In June last year, the Supreme Court abolished decades-old affirmative action measures in college admissions, leading to a notable increase in the acceptance rate of Asian students at Columbia University, which rose by 7% compared to the previous year. Due to relentless efforts by Asian advocates, this decision allowed the Class of 2028 to be the first group of students admitted without consideration of race in the application process. Recent data indicates a significant rise in the proportion of Asian students among new admissions at various prestigious institutions in New York, while the acceptance rates for Black and Hispanic students have decreased.

According to the latest admissions statistics from New York University (NYU), the percentage of Asian students among the more than 5,700 new students increased from 22% last year to 27% this year. Meanwhile, the acceptance rate for students classified as “underrepresented minorities,” which includes Black and Hispanic students, dropped from 23% to 14%. Additionally, there has been an uptick in the percentage of admitted students eligible for federal Pell Grants; this may be influenced by NYU’s “NYU Promise,” which waives tuition for families earning under $100,000.

NYU officials stated that this outcome “was not unexpected” following the shift in admissions policy, and they committed to continuing efforts to “expand educational opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds.”

Columbia University showed similar trends in its admissions data. This year, the percentage of admitted Asian students rose from 30% to 39%, while the number of accepted Black students fell sharply from 20% to 12%. The percentage of white students remained stable at around 50%. The university indicated that it would “attempt to discover and broadly recruit talent within the bounds of the law.”

Cheng Huihua, the president of the Committee of Asian and Chinese Americans in New York (CACAGNY), commented on the increase in admissions for Asian students, calling it “a significant step forward.” She noted that this reflects a long-standing pattern of discrimination against Asians and demonstrates the drawbacks of colleges sacrificing merit-based admissions in favor of racial considerations. However, Cheng emphasized that many schools still attempt to implement subtle racial considerations based on factors like income and family criminal history, indicating that Asian parents must continue their advocacy.

A parent of a senior at Stuyvesant High School, where over 70% of the student body is Asian, shared her views on the latest admission results, stating that they have indeed improved for Asian students. However, she remarked, “It seems that lower-income families are benefiting more.” While she sees the increase in Asian student admissions as a positive development, she personally feels the impact is not particularly significant.