Admissions Officers Reflect on a Transformative Year
Liam Knox
September 18, 2023
In Inside Higher Ed’s annual survey, admissions leaders share their views on the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ban and other major changes in the sector.
It has been a turbulent year for college admissions, marked by a landmark Supreme Court decision, an escalating enrollment crisis and a political battle over higher ed’s soul.
For the admissions officers on the front lines, the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down affirmative action—arguably the year’s marquee event—cast the biggest pall. According to Inside Higher Ed’s annual Survey of College and University Admissions Officers, 64 percent of respondents said they disagreed with the decision to ban race-conscious admissions, while only 17 percent agreed.
Although admissions officers were mostly united in their opposition to the decision, survey responses reflected a range of views about the ruling’s potential impact on diversity, which diverged further when respondents considered its impact on their own institutions.
