The Supreme Court and Admissions

Applications for admission to the university continue to use a holistic review of a variety of factors which no longer includes race/ethnicity. For undergraduate admissions, that review will continue to consider all parts of the application, including course and grade information, essays, letter(s) of recommendation, and additional application information that includes involvement and leadership. Holistic review remains a best practice and valuable method by which to select students who are poised to find success at our university and contribute to our vibrant community.

While our process and requirements will look different, as they always have, we will apply the same polices and guidance to these changes across undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools.

Access to student support services will largely remain the same. The August 2023 guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Education affirmed that student support services, including but not limited to cultural centers, campus resources, student organizations, focus groups, listening sessions, and equity and inclusion activities, may have race-related themes as long as they welcome all students. UW-Madison is taking steps to ensure that student support services meet the guidance.

Recognizing the important educational benefits of a diverse campus community, the university has been committed to diversity and increasing the number of students of color at UW–Madison. Race has been one of many factors used in our holistic admission process, wherein we review every aspect of a student’s application with academic rigor and performance being the most important. 

We will not know or be able to estimate the impacts will be on the number of BIPOC students who will apply, be admitted, and ultimately enroll at the university. At peer institutions where race was previously removed from the admission process, there were declines in the number of BIPOC students admitted and enrolled at their institutions. This remains a concern for us at UW–Madison. 

The court’s ruling applies to every institution of higher education within the United States that is public or receives federal funding, including all schools within the UW System.

The Court’s decision does not apply retroactively. We have updated our admissions evaluation processes as well as other admissions policies for the current and future admissions cycles, consistent with the Court’s decision and the August 2023 guidance from the U.S. Department of Education.

The Court’s decision and the guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Education in August 2023 did not specifically address scholarships and financial aid. As additional guidance is provided by relevant authorities, including the U.S. Department of Education, we will update our understanding of the decisions’ impact on scholarship and/or financial aid eligibility.

The Supreme Court’s decisions do not impact hiring practices. UW-Madison’s Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy is in accordance with Executive Order 11246.

In compliance with the Court’s decision and the guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education in August 2023, applications for admission to the university continue to use a holistic review of a variety of factors which no longer includes race/ethnicity. For undergraduate admissions, that review will continue to consider all parts of the application, including course and grade information, essays, letter(s) of recommendation, and additional application information that includes involvement and leadership. Holistic review remains a best practice and valuable method by which to select students who are poised to find success at our university and contribute to our vibrant community. As additional guidance is provided by relevant authorities, including the U.S. Department of Education, we will update our understanding of the decisions’ impact on scholarship and/or financial aid eligibility.

If an applicant discloses their race/ethnicity in an essay as part of their application materials, we will not consider the race/ethnicity of the individual in and of itself as part of the evaluation. Under the Court’s decision, we may take into consideration, in context of the question, what the individual has to say about their lived experience and how it may contribute to the University (resiliency, courage, leadership, determination, etc.).

There is no impact on the admission status of currently enrolled students. As we review the Court’s decisions and additional guidance from the U.S. Department of Education and the Board of Regents, we will make updates to our understanding of the decisions’ impact on funding opportunities, resources and support services for current students. UW–Madison remains committed to creating a diverse and welcoming campus for all.

We continue to assess how or if the Supreme Court’s decisions will impact student support programs. As we review the Court’s decisions and additional guidance from the U.S. Department of Education and the Board of Regents, we will make updates to our understanding of the decisions’ impact on funding opportunities, resources and support services for current students. UW–Madison remains committed to creating a diverse and welcoming campus for all.

We continue to assess how or if the Supreme Court’s decisions will impact funding opportunities like the Graduate Research Scholar fellowship. As we review the Court’s decisions and receive additional guidance from the Department of Education and the Board of Regents, we will make updates to our understanding of the decisions’ impact on funding opportunities.

We continue to assess how or if the Supreme Court’s decisions will impact resources and services for BIPOC students. As we review the Court’s decisions and additional guidance from the U.S. Department of Education and the Board of Regents, we will make updates to our understanding of the decisions’ impact on resources and services for BIPOC students. UW–Madison remains committed to creating a diverse and welcoming campus for all.

Our commitment to the value of diversity within our community, including racial diversity, remains a bedrock value of UW-Madison. Where necessary, we will adapt our practices to comply with the Supreme Court’s decisions.

Race/ethnicity is considered protected, non-directory student information per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. As such, race/ethnicity is not releasable to the public and is only shared as needed for official university education and business purposes. We will continue to adhere to our current policies to determine when race/ethnicity may be shared for official university education and business purposes.