Admission to selective colleges has grown more competitive, yielding student bodies that are unrepresentative of the U.S. population. Admission officers report using sorting (e.g., GPA, standardized tests) and concertedly cultivated (e.g., extracurricular activities) and ascriptive status (e.g., whether an applicant identifies as a member of a…

Justice Goodwin Liu reexamined seminal affirmative action in higher education legal cases beginning with the landmark 1978 case, "Regents of the University of California v. Bakke" and leading up to the U.S. Supreme Court's 2003 decision in "Gratz v. Bollinger." Liu argued that the "Bakke and Gratz" lawsuits were…

In light of the recent bans on affirmative action in higher education, this paper provides new evidence on the effects of alternative admissions policies on the persistence and college completion of minority students. I find that the change from affirmative action to the Top 10% Plan in Texas decreased both retention and graduation rates of…

In 1999, Florida implemented the One Florida Initiative, a plan to end race-conscious decision making in employment, contracting, and higher education. The proposal for higher education was to replace race-conscious admissions with the Talented 20 Program, a policy that in theory would increase access for underrepresented students without…

Findings of the Carnegie Commission on selective admissions and the consideration of race as a criterion relevant to admissions decision are reported. The two-step process recommended includes first eliminating from consideration applicants who do not meet the minimal standard of admissibility, and second, considering racial experience along with…

Texas, California, and Florida are implementing versions of a percent plan in college admissions. This report assesses these plans using data from published information on the plans; state- and institution-calculated higher education application, admission, and enrollment data; media accounts of social and political contexts surrounding the plans;…

Particular facts of Bakke v. Board of Regents and the California Supreme Court decision are described along with other recent cases that, dealing with the concept of reverse discrimination, will provide the legal environment for the Supreme Court's decision. Some alternative possible decisions the U.S. Supreme Court may make are considered. (LBH)

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)

Employers and school admissions officials must consider several factors when making choices among applicants, particularly when faced with a need to increase selection of minority group members. Should different standards be applied to different groups? Will acceptance of less qualified applicants from one group affect the overall quality of the…

Law school admission of minorities, and in particular Hispanics, is addressed, based on results of a study of California law schools and analyses of current trends and alternative admission and testing approaches. Information obtained on current admissions procedures in American Bar Association-approved California law schools led to the conclusion…

The changing role of admission policies and practices as higher education institutions deal with the problems of miniority acess and admissibility is examined in this book. Sections dealing with admission requirements, academic prediction, and major problems in admission practices provide background information on the workings of student…

A two-phase study was conducted in order (1) to develop a profile of admission standards and practices which were being used by forty public occupational education programs in Florida; and (2) to enhance the state-of-the-art encompassing admission procedures by identifying the degree of equity associated with 19 admission standards as perceived by…