Sampled colleges nationwide to determine whether admissions criteria differed significantly for minority groups. Results indicated minorities are expected to show evidence of quantifiable accomplishment. Noncognitive factors were less important. Private and Protestant colleges were more likely to consider motivation and admissions interviews. (JAC)

Study of freshman applicants and persistence at Arizona State University revealed that at first years end the ethnic composition of applicants and students was very similar. However, no admissions model that attempts to match some community's ethnic composition can be constructed to assure adequate representation of all minorities, although steps…

It is argued that the Supreme Court's Bakke decision overturning the University of California's minority admissions program is good for those who favor affirmative action programs in higher education. The Supreme Court gives wide latitude for devising programs that take race and ethnic background into account if colleges are acting in good faith.…

In a University of Texas-Austin case in which four white applicants to the law school were rejected, a federal judge has upheld the college's right to consider race and ethnicity as admissions factors, but also outlined strict limits on use of affirmative action in assessing applicants, which could pose legal problems for some colleges. (MSE)

The legal activity in federal courts related to affirmative action indicates a strong possibility the Supreme Court will abolish affirmative action in college admission. Such a decision would inevitably alter the landscape of higher education. Campus diversity will have to be achieved without using race or ethnicity to offer preference to some at…

Elite universities will be returning to court to clarify the murky ruling in "Grutter v. Bollinger". Thomas E. Wood predicts that judges will again have to pass judgment on the constitutionality of dubious scheming by elite universities to achieve their critical mass of black students legitimately--without resort to tacit quotas and…

Much has been done in recent years to enhance the quality of the educational experience for students from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups on college campuses. However, many major problems still exist, presenting professionals concerned with the educational development of students with many significant challenges. This literature review…

In 1975 a nationwide sample of admissions offices of 110 large, primarily white universities were surveyed on their admission of black freshmen and on their admission criteria. Particular emphasis was placed on further effects of budget cuts and on admission criteria for nonblack minorities. Responses from 107 schools, showed that the national…

This legal document presents the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the case brought against the University of Michigan's use of racial preferences in undergraduate admissions. In Gratz et al. v. Bollinger et al., the Court held that while race is one of a number of factors that can be considered in undergraduate admissions, the automatic…

Discusses factors which influence the acceptance of particular students at highly competitive colleges. Suggests that admissions officers especially prefer athletes, minority students, and alumni children. Other preferred applicants include school leaders, students with artistic talent or notable personal strengths, and students from wealthy…

The Bakke decision, which addressed affirmative action in college admissions, is examined with focus on Justice Powell's ruling. Justice Powell ruled that the need for diversity on campus justifies a minority admissions program, and that other considerations not accepted may have validity if properly argued. (Author/JMD)

Studies on race-based admissions, sports and sex, and religion and drugs suggest that: affirmative action policies were successful regarding college admissions; boys who play sports are more likely to be sexually active than their peers, with the opposite true for girls; and religion is a major factor in whether teens use cigarettes, alcohol, and…

After the appellate court decision in Hopwood versus State of Texas, overturning racial preference in law school admissions, supporters of continued affirmative action policy in higher education are finding conservatives on the offensive and a chilly climate for broad access, but are not planning an aggressive counterattack for fear of negative…

Race-conscious affirmative action in higher education survived a close challenge in 2003 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that race was a valid academic admission criteria in the "Grutter v. Bollinger" case. Two years later, a number of "pipeline" programs to help under-represented minorities gain admission to and complete graduate school have…

The study analyzed data on 10,000 students with disabilities who took the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) between 1979 and 1983. It also examined college admissions policies toward such youth in terms of academic performance, minority status, parental income, and other characteristics. Major findings included the following: (1) the SAT performance…