College admissions offices around the country are gearing up for the first application season since the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling this summer that banned the use of affirmative action programs in college admissions.
In response to that ruling, the TCU Office of Admissions will “amplify recruitment and yield efforts to highlight our inclusive campus culture,” Dean of Admissions Heath Einstein said.
The lawsuit at the center of the case, Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, was filed in 2013 by a group of anonymous Asian-American students and intended to focus on discrimination against that group in particular, instead of affirmative action programs in general.
The Supreme Court’s decision comes at a time when higher education officials across the country have stressed that they are seeking a diverse student population.
TCU admissions by the numbers
Since 2019, TCU has averaged around 19,000 applications each fall for first-year admission. The percentage of those applicants admitted each fall stands at around 50 percent. The yield, which is the percentage of the original applicant pool that go on to enroll at TCU, is roughly 23 percent. Explore more TCU admission data, including student demographics, here:
Admissions office planning for the way ahead
The ruling opened another chapter in conversations about campus diversity. In an email to the university on the day of the ruling, TCU president Daniel Pullin stated that the university had been preparing for such an outcome.
“For nearly two years, many across the campus have been studying the potential impact of such a change in the law on university operations. We have already taken steps to mitigate any impact on our mission,” Pullin said.
Efforts to protect diversity in the student body include analysis of financial aid strategies, the test-optional application route and engaging in outreach with community organizations.
One student group voices diversity concerns
“We have concerns about the trickle-down effect in terms of the number of Black students who will be admitted to TCU,” the TCU Black Student Association said in a statement posted to Instagram on August 1st.
As of the fall 2022 semester, 4.9% of TCU’s total enrollment consists of Black students.
“I am optimistic that TCU is well-positioned to thwart any negative impact by collectively harnessing the power of the TCU promise,” Einstein said.
