At Elite Colleges, Racial Diversity Requires Affirmative Action
“Getting more low-income students into elite colleges like Harvard and Stanford is an important goal. But it can’t replace race-based affirmative action. A close look at the numbers shows that the only effective way to increase racial diversity at elite colleges is by considering race when deciding who gets in. Affirmative action has come under attack, with college admissions viewed as a zero-sum game: What one group gains, another loses. For example, a high-profile lawsuit has accused Harvard of discriminating against Asian applicants in its admission process. The Department of Justice is investigating similar accusations at Yale.”