Your Voice Your Vote 2024

Live results
Updated: Nov. 8, 1:22 PM ET

National Election Results: presidential

republicans icon Projection: Trump is President-elect
226
301
226
301
Harris
69,138,522
270 to win
Trump
73,446,056
Expected vote reporting: 92%

College students on affirmative action, race and admissions: In their own words

ABC News speaks with Harvard, UNC students ahead of key Supreme Court cases.

College students on affirmative action, race and admissions: In their own words
ABC News
October 31, 2022, 5:00 AM

As the U.S. Supreme Court takes up the future of race-conscious admissions policies in higher education across America, ABC News asked a group of current students from public and private universities for their views on affirmative action, race and diversity on campus.

What follows is an edited selection of their responses, in their own words.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology senior and student body president David Spicer, 21, says administrators' consideration of race has helped ensure a sufficiently diverse campus.
ABC News

David Spicer, M.I.T. senior, Louisiana

"Consideration of race has to be a meaningful one, and I think that's what affirmative action does. It's not just an arbitrary thing, but it serves a legitimate purpose. Students really know that having a diverse community shapes her education. That's what they're really seeking."

Harvard University junior David Lewis is a member of the school's Black Students Association. He says schools must have a holistic assessment of potential students.
ABC News

David Lewis, Harvard University junior, Michigan

"Schools are not admitting test scores. They're not admitting GPA. They're admitting full human people with a whole experience and a whole life. And we can't just look at singular, individual numbers to determine who is most qualified or who should belong. We have to look at what adversity that they faced, what opportunities they have, how did they use those? Taking race into account is very important to ensure that we have a fair representation of people."

Harvard University sophomore Chelsea Wang is a member of the school's Asian American Student Association and supports affirmative action.
ABC News

Chelsea Wang, Harvard College sophomore, New York

"I support affirmative action because I see it as a part of my heritage. I am Chinese-American, and the most important thing about my culture to me is collectivism. It's seeing everyone around you as part of your community, as part of your own being. It's trying to put the greater good above your own individual benefits at all times."

Fordham University freshman German Ortega, 18, says he received a full-ride tuition scholarship dedicated to supporting Hispanic students.
ABC News

German Ortega, Fordham University freshman, New York

"I got my scholarship because I'm Hispanic. It's called the Hispanic Recognition Scholarship. It's sad that I got a full right because I'm Hispanic, because they needed to give that scholarship to Hispanics. It's good for me, but it says a lot."

UNC Chapel Hill sophomore Sarah Zhang is from Doylestown, Penn., and founder of the campus group UNC for Affirmative Action. She says ending race as a factor in admissions will harm diversity on campus.
ABC News

Sarah Zhang, UNC Chapel Hill sophomore, Pennsylvania

"When you take away race as a factor in considering people's admission to the university, it is going to really harm diversity on campus, and UNC has had a long history of racism."

Harvard University sophomore Muskaan Arshad was born in India and raised in Arkansas. She rejects claims that Asian Americans are harmed by race-conscious admissions policies.
ABC News

Muskaan Arshad, Harvard College sophomore, Arkansas

"I can't imagine writing a college application that didn't include my race, that didn't involve my Asian American identity. I couldn't imagine getting into Harvard without my race being an essential part of my essays and my activities. I refuse the narrative that affirmative action discriminates against Asian-Americans."

Baruch College graduate Yariel Ortega, 23, is the first in his family of five to graduate from college. He opposes the use of race in college admissions.
ABC News

Yariel Ortega, Baruch College graduate, New York

"When you check off all the boxes – in terms of grades, extracurriculars, resume, cover letter, recommendations – I don't think race should be a factor now. If the student has met all the requirements, I believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to be there. I come from poverty. I come from a low income family. And I know the preparation that I received here in my local community [compared with wealthier areas] is not at the same level. So that's a systemic issue. But should the pencil be on race? I really don't think so."

Harvard University junior David Lewis is a member of the school's Black Students Association. He says schools must have a holistic assessment of potential students.
ABC News

David Lewis, Harvard College junior, Michigan

"To overcome those opportunities and to still be part of this small group of people who are being considered for these institutions shows that you do have incredible merit. Affirmative action isn't reducing the consideration of our merit or hard work, it's actually amplifying it and looking at the merit of overcoming adversity as well."

UNC Chapel Hill sophomore Joy Jiang is a co-lead of UNC for Affirmative Action and a native of North Carolina. She is a first-generation college student and supports affirmative action.
ABC News

Joy Jiang, UNC Chapel Hill sophomore, North Carolina

"I'm a first-generation college student and my parents are immigrants. They both never received a college education. So, for me, it's really important to make sure that we have equitable opportunities for all students of color and all. Anyone who is interested in achieving a higher education should have the opportunity to do so."

Massachusetts Institute of Technology senior and student body president David Spicer, 21, says administrators' consideration of race has helped ensure a sufficiently diverse campus.
ABC News

David Spicer, M.I.T. senior, Louisiana

"Prior to Brown v. Board of Education, race was used as a negative thing, as a tool or metric to block people from education, to prevent opportunities for people traditionally excluded from them. I think affirmative action is the opposite: providing benefits, whether it's access or whether it's benefiting from a diverse community."

Harvard University sophomore Chelsea Wang is a member of the school's Asian American Student Association and supports affirmative action.
ABC News

Chelsea Wang, Harvard College sophomore, New York

"Theoretically if we all stopped using race – theoretically if we were completely race blind – that line of logic could work. However that just isn't the reality."

Fordham University freshman German Ortega, 18, says he received a full-ride tuition scholarship dedicated to supporting Hispanic students.
ABC News

German Ortega, Fordham University freshman, New York

"If you don't include race, it's a more holistic review. You kind of get to see the student academically, what they really are. You read a personal statement, you see their SAT scores. I think that in itself should say more about the student than the race. We will make it in because there's talent in us."

Baruch College graduate Yariel Ortega, 23, is the first in his family of five to graduate from college. He opposes the use of race in college admissions.
ABC News

Yariel Ortega, Baruch College graduate, New York

"Once we remove that [race] factor from the equation, I think it'll be more of an even playing field."

UNC Chapel Hill freshman Christina Huang is one of the co-leads of UNC for Affirmative Action. She has been handing out fliers and doing a social media photo campaign to inform students of the Supreme Court case.
ABC News

Christina Huang, UNC Chapel Hill freshman, New Jersey

"I haven't been on this campus for that long, but I really appreciate coming on to a campus where there's a wide range of different cultures and racial groups. UNC is the oldest public institution in the country, and we need to make sure our student body represents the real world and that we are properly training students to adapt and learn how to work with people that are different from them."

Massachusetts Institute of Technology senior and student body president David Spicer, 21, says administrators' consideration of race has helped ensure a sufficiently diverse campus.
ABC News

David Spicer, M.I.T. senior, Louisiana

"How do you know affirmative action is benefitting you? I think we see it in the classroom – the combination of classes and community. I don't think there's enough knowledge about what exactly it means to benefit from a diverse campus. I think it's something that the general public doesn't have awareness of but should."