2007 University of Michigan Poverty Research Grants
Funded research
Rodney Andrews, Department of Economics, University of Michigan
Applications and Admissions at an Elite Public College before and after Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger
Abstract
The decision handed down by the United States Supreme Court in Gratz v. Bollinger struck down the admissions system used by the University of Michigan which mechanically assigned points towards admissions for minority applicants. The Supreme Court’s ruling in Grutter v. Bollinger allows the use of race as one factor among many in the admissions decision provided that there is both a compelling state interest and the admissions system meets the requirement of “strict scrutiny”. As such, the University of Michigan was forced to change its application review process to meet the standards imposed by the Supreme Court.
This project will determine the impact of changes in admission policy on both the pool of applicants and the probability of admission
for applicants relative to the proscribed “point system”. This project is intended to inform postsecondary
institutions that choose to use race as a means of diversifying their student bodies of the
costs and consequences of doing so in a manner that is amenable to the Supreme Court Decissions.
