Recently, the Supreme Court of the United States made a historic ruling:
Universities cannot include race as a factor in admissions.

This is equivalent to China abolishing the policy of adding points to ethnic minorities in the college entrance examination. This decision of great significance will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the future of higher education in the United States.
In the past few decades, American university admissions have been following the Affirmative Action, which considers racial factors to increase admission opportunities for minority students. However, this approach has always been controversial. Now, this ruling by the United States Supreme Court undoubtedly brings an end to this debate.
Chief Justice John Roberts is a long-term critic of the affirmative action plan and wrote a ruling for the majority in the court, stating that American colleges and universities must use color blindness standards in admissions.

He wrote, "I have seen the essence of university enrollment policies: leaderless, based on racial preferences... These policies violate our constitution of color blindness. We have never allowed enrollment programs to operate in this way, and we will not do so today." "Students must be treated based on their personal experiences, not on race... Our constitutional history will not tolerate such choices."
The background of this ruling comes from the enrollment plans of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina based on race ratios. The initial goal was to increase the number of black and Hispanic students to ensure fair representation of minority groups in the school, but for opponents, this is also a form of reverse discrimination. The conservative majority of six justices declared the enrollment plans of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina invalid.
Various sectors of society hold their own opinions
People have different opinions on this ruling.
Supporters believe that banning the consideration of racial factors in university admissions can eliminate racial discrimination and maintain educational equity. They believe that every student should have a fair opportunity to receive education, rather than being discriminated against based on their race.

However, there are also opposing voices. Some people believe that race is not the only factor of discrimination, and other factors such as socio-economic background and gender also need to be considered. In addition, some studies have shown that considering racial factors in the enrollment process can help ethnic minority students obtain more admission opportunities, thereby increasing their enrollment rate.
US President Biden believes that schools and countries will only become stronger when they have more racial diversity.

What's Behind Harvard Admissions
Records show that 70% of donors and legal students at Harvard University are white.
Legacy student generally refers to students who have applied to have immediate family members enrolled in the institution. As a Legacy student, the likelihood of an applicant being admitted is approximately six times higher than that of applicants at the same level. It has drawn attention to other universities that have abandoned this practice due to doubts about fairness, including Amherst College and Johns Hopkins University.

The complaint claims that Harvard's donation preferences are unrelated to academic performance and deprives qualified students of color of their spots. It requires the US Department of Education to declare this practice illegal and force Harvard University to abandon it with federal funding.
The lawsuit states, "The quota given to applicants related to Legacy students or donors is not available to applicants who meet the admission criteria purely based on their own strengths." It adds that if the preferences of Legacy students and donors are eliminated, "more students of color will be admitted to Harvard."
According to previous simulations, the proportion of black people in prestigious universities will significantly decrease in the future, from 14% to 6%.
It is worth noting that this ruling does not mean that racial factors are no longer important in higher education. On the contrary, it may encourage higher education institutions to seek more fair and transparent admission methods, evaluating students' eligibility by taking into account factors such as academic performance, strengths, and social service experience.
Is it racial diversity or educational equity?
The essence of education should be fair and inclusive, rather than discrimination based on race or other specific factors.
The Supreme Court's ban on universities considering race in admissions is a big step towards educational equity, providing equal opportunities for every talented and capable student to receive education. This is a fair reflection for all students and a significant benefit for Chinese international students.

Firstly, this ruling will ensure that all students have access to fair admission opportunities. Regardless of the student's racial background, they will be evaluated based on their academic performance and abilities. This admission method will be more fair and transparent, making it more fair for Chinese students to apply to American universities.
Secondly, this ruling will drive American higher education institutions to seek more fair and transparent admission methods. While considering racial factors, higher education institutions also need to comprehensively consider factors such as students' academic performance, strengths, and social service experience to evaluate their admission eligibility. This evaluation method will be more comprehensive and objective, helping Chinese students demonstrate their strengths and specialties when applying to American universities.
In the future, we look forward to seeing a more just and equitable American higher education system.