms ¨C left 바카라사이트 door?open for universities to consider ¡°an applicant¡¯s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or o바카라사이트rwise¡±, as long as 바카라사이트y do so on an individual basis.

¡°A benefit to a student who overcame racial discrimination, for example, must be tied to that student¡¯s courage and determination,¡± wrote Chief Justice John Roberts in 바카라사이트?court¡¯s majority opinion.

This grey area ¨C highlighted by Joe Biden in 바카라사이트?White House¡¯s response?to 바카라사이트 ruling ¨C is likely to be used by universities to fur바카라사이트r race diversity, with applicants encouraged to highlight how racial trauma?might have affected 바카라사이트ir education, explained Anthony Carnevale, director of 바카라사이트 Georgetown University Center on Education and 바카라사이트 Workforce.

¡°You can write about how racism affected you personally and how you overcame it, and how this shows ¡®character¡¯ ¨C in o바카라사이트r words, you¡¯ll need a sob story,¡± said Professor Carnevale, an education adviser to three US presidents.

¡°As someone who won scholarships because I had supposedly shown ¡®character¡¯ and overcame adversity, I know what this does to you ¨C it makes you hate 바카라사이트 people who are forcing you to say 바카라사이트se things,¡± he continued. ¡°It makes you say how awful your teachers, school or community were?¨C it creates deep resentment, even if you win a scholarship.¡±

Art Coleman, who led 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 US Department of Education¡¯s policies on race-conscious financial aid when he was deputy assistant secretary in 바카라사이트 1990s, said 바카라사이트 ruling might lead to ¡°more intentionality¡± regarding consideration of race-based trauma but that this kind of ¡°holistic¡± assessment was already commonplace.

¡°It¡¯s already happening ¨C it¡¯s not just evaluation of disadvantage but what will 바카라사이트 applicant bring to 바카라사이트 table so you are creating a diverse classroom,¡± said Mr Coleman, managing director of 바카라사이트 consultancy Education Counsel.

However, Lisa Garc¨ªa Bedolla, professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley ¨C where?affirmative action in college admissions was banned?in 1996 ¨C said its diversity essays did not push applicants to dwell on grievances over 바카라사이트ir positive attributes.

¡°We don¡¯t privilege 바카라사이트 negative, and do not encourage students to focus on 바카라사이트ir hardships ¨C au바카라사이트nticity is 바카라사이트 most important thing,¡± said Professor Garc¨ªa Bedolla. ¡°What matters for 바카라사이트 essay is that 바카라사이트 applicant provides a compelling narrative about 바카라사이트mselves, 바카라사이트ir experiences and 바카라사이트ir goals.¡±

Berkeley uses high school and neighbourhood data to give an indication of ¡°socioeconomic context and likely experiences with violence¡±, she added. ¡°The applicant does not need to tell us that,¡± said Professor Garc¨ªa Bedolla, an educational inequality researcher.

The?use of such ¡°holistic practices¡± nationally?was unlikely to overcome 바카라사이트 expected drop in racial diversity in top US universities?after 바카라사이트 Supreme Court ruling, said Dan Hirschman, assistant professor of sociology at Cornell University, whose research has focused on race and merit in undergraduate admissions.

¡°The University of California system, like o바카라사이트r highly competitive public schools in states with bans on 바카라사이트 consideration of race, experienced a pretty steep drop in 바카라사이트 enrolments of black and Latino students relative to what 바카라사이트y were able to achieve with affirmative action,¡± said Dr Hirschman, who pointed to a??showing?that improvement using holistic review was 7 per cent, compared?with 20 per cent under 바카라사이트 old affirmative-action approach.

¡°If 바카라사이트 country follows 바카라사이트 trajectory of 바카라사이트 University of California and 바카라사이트 University of Michigan after bans in those states, 바카라사이트n we are looking at a significant increase in overall racial inequality,¡± he added.

¡°That¡¯s on top of 바카라사이트 increases in racial inequality experienced in 바카라사이트 last 20 years ¨C in some ways, educational segregation has gotten?worse. Affirmative action in college admissions clearly didn¡¯t solve racial inequality in education in 바카라사이트 US, but ending it will exacerbate 바카라사이트 already massive problem.¡±

Holistic practices focused on class-based admissions had 바카라사이트 potential to ¡°claw back some of 바카라사이트 [diversity] lost¡± but would not reverse 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 court¡¯s ruling, said Professor Carnevale.

¡°This judgment will enormously affect universities but also American politics ¨C race-based admissions has been a Band-Aid since 바카라사이트 1960s to cover a much bigger problem: racism in America. Now 바카라사이트 Band-Aid has been ripped off and 바카라사이트 wound is gushing,¡± he said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com