Should college essays touch on race? Some feel the affirmative action ruling leaves them no choice

March 27, 2024 1 min read

Collin Binkley, Annie Ma and Noreen Nasir
Associated Press

Excerpt: When she started writing her college essay, Hillary Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. About being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana and growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. About hardship and struggle.

Then she deleted it all. When the Supreme Court ended affirmative action in higher education, it left the college essay as one of few places where race can play a role in admissions decisions. For many students of color, instantly more was riding on the already high-stakes writing assignment. Some say they felt pressure to exploit their hardships as they competed for a spot on campus.

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