Today, colleges and universities use overt admissions preferences to create student bodies that reflect the ethnic, racial, or gender demographics of the population--at the expense of academic merit and preparedness. While the original aim of the policy was to end discrimination and promote fairness, it has led to unequal treatment on the basis of race, gender, economic status, and national origin. There is evidence that racial preferences not only fail to provide any long-term equality, but also hurt minority students, especially those whom it claims to help. In this document, the Martin Center recommends steps that legislatures, university boards, and faculty governing committees can take to end the use of racial preferences on college campuses and recommit themselves to nondiscrimination, equality of opportunity, and academic freedom.