On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in two cases—regarding Harvard and the University of North Carolina’s admissions practices—that using race as a factor for college admission violates the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause. This 6-3 ruling, falling along ideological lines, ends race-based affirmative action in higher education and is expected to affect college admissions policies nationwide.
To illustrate the ever-changing pathways to higher education, Stacker reviewed historical milestones and education statistics of the last 80 years.
For a long time, attending college was only possible for a statistically few young Americans. College applicants in the 1800s typically needed to be well-versed in such subjects as Latin, Greek, history, and mathematics—not to mention having the means to pay tuition. Colleges were segregated by race and gender, and students often attended a school associated with their religious affiliation.
By the early 1900s, some schools had adopted entrance examinations that required essays and standardized tests, and some students submitted letters of recommendation and sat for interviews. 1944 was also of key importance, having introduced the G.I. Bill, opening education to the veterans returning from World War II.
To keep pace with the competitiveness of college admissions today, the College Board recommends students submit between five and eight college applications to make sure they are accepted to at least one school. Keep reading to see how the college admissions process has changed over the years.
