What’s at stake?

Harvard College uses a whole person review, which treats each applicant as an individual. The admissions committee considers each applicant’s unique background and experiences, alongside grades and test scores, to find applicants of exceptional ability and character, who can help create a campus community that is diverse on multiple dimensions (including on academic and extracurricular interests, race, socioeconomic background, and life experiences), and who can take advantage of all that Harvard offers and contribute to the learning and social environment for their classmates. Factors such as life experiences, overcoming adversity, or specific talents are particularly important in deciding who will be offered admission.

Professor David Card, a nationally recognized expert and Nobel Memorial Prize-winning economics professor at the University of California at Berkeley, comprehensively analyzed Harvard College’s admissions data and concluded there was no statistical evidence of discrimination against Asian American applicants.

Two federal courts have ruled in Harvard’s favor. In her October 1, 2019 ruling, after a three-week trial with more than 20 witnesses, U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs offered an unequivocal affirmation of the principles of diversity and inclusion central to Harvard’s mission, and to the missions of colleges and universities throughout the country. On November 12, 2020, the First Circuit upheld the District Court’s ruling in Harvard’s favor.

Twenty-five student and alumni organizations filed an amicus brief in support of Harvard, and several current and former students, represented by the Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, testified during the trial about the importance of a diverse student body. SFFA did not produce a single student at trial to testify on its behalf.