As colleges prepare to welcome the class of 2029, students remain uncertain about the new admissions landscape following the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to eliminate affirmative action in higher education. After a year of adaptation and growing uncertainty, elite institutions like Harvard and Amherst College are withholding demographic data until the fall, leaving the public to wonder whether the ruling will deepen the declines in racial diversity some schools experienced last year.
On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard to strike down race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions, declaring such preferences “unconstitutional.” The group specifically argued that Harvard’s use of race in admissions discriminated against Asian American applicants. The ruling left U.S. colleges and universities grappling with how to maintain a diverse student body for the class of 2028 and beyond. Nearly two years later, the opinion’s effects are unevenly unfolding, with some colleges reporting notable declines in their Black and Hispanic student populations, and others observing minor, if any, demographic shifts.
In the aftermath of the decision, many American higher education institutions adjusted their admissions processes for the 2023-2024 application cycle—some, for instance, revised their application prompts to focus on students’ lived experiences, offering an opportunity for applicants to discuss how their background shaped their lives.
This shift was especially evident in Harvard College’s admission essays. The school previously offered three optional writing components: a 150-word response about extracurricular activities, a 150-word prompt on additional intellectual experiences, and a free-response supplement that allowed applicants to write on a topic of their choice. Following the ruling, Harvard replaced the optional supplement with five required short-answer questions, each capped at 200 words. One of the new prompts asked: “Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?”
Regardless of this shift in admission questions, the College’s racial demographics still changed after the ruling. For the Class of 2028, the percentage of newly enrolled African American students fell from 15.3% to 14%, while Hispanic or Latino enrollment fell from 16% to 11.3%. In contrast, the proportion of Asian American students rose up to 37% from 29.9%. While still of note, these changes were minor in comparison to similar institutions—MIT, for instance, saw the percentage of Black students enrolled drop from 15% to 5%.
The demographics of the Class of 2029 are still unknown. While Harvard has previously released admissions data on incoming grades in the spring, the University announced it will now publish full admissions statistics each fall after all students have enrolled.
“Due to the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision, we are unable to access all information about Harvard’s applicants, admitted students, and enrolling students, while the application review process is still underway,” Harvard stated on its admission website.
Harvard is not alone in adjusting to the Supreme Court’s ruling. Amherst College, also located in Massachusetts and once known for its racially diverse student body, is now grappling with a decline in the percentage of African American students admitted in the previous admissions cycle. The share of Black or African American students dropped sharply from 11% for the Class of 2027 to 3% for the Class of 2028, while Latino representation declined from 12% to 8%. Overall, the percentage of students identifying as people of color fell from 47% to 38%. The college also saw a slight decrease in first-generation college students, from 17% to 15%, even as the percentage of Pell Grant recipients increased from 18.5% to 20%.
Amherst College also plans to withhold demographic data for the Class of 2029 until the fall. This mirrors actions being taken across other Ivy League institutions.
Meanwhile, Amherst officials have acknowledged the impact of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling on the racial makeup of its incoming class. Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Matthew McGann expressed concern about the drop in Black students’ enrollment.
“The college believes deeply in diversity and that education is best in a diverse environment, including a racially and ethnically diverse environment,” he told the Amherst Student in September. “To see those feared declines realized was a sad moment, and it’s not in the best interests of what the college hopes to be.”
Amherst President Michael Eliott also described the demographic shift as “disappointing” and outlined new recruitment efforts. These include a $400,000 grant that allowed Amhest to join the STARS College Network, a group of institutions committed to outreach in rural areas. Brown University, Yale University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and other elite American colleges are part of STARS; Harvard is not.
While administrations at Harvard and Amherst have responded with structural changes and new outreach efforts, students on campus are also grappling with the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision.
“I don’t think the ruling changed how I view diversity at Harvard—I still believe everyone belongs here,” an anonymous Harvard student said in an interview with the Independent. “But it might affect how much diversity we actually see on campus.”
She also spoke about Harvard’s revised admissions prompts, which now require students to reflect more deeply about their identities and experiences.
“It definitely helped a lot as a low-income student from parents of Brazilian immigrant background,” she continued. “It helped me add a lot of context to my application, including the fact I did not have a lot of clubs I could go to or transportation growing up because of our socioeconomic status.”
For others, the Supreme Court ruling has sparked deeper reflection on what diversity actually looks like in practice—and where it’s falling short.
“The ruling has made me more critical and aware of where diversity lacks on campus,” said Iyanuoluwa Shonukan ’28. “I don’t think affirmative action is where diversity dies on campus; however, all hands on deck are necessary to ensure Harvard remains a place where diversity is viewed as important.”
He sees this moment not as an end, but as an inflection point. “With the ending of affirmative action and the unstable political climate, the Harvard community now has the opportunity to be intentional in its mission toward embracing diversity, and I hope they take it,” he said.
Diversity on campus, according to members of the student body, can no longer be passively maintained; it has to be actively protected. For many, this means organizing, advocating, and building stronger communities of support. In the immediate aftermath of the ruling, more than 100 students, alumni, and community members gathered in Harvard Yard to protest the decision, marching through campus to express their commitment to maintaining diversity in higher education. Since then, student groups have continued to empower marginalized communities by hosting cultural events and organizing initiatives aimed at fostering inclusion and diversity.
Kathryn Kyomitmaitee ’26, a student organizer and advocate for affirmative action, pointed to the persistence of student-led efforts as a source of optimism.
“I am confident that future classes will continue to reflect Harvard’s values on inclusion and representation. Especially given this current moment in time, with cuts on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging across the nation, there are still so many students on campus who care and are pushing back against this notion,” she said. “The culture of students here will continue to persist, and I hope the incoming classes will see this and reflect it.”
She offered advice on how students can actively support efforts to preserve campus diversity. “Be present. Whether it’s in large or small ways, just being present would probably be my one recommendation. Be there for your friends who may be at the most risk now. Give them space to reflect and to open up about their worries,” she said.
Nashla Turcios ’28 (nashlaturcios@college.harvard.edu) writes News for the Harvard Independent.