It appears the Supreme Court is set to end affirmative action meant to increase diversity in higher education and make up for disadvantages said to stem from past discrimination. However, Alison Somin, an attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation, tells NTD that selecting students based on their race “creates only a mirage of opportunity,” because students who are boosted to more prestigious universities are not as prepared as their peers, and data shows worse outcomes for them in the job market.
There are claims that affirmative action can help disadvantaged students obtain networking opportunities that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to, thus leading to better job opportunities. But Somin cites data to assert that students selected based on their race do better on average with good grades at mid-level schools than without those grades at prestigious ones.
