I've heard the term 'affirmative action' a lot when talking about college admissions, but I'm not really sure what it means. Could someone help me understand how it might affect the application process? Thanks!
Affirmative action is a term used to describe policies and practices that colleges and universities implement to promote diversity and equal opportunity by considering factors such as race, ethnicity, and gender during the admissions process. The aim is to support underrepresented groups in higher education and create a more inclusive and diverse environment.
In the context of college admissions, affirmative action can play a role in how admissions committees review applications and make decisions. It may cause some colleges to give additional consideration to applicants from underrepresented backgrounds, helping to overcome historical and social disadvantages.
It is important to note that the use of affirmative action has been recently struck down by the United States Supreme Court. For more on the effects of this decision, be sure to read this CollegeVine article all about the matter: https://blog.collegevine.com/end-of-affirmative-action
The ruling, however, still allows colleges to consider race on an individual basis, which is one reason many schools are now including diversity prompts as one of their supplemental essay prompts. If you feel that your racial background has impacted you significantly, a diversity essay may be the place to discuss that. For more on writing such an essay, check out this article: https://blog.collegevine.com/4-tips-for-writing-a-diversity-college-essay/
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