On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down race-conscious affirmative action programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. For American higher education, it was a landmark ruling.
But let me underscore something that remains true: Dartmouth is unwavering in its "fundamental commitment to building a diverse and welcoming community of faculty, students, and staff, as articulated in our core values." Those words were shared by Sian Beilock, the new president of Dartmouth, in a community message in June. We remain committed to holistic review. The principles of diversity, access, inclusion, and social mobility are part of our institutional mission. Those fundamental principles endure.
So, what does this ruling mean for prospective applicants for the Class of 2028 and beyond?
A student's race has long been included as one factor in Dartmouth's undergraduate admissions process. Historically, and legally, it was one factor among many. Going forward, we will comply with the Court's guidelines on how colleges can consider race in admissions, and Dartmouth's decades-long practice of holistic admissions review will continue. As Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his ruling, "nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant's discussion of how race affected the applicant's life, so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that the particular applicant can contribute to the university."
That means we will continue to consider someone's academic achievements as well as passions and curiosity. We will value a student's accomplishments inside as well as outside the classroom, and we will note evidence of challenges someone may have overcome. Creativity, leadership, an impulse towards collaboration, independence, determination, and kindness, among many other attributes that shape a person's narrative and identity, all "count." That was true before the Court ruling, and it remains true today.
To applicants: The Common App is a multidimensional opportunity to tell your story in whatever way you choose to do so. Use it to convey to my admissions colleagues—at Dartmouth and more than 1,000 other colleges that share this application platform—all the elements and perspectives that make you who you are. Celebrate yourself. As Oscar Wilde once said, "Everyone else is already taken." As you introduce yourself, tell us about your achievements, your background, and your aspirations.
The Supreme Court established limits for how we can consider race in our admissions decisions. Remember: each of you is indelibly more complex than one factor.
Photograph by Don Hamerman
