Intelligent.com Survey Finds 3 in 4 Students of Color Are Likely To Discuss Race in College Admissions Essays

With the Supreme Court's landmark decision to end affirmative action, college applicants of color plan to write about race in their essay

SEATTLE, Nov. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for online degree rankings and higher education planning, has published a recent survey report that examines how students of color plan to address race in their college applications. The report also shares insight into these students' attitudes toward the end of affirmative action. Intelligent.com researchers surveyed 103 high school seniors of color who plan to go to college in the 2024-25 academic year.

According to the survey, 77 percent of respondents say they are 'very' or 'somewhat likely' to write about race in their college admissions essay. When broken down by race, 94 percent of Asian students are 'likely' to include the discussion of race in their essays, compared to 77 percent of Hispanic/Latino students and 72 percent of Black students.

Among students of color who say they are likely to write about their race, 90 percent say they plan to because race and/or ethnicity is 'an important part of [their] identity,' and 53 percent say they plan to because 'it will give [them] an advantage' in the admissions process. While Hispanic/Latino and Black students are more likely to cite the former as the reason they will write about their race, Asian students are more likely to cite the latter.

"I would encourage applicants to remain authentic to their personal identities. If they want to discuss their race as a defining factor in their life, they should confidently do so," says Beata Williams, admissions consultant at Intelligent.com. "One option for students to explore is the challenges that they have faced due to their racial background with a greater focus on the discussion of how they continue to persevere and overcome these challenges. An alternative approach is to share their uniqueness stemming from their racial identity."

Survey data also shows that before completing the survey, 44 percent of respondents were not aware of the Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action. Fifty percent of Black students were unaware, compared to 48 percent of Hispanic/Latino students and 20 percent of Asian students. Among students who were aware of the ruling, 12 percent say they 'strongly agree' and 64 percent say they 'somewhat agree' with the ruling.

This survey was commissioned by Intelligent.com and conducted online by the survey platform Pollfish. It was launched on September 23, 2023, and 103 respondents completed the full survey. To qualify for the survey, all participants had to be current high school seniors planning to attend college for the 2024-25 school year.

To view the complete report, please visit: https://www.intelligent.com/3-in-4-students-of-color-likely-to-discuss-race-in-college-admissions-essays/

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SOURCE Intelligent