College admissions officers use trauma as shorthand for Black students
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 9
College admissions officers use trauma as shorthand for Black students
4 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 9
In an April 25 Code Switch interview, former Georgetown admissions officer Aya Waller-Bey said schools increasingly use markers such as first-generation and low-income status after the 2023 Supreme Court ruling.
She said essay disclosures now help staff identify and advocate for applicants in ways they believe are constitutional and less likely to trigger lawsuits, even as race remains central to diversity goals.
The comments reflect colleges' search for workarounds after Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard; Inside Higher Ed reported in November that some universities still keep diversity essay prompts.
With AI now writing college essays, how can universities find authentic voices to build a truly diverse student body?
If birthright citizenship ends, how can colleges recruit diverse students when millions may lose access to financial aid?
Are new admissions 'workarounds' truly promoting diversity or just replacing one set of labels with another?
The Post-Affirmative Action Era: Declining Black Enrollment, Shifting Essay Strategies, and the Racialization of College Admissions (2023–2026)
Overview
Since the Supreme Court ended affirmative action in 2023, college admissions in the U.S. have changed dramatically. The ruling forced colleges to stop considering race directly, leading to new admissions policies. Early data from 2024 and 2025 show significant shifts in student demographics, especially at elite schools, with declines in Black student enrollment. This change is widely seen as harmful to campus diversity. As a result, personal essays have become more important, with students now needing to share their backgrounds and experiences in new, often more challenging ways to stand out in the admissions process.