Affirmative Action and College Admission

Affirmative Action in college admission is up for debate. The case hits the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court of the United States is set to hear the latest case to be brought before the high court on Affirmative Action this Wednesday. The case, brought by plaintiff Abigail Fisher, a LSU grad who was denied admission to her father and sister’s alma mater because — her attorneys will argue — she is white, said to “The New York Times,” “‘I’m hoping that they’ll completely take race out of the issue in terms of admissions and that everyone will be able to get into any school that they want no matter what race they are but solely based on their merit and if they work hard for it.'”

The school that denied her admission (University of Texas – Austin) claims that Ms. Fisher would not have gained admission even if she wasn’t Caucasian. The university also argues that they have the right to assemble a diverse class as delineated in the 2003 Supreme Court ruling in Grutter v. Bollinger. That ruling was a 5-4 decision and the majority opinion was written by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. In the ruling, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote that racial quotas are unlawful in college admissions, but race could be used as a factor in a “holistic” review process, the process used at just about all of the highly selective colleges in the nation.

Sandra Day O’Connor is no longer on the Supreme Court. Justice Samuel Alito has since taken her seat. A liberal replaced by a conservative. Do you think that this will lead to a dramatic shift in Affirmative Action policies at our nation’s universities? Or do you think the status quo will win out? Which Supreme Court Justice do you think will cast the decisive vote in the event it comes down to a 5-4 ruling? Will it be Justice Anthony Kennedy? Give us your predictions as we’re curious to hear your thoughts on the matter!