On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court ended Affirmative Action. 

As explained by Investopedia, "Affirmative Action refers to a policy aimed at increasing workplace and educational opportunities for people who are underrepresented in various areas of our society. It focuses on demographics with historically low representation in leadership and professional roles. It is often considered a means of countering discrimination against particular groups."

The essays remain one of the only places students may discuss their identity in terms of race and ethnicity. However, this, too, comes with guidelines and concerns.

Of the ruling, Chief Justice Roberts said:

“Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise. ... A benefit to a student who overcame racial discrimination, for example, must be tied to that student’s courage and determination. Or a benefit to a student whose heritage or culture motivated him or her to assume a leadership role or attain a particular goal must be tied to that student’s unique ability to contribute to the university. In other words, the student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual — not on the basis of race.”

So what does this mean? As Chief Justice Roberts articulated, students may mention their race, ethnicity, etc., not as a characteristic that stands alone but in so much as it relates to experiences had, values (such as courage and determination, as he cited above) developed, and skills earned. All in all, how a student identifies should be mentioned and considered based on how the student's identity has shaped them as an individual, not as part of group. 

Consider how sharing a student’s race, ethnicity, etc. in an essay relates to or demonstrates unique characteristics that will make them an asset to a campus.

It is interesting to note how this decision impacted colleges’ writing prompts. BU, for example, added an identity-related supplement as an additional option to their "Why Us?" essay this year. In fact, some of the terminology that Chief Justice Roberts used has made a direct impact on the language of supplemental prompts in 2023.

From UM:

Located within one of the most dynamic cities in the world, the University of Miami is a distinctive community with a variety of cultures, traditions, histories, languages, and backgrounds. The University of Miami is a values-based and purpose-driven postsecondary institution that embraces diversity and inclusivity in all its forms and strives to create a culture of belonging, where every person feels valued and has an opportunity to contribute.​

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Please describe how your unique experiences, challenges overcome, or skills acquired would contribute to our distinctive University community.​
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From Wake Forest:

Dr. Maya Angelou, renowned author, poet, civil-rights activist, and former Wake Forest University Reynolds Professor of American Studies, inspired others to celebrate their identities and to honor each person’s dignity. Choose one of Dr. Angelou’s powerful quotes. How does this quote relate to your lived experience or reflect how you plan to contribute to the Wake Forest community?

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These prompts, like Roberts' statement, stress students’ lived experiences, challenges, skills, and contributions. Beyond racial and ethnic identity, these prompts also provide opportunities for students to share stories of health conditions, service work, or involvement in extracurricular groups on everything from gender rights to AI and crochet.

Still, some questions remain: Will mentioning race (et. al) negatively impact a student's application now that the provisions set by Affirmative Action are no longer in place? Are colleges looking for students to use this essay "loophole" to help them maintain diversity on campus? In essence, should a student lean into or shy away from mentioning their racial, ethnic or other aspect of their identity in admissions essays?

We don't have definitive answers to these and might not receive clarification from colleges in the coming months — BUT we believe students should decide if and how they want to describe their identity in their essays.

Did sharing a cafecito with a Cuban grandmother teach the student the value of family and tradition? Has facing discrimination at school due to skin color led to resilience and self-assurance? We think colleges should know!

What do you think of the recent decision? What topics do you think are appropriate for Identity essays?