According to a report by Reuters, on Friday, Harvard University defended its admissions policies against a group accusing it of discriminating against Asian-American applicants in the closing arguments of a trial that could alter the role of race in US college admissions.
The case in federal court in Boston has reportedly pitted the University against Students for Fair Admissions, or SFFA, which has the backing of US President Donald Trump’s administration.
Reuters reports that the non-jury trial before U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs has provided a glimpse into how the private university chooses about 1,600 students each year from around 40,000 applicants.
John Hughes, a lawyer for SFFA, reportedly argued that admissions data from Harvard showed a strong pattern of bias against Asian-Americans, highlighting so-called “personal ratings,” a measure of abstract qualities such as leadership skills and friendliness.
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