University of Minnesota no longer considering race or legacy for admissions

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - After the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action, the University of Minnesota says it will no longer consider race or family legacy for admissions.

Under the new review process, the university will no longer factor in an applicant's race, ethnicity, family attendance, or employment at the University as "context factors".

"The application will ask for this optional information for recruitment and communication purposes about programs and services offered," the university says. "The information will not be provided to application reviewers and will not be considered at any point during the University of Minnesota admissions decision process."

The university will factor in typical merit factors, like high school grades, coursework, class rank, ACT/SAT scores, rigor of curriculum, and the English Proficiency test score. Along with those metrics, an applicant's context factors like military service, extracurricular activities, being a first-generation college student, and other extenuating circumstances will go into the review.

An end-around for students of color could come under another context factor that allows applicants to demonstrate a "contribution to the cultural, gender, age, economic, or geographic diversity of the student body" or separately "evidence of overcoming social, economic, or physical barriers."

In its ruling, the Supreme Court ruling did not bar students from sharing stories about their ethnic background and heritage and how it affected their lives.