Changes to the College Process

The college admissions process has undergone notable changes over the past decade, marked by a combination of shifting policies, heightened competition, and changing public perceptions.
One of the most noteworthy changes has been the growing debate over the role of race in college admissions, stemming from the Supreme Court’s decision to terminate affirmative action at many academic institutions. These new developments have greatly reshaped how universities assess applicants, as well as how students approach the application process. For high school seniors, this has encouraged applicants to highlight other aspects of their identities to stand out. On the other hand, it has fueled concerns regarding the equity and diversity of college admissions.

What is Affirmative Action?

Affirmative action has long been a topic of debate in the college admissions process. Originally introduced in the 1960s by John F. Kennedy to address racial inequalities, affirmative action allowed universities to consider race as one factor in the admissions process to foster diversity, according to the Education Trust, an education policy and advocacy organization However, significant legal shifts have led to changes in how affirmative action policies are implemented.

The Gratz and Grutter cases already tested the limits of affirmative action in 2003. These cases focused on the undergraduate and law school admissions process at the University of Michigan, where the plaintiffs argued that the university’s use of race as a factor in admissions violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Ultimately, there was both a victory and defeat. The Supreme Court ruled the usage of race as a factor in undergraduate admissions was too broad and did not meet the strict scrutiny standard required for racial classifications. However, the Supreme Court declared that the use of race as one of many factors in a holistic admissions process was constitutional. The Supreme Court then concluded that promoting diversity in higher education was a compelling state interest, and the law school’s admissions process was narrowly tailored to achieve that interest.

The description of diversity as a compelling state interest would solidify affirmative action, where the court stated that this system should exist for 25 years till the point where diversity is so widespread that affirmative action would no longer be necessary.

A Sudden Shift

Yet, in 2023, the U.S Supreme Court made a ruling that effectively ended race-based affirmative action in college admissions, a decision that directly impacted how schools like Harvard and the University of North Carolina approach diversity in their student bodies. Before this ruling, these schools used race as one component of their admissions process to ensure a racially diverse student body. Now, with race no longer allowed as a determining factor, many universities have turned to other methods of achieving diversity.

These changes have had a large impact on both universities and applicants. For students who felt that their race played a critical role in their identity, the shift in affirmative action policies means that other elements of their application – such as essays, extracurriculars, and letters of recommendation – are now even more important in standing out from the rest in the pool.

“I think now we have to express the aspects of our identity in different formats, and I find it a little scary that I might not be able to fully express to colleges about who I am,” said senior Angela Croce. “It has a negative impact on the college process and makes it more difficult for students to feel confident that everything they want to be seen, will be seen.”

After the Supreme Court ruling, many have raised concerns about how this would ultimately affect the racial and socioeconomic diversity of higher education institutions. How would diversity still be prioritized and maintained?

New Problems Require New Solutions

Colleges seemed to have found a way to work around the Supreme Court decision: utilizing the essay portion of the application. With the shifting policies on affirmative action, the format of college application essays have also undergone a transformation, according to Inside Higher Ed, an American online publication. For years, many college applicants were required to write long, reflective personal statements that offered a deep dive into their academic and personal lives. But in recent years, more and more colleges have moved towards a plethora of shorter essays – typically between 200 and 500 words. For example, the University of California System, which is one of the largest college systems in the U.S, applicants will now write four 350-word essays instead of their previous 1,000 word-personal statements. These shorter essays allow admissions officers to quickly assess the most essential aspects of a candidate’s character and fit for the institution. It has made it easier for colleges and universities to implement standardized, shorter writing prompts.

For a few seniors, this was a challenge. “It pushes you to be more witty with the essay. I think it’s harder to fully express what you want to say with fewer words, and it pushes you to be more creative about it,” senior Nina Zeltser said. However, seniors such as Aran Basu explained how the smaller word count for essays could be a positive change as well: “The targeted, more specific questions with shorter answers allows students to clearly show parts of themselves that may be clouded by longer answers.”

The changes in affirmative action and the shift to a multitude of shorter essays are in fact deeply intertwined. Since race can no longer be used as a determining factor in admissions at many top universities, applicants must find new ways to express their identities and experiences. Therefore, many schools now require a series of short essays; this has now become an even more crucial tool for applicants to stand out. Instead of simply checking off boxes, now students have the opportunity to express how their background has shaped their life and ambitions in an essay format.

Nina notes how she had seen these changes while completing her college application. “It’s interesting how colleges started to add more essays on identity because it invites people to explain how their ethnicity and nationality actually matters in their application, rather than a crutch that they can fall back on when looking at their college applications,” she said.

This is especially significant given that diversity is still a priority for many universities, even with the Supreme Court’s removal of affirmative action. According to the Crimson, which is Harvard’s student-run newspaper, though Harvard leadership will abide by the Supreme Court’s ruling, they reaffirmed their commitment to creating a diverse student body.

A Few Words from the Seniors

This year marked the first students who submitted college applications after the Supreme Court’s termination of affirmative action, as well as a growing taste of shorter essays. After applying to their early decision or action schools, a few seniors offer advice to the younger graders who will soon prepare for the college process as well:

“Try to have fun writing your essays,” said Aran. “Some questions are open-ended and don’t have a right answer, so both rely on your creative instincts and tie your ideas to interest in that specific college.”

“If you don’t have much unique activity to talk about, you want to connect to who you are as a person and why you doing ‘X’ activity is different from others. Make it quirky, interesting, and don’t be afraid to express yourself at all,” said Angela Croce.

Although the selectivity and questions for college applications continue to change, the core values for the college process remains the same. “Whatever they choose to write about, make sure it reflects qualities that they want to showcase. Be honest, and be yourself,” said senior Phoebe Dungca. Hopefully, this information serves as a hint of the future for rising Hackley students, who will soon start their college applications as well.