Essay On Discrimination In College Admissions

Discrimination has been a problem for many decades in the United States, with slavery being the ultimate form of discrimination. There is still discrimination in the present involving immigrants and minority races. Some people believe that using race as a criteria for college admissions, commonly referred to as affirmative action, is discrimination. One student went as far as bringing the issue to court because she believed that using race as a factor for admissions is unconstitutional. This woman, Abigail Fisher, applied to the University of Texas at Austin and was denied admission. She claims her denial was due to the fact that the university uses affirmative action in their admissions. There is a precedent case from 2003 that deals with race-conscious admissions. The Court ruled that it was constitutional to use race as a factor for admission. The holistic review admissions process that includes race as one of the special circumstances at the University of Texas at Austin is constitutional because it helps the university achieve its goal of having a diverse student body and with its diversity involving many factors such as race, income, and personal upbringing. …show more content…
Because of the violation of equal protection strict scrutiny should be used. If this is used, the university could prove that the use of race is a compelling state interest. The university would also have to provide information that using race is the only possible way that their goal of diversity can be reached. Because Fisher said her rights under the Fourteenth amendment were violated, the University of Texas should have evidence to prove why diversity is a compelling interest. They would also have to have data about their race-neutral efforts failing at achieving diversity. If the university can prove that diversity is a significant interest to the government, their admission would be