US Supreme court rules against race being considered in university admission selection

The US Supreme Court made a significant ruling by striking down affirmative action in college admissions, stating that race cannot be a factor in the admissions process.

As reported by AP, the decision that was made on September 21 has forced institutions of higher education to seek alternative methods for achieving diverse student bodies.

The court's conservative majority effectively invalidated admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, two of the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively, overturning cases dating back 45 years.

This ruling will necessitate significant changes to admissions practices, particularly at top-tier schools that have historically considered the race of applicants as a factor.

Chief Justice John Roberts told the AP in an interview that universities have "concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”

President Joe Biden "strongly, strongly disagreed" with the Supreme Court's ruling and encouraged colleges to explore alternative methods for promoting diversity rather than accepting this decision as the final word.

Justice Clarence Thomas, the court's second Black justice, who has long advocated for ending affirmative action, wrote that the ruling correctly identifies universities' admissions policies as race-based preferences aimed at achieving a specific racial composition in their incoming classes.