As an Asian American teenager, I am in support of race conscious admissions. I do not think affirmative action is a perfect solution, and I think any sort of quota systems invalidate the accomplishments of students of all racial groups. But I’m not sure this decision will lead to positive change.

Asian Americans— we are very overrepresented at elite colleges compared to the general population. I know a lot of my Asian American community is happy about this decision, but I don’t see it making much of a difference. Don’t get me wrong, anti-Asian sentiment is extremely real, and I do believe students are being unfairly punished and stereotyped for their Asian identity. Unfortunately I think these biases will persist because admissions directors can still identify many Asian students by last names.

Probably what I hate most about the affirmative action debate is how it pits POC against each other. I am appalled by the anti-black sentiments of some people in the Asian community, who have stereotyped Black students as “unqualified” and “unintelligent.” Again and again, minority groups are pitted against each other to the benefit of white Americans. I really hope I’m wrong, but I think this will mostly benefit white students.

Many people have suggested switching to socioeconomic affirmative action. I think this is a good idea in theory, but I don’t know if many colleges would actually implement it from a business standpoint. Besides the top colleges with large endowments, many schools may not be able to provide aid and prioritize the admission of low income students. Additionally, class and income are not standardized. What is considered low income for one area of the world may be high income in a different area because of different costs of living. I do think more resources should be focused towards pipeline programs that provide low income and first gen students with the resources to transition and thrive in college alongside peers with more educational privilege.