The battle over open admissions and remedial education at the City University of New York (CUNY) in the 1990s garnered national attention and marked a shift towards greater selectivity in America's public, four-year higher education institutions. After launching open admissions in 1970, CUNY transformed from a majority-White system to one that had become majority non-White by the late 1970s. The advent of open admissions also led to dramatic student enrollment growth, as the degree-seeking student population grew from less than 100,000 in the late 1960s to more than 220,000 by the mid-1970s. For 30 years, the open admissions policy at the nation's third largest university system stood as a landmark achievement for access and equity. However, the policy quickly became a target, as critics contended that CUNY accepted far too many underprepared students, requiring costly remediation. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was among those who argued that remedial education compromised CUNY's quality. In 1999, CUNY trustees abolished open admissions and scuttled remedial education classes at the system's 11 senior colleges. Today, CUNY's community colleges provide the remedial education that enables underprepared high school graduates the opportunity to gain admission to a senior college. This article describes the impact made by the CUNY's policy change on its minority student populations.