Harvard University was sued in 2013 by Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) in the Boston U.S. District Court. They claimed that by discriminating against Asian Americans, Harvard’s undergraduate admissions policies violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court overturned lower courts’ decisions upholding Harvard’s restricted use of race as a criterion in admissions in 2019 and 2020, concluding that there was no proof of “discriminatory animus” or “conscious prejudice.” Chief Justice John Roberts ruled in the majority judgment that affirmative action in college admissions is unconstitutional.
In light of the Supreme Court’s decision regarding affirmative action, I thought it would be interesting to present the most recent MIT and Yale class profiles. Would anything alter? I was apprehensive. With acceptance rates of less than 7%, both are among the best universities in America.
Since so few people attend these kinds of schools, the majority of us probably won’t be impacted by the decision. Nevertheless, I got to know a lot of the graduates from these esteemed universities while I was working in finance in New York City and San Francisco. In the tech sector, I also run into former students from comparable universities, as well as parents at my kids’ school.
The Class Demographics Assumptions at MIT and Yale.
Considering that Students for Fair Admissions felt that applicants who were White and Asian American were being denied admission to colleges, you may anticipate the following regarding the makeup of the incoming classes at MIT and Yale following the Supreme Court’s decision to outlaw affirmative action:
(1) A decrease in the number of Black and Hispanic students.
2) A rise in the number of White and Asian students.
3)A steady trend in the enrollment of students by race at both campuses.
Ideas Regarding Yale’s First Class Post-Affirmative Action Prohibition
The largest surprise is the 6% drop in Asian American students and the 4% increase in White students for the Class of 2028. Asian American students needed better test scores to have the same probability of admission as applicants of other races, it was discovered during the Harvard litigation.
The use of subjective measures to limit objective outcome
Harvard employed subjective metrics, such a personality score, to lower the total scores of Asian American applicants. That Asian American applicants were constantly rated by Harvard as having the lowest personalities while Black applicants were consistently rated as having the highest personalities disappointed me. Really, how can you tell, particularly when so few applicants are interviewed?
Unfazed, I wrote a piece about how students in high school can develop their personalities. Better personalities make things easier in life. Even as an Asian American, your personality might develop to the point where you establish a website that millions of people visit annually!
But if the gatekeeper isn’t impartial, you could be held back even with a strong personality. Developing your resourcefulness is one goal you can think about in order to lessen the influence gatekeepers have over your destiny.
How People of Color Should Consider Applying to Yale
At the very least, Yale’s Asian American student population share ought to have stayed consistent. Rather, it fell by a significant 20 percent, from 30 to 24 percent. This raises the possibility that Yale purposefully cut back on the number of Asian Americans admitted. Asian American juniors in high school may want to rethink applying to Yale or using their Early Decision place for this university as a result.
In contrast, more students who identify as White, Black, or Hispanic ought to think about applying to Yale. There was a notable increase in the proportion of White students, going from 42% to 46%. It’s possible that Yale is providing precedence to alumni’ offspring in legacy admissions.
Legacy admissions have been compared by some to a wealthy and privileged kind of affirmative action. By mid-career, the median salary of Ivy League graduates is far higher than that of non-Ivy League graduates. Consequently, offspring of Yale alumni typically lead more comfortable lives and, only by virtue of their history, enjoy a significant admissions advantage, with a 3-5X higher acceptance rate.
Yale is going to follow its own desires.
An alternative conclusion is that Yale’s admissions procedures appear to have been unaffected by the affirmative action restriction. Yale’s policies are more flexible than those of state colleges because it is a private university. Yale might feel more confident in implementing its own admissions tactics because it was not the target of a lawsuit similar to this one.
Groups such as Students for Fair Admissions are probably examining Yale’s most recent class demographic data and deciding what action to take next. I wouldn’t be shocked if Yale found itself in court to defend its admissions practices if the trend keeps up.
Demographics of the 2028 Incoming Class at MIT
The proportion of Black students at MIT in the Class of 2028 fell from fifteen percent to five percent when compared to the Class of 2027. Additionally, the percentage of Hispanic students decreased, from 16 to 11 percent. The proportion of White students dropped to 37%, a minor reduction of 1%. Asian American enrolment, on the other hand, increased dramatically, from 40% to 47%.
The Class of 2028 profile at MIT confirms what many who supported affirmative action in college admissions feared: a sharp decline in the number of underrepresented minorities and a sharp rise in Asian American students.
This change is consistent with patterns seen at California universities like Berkeley and UCLA after affirmative action was outlawed in the state in 1996. More than 40% of the student body is Asian American these days.
In contrast to Yale, MIT does not offer a thorough line graph for comparing previous patterns. MIT, on the other hand, offered the self-reported ethnicity chart for the first year below.
MIT’s First Class Post-Affirmative Action Ban: Some Thoughts.
I was surprised to see that Asian Americans make up 47% of MIT’s entering class. It is striking that Asian Americans are overrepresented by 6.7 times, given their relatively small percentage of the U.S. population of 7 percent. I’ve always thought of universities like Caltech and MIT as “super nerd” establishments where academics are the most important thing. The arts and sports are secondary factors. You may assume that admissions would be simpler if you’re Asian American because of MIT’s high Asian student population. It is evident that Asian Americans are not subjected to discrimination at MIT. It may even be argued that MIT prioritizes merit over inclusion, diversity, and equity.
That being said, don’t get your expectations up because your chances of getting in are still about 1 in 25 with an admission rate of only 4%! However, considering that individuals are drawn to one another, I have a suspicion that this class profile may inspire even more Asian Americans to apply in the future.
Being Black or Hispanic may make you feel less likely to apply to MIT, which could lead to a decline in the proportion of Black and Hispanic students as the candidate pool gets smaller. Applying to Yale or another university that has witnessed an uptick in Black and Hispanic enrollment would be a more calculated move instead.
College Students’ Economic Diversity Is Growing
It’s encouraging that economic diversity appears to be increasing at some of the best universities. Regardless of affluence, most people would concur that aiding low-income pupils of all races is more egalitarian than concentrating only on one race.
