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The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has already cast tentative votes on the fate of affirmative action in universities. The ruling will be known in June 2023 and conservatives are confident that the majority will overturn this admissions “filter.” Against this backdrop, a survey revealed what Americans think about the college admissions process.
The survey was conducted by Pew Research Center and included a sample of 10,441 adults, consulted in March 2022. All of them were presented with a list of possible filters and had to rate them as “major”, “minor” and “not a factor.”
The numbers showed that only 16% of respondents believe that gender should be a factor in whether or not to admit a student to college. In other words, 82% stated that it should not be relevant in making the decision. In addition, the same sample found that the race and ethnicity of the candidate should not be deciding factors either. This worldview was shared by 74% of respondents.
The most important qualities for university admission
The poll evidenced that “more than nine-in-ten Americans (93%) say high school grades should be at least a minor factor in admissions decisions, including 61% who say they should be a major factor. Grades are, by far, the criteria the public says should most factor into admissions decisions.”
The second place was the performance on standardized tests, considered by 86% as at least important and by 39% as important. The podium was closed by community service, considered somewhat secondary by 67% of the sample and important by 19%.
Further down the rankings, “nearly half of Americans (46%) say someone being the first in their family to go to college should be either a major (18%) or minor (28%) factor in admissions decisions, while a similar share say athletic ability should factor into these decisions (9% major, 36% minor),” the survey revealed.
Democrats oppose affirmative action
When it came to dividing the responses by political party, the poll found that 62% of those who identified with the Democratic Party opposed considering race or ethnicity as a factor in college admissions. The number contrasts with 87% of Republicans who also opposed a racial lens.
Interestingly, it is not popular among minorities either: 59% of African-Americans say they are against it, as well as 68% of Hispanics and 63% of Asians.
Joaquín Núñez es licenciado en comunicación periodística por la Universidad Católica Argentina. Se especializa en el escenario internacional y en la política nacional norteamericana. Confeso hincha de Racing Club de Avellaneda. Contacto: [email protected] // Joaquín Núñez has a degree in journalistic communication from the Universidad Católica Argentina. He specializes in the international scene and national American politics. Confessed fan of Racing Club of Avellaneda. Contact: [email protected]