Affirmative Action’s Last Gasps at the University of Michigan

Last month, voters in Michigan approved Proposal 2 by a large margin. The referendum mandates that the University of Michigan and other state universities make their admissions decisions without regard to race. It was scheduled to go into effect this Saturday. But this week a federal court ruled that the state universities could continue to use race through the remainder of the current admissions cycle.

The university reports that it experienced a surge in applications from underrepresented minorities since the November election. Applications from blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians are up 20 percent from the same date a year ago.

It appears that many blacks and other minorities filed their applications early in order that they be considered when their race or ethnicity could still be a positive factor in their admissions decision.

The University of Michigan reports that as of December 4, 73 percent of minority applicants were accepted for admission. About 59 percent of all white and Asian applicants were accepted.

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