There is no topic that generates more heated discussion in the comments section of this college admissions blog than the consideration of race in college admissions decision-making. As loyal readers of this blog know all too well, we at Ivy Coach believe in the merits of Affirmative Action. We believe it remains a necessary policy to create equal opportunity for Americans of all races. We also believe that Affirmative Action is not to blame for the despicable discrimination that Asian American applicants face in the elite college admissions process any more so than is legacy admission or earmarking slots for recruited squash, ice hockey, and tennis players (among other athletic recruits). It’s why we side with Harvard College in the lawsuit brought against the institution by the group known as Students for Fair Admissions, a lawsuit that is on the Supreme Court’s docket. But just because we are vocal supporters of Affirmative Action doesn’t mean that we don’t recognize not everyone supports the consideration of race in elite college admissions. We fully recognize that our nation is divided on the issue of Affirmative Action. We also fully recognize that there is a strong chance our nation’s conservative-leaning Supreme Court will choose to rule Affirmative Action unlawful in the months to come.

In fact, as Nick Anderson, Robert Barnes, Scott Clement, and Emily Guskin report for The Washington Post in a piece entitled “Over 6 in 10 Americans favor leaving race out of college admissions, Post-Schar School poll finds,” “More than 6 in 10 Americans support a ban on the consideration of race in college admissions, according to a Washington Post-Schar Schooll poll, but an equally robust majority endorses programs to boost racial diversity on campuses. The findings illuminate the turbulent crosscurrents of public opinion on affirmative action as the Supreme Court revisits the fraught subject barely six years after it upheld the limited use of race in admissions at the University of Texas. On Oct. 31, the justices will hear arguments in cases challenging race-conscious admissions at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.”

And while this most recent poll is consistent with other recent polls on Affirmative Action, it’s not going to come down to a vote by the populace. It’s going to come down to our nation’s highest court. October 31st is just around the corner. What do our readers think about the upcoming Supreme Court cases that concern the consideration of race in college admissions decision-making? Will race-conscious admissions be overturned? Will any conservative justices, like Chief Justice John Roberts, choose to uphold the legality of Affirmative Action? Let us know your thoughts — though do keep them appropriate — by posting a comment below. We look forward to hearing from you. We think.