BOSTON — The phrase “affirmative action” rippled around conversations at the Harvard campus Thursday afternoon, as students took in the significant implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling against their school.
“We’re all just genuinely sad because there’s certain college experience that we’ve all benefited from — the incredible diversity of thought, of people has completely changed my life, my friendships, the way I learn,” said Muskaan Arshad, a Harvard senior and intern with the Coalition for a Diverse Harvard.
Arshad noted that the Class of 2028 is “probably gonna look very different than the college experience that we’ve had in the last two years.”
The Supreme Court ruled against Harvard and the University of North Carolina in a decision released Thursday morning, limiting the schools ability to consider race in their admissions processes.
Many Harvard students echoed a common sentiment, expressing fear that the ruling against affirmative action may rob future students of the school’s diversity.
“I think generally on campus people are very upset, from what I’ve seen,” said Emma Nagler, a junior at the school, standing in line for free ice cream on Thursday.
“I’m really interested to see how it impacts the next class of 2028, people applying next fall,” said Zoe Clark, a Harvard junior. “It’s kind of a disgrace, I think, to what Harvard has to offer.”
Clark said when she was applying to college, Harvard’s diversity really drew her to the school.
Matt, a 17-year-old high school student touring the school during the summer, said the decision makes him “really nervous.”
“I’m not sure if this will change the standard when I’m applying,” the prospective student added.
Arshad said as active advocates and people of color, she and her friends have felt the issue personally.
“A lot of us have been getting direct like hateful messages about the fact that if you’re a person of color, you didn’t deserve to go to this school,” Arshad said. “So it’s not just like an overarching, big national thing. It’s so personal and emotional.”
The coalition is planning a rally on Harvard Yard at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Arshad said going forward, they’re looking into actions the administration can take, like getting rid of legacy admission priority and increasing financial aid to promote accessibility.
This latest conservative win connects to the spate of anti-CRT, push against teaching Black history and other pushback against addressing race in the classroom, Arshad said.
“Our work is definitely not ending and will continue to advocate on all fronts,” she said. … “To pretend that it doesn’t matter when it comes to college admissions, it just makes no sense. And it’s pushing us towards a future that looks like the past.”
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