- Two-thirds (66%) of students say personal behavior should be an important part of the admissions decision.
- Black students are significantly more likely than other students to say racist comments warrant rescinding admission (83% of black students vs. 66% of white students).
- Nine in 10 (89%) students overall say prospective students should have the chance to prove they have changed before their admission is revoked, while 83% of black students agree.
A survivor of the Parkland school shooting had his admission to Harvard rescinded after racist comments he made at the age of 16 were made public. The prospective student publicly apologized for the comments, as well as emailed the university’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion to say that he has changed as a person. While a majority of college students agree that universities should revoke admissions decisions over racist comments, most say that a student should be able to show that they have evolved before their acceptance is rescinded.
A new survey of 3,610 undergraduates found that 7 in 10 (71%) believe racist comments are worthy of rescinding a prospective student’s admission. Six in 10 (62%) students say sexist comments warrant rescinding admission, 59% say the same for homophobic comments, and 54% for transphobic comments.
But while most students agree that racist comments warrant revoking a prospective student’s admission, black students are significantly more likely than their peers to say so. More than 8 in 10 (83%) black students say it’s worthy of rescinding admission, compared to 66% of white students, 72% of Asian students, and 75% of Hispanic students.
Black Students are More Likely to Say Racist Comments Warrant Rescinding Admission
Percent of students who say racist comments are worthy of rescinding admission.
Two-thirds (66%) of students say personal behavior should be an important part of the admissions decision, but black students are more likely than other students to agree. While 73% of black students say personal behavior should be an important part of the decision, 63% of white students, 71% of Asian students, and 67% of Hispanic students say the same.
The age of the student who had his Harvard admission rescinded came into question, and most current college students (71%) agree that by the age of 16 prospective students should be held fully accountable for their actions.
However, students overwhelmingly say prospective students who have made highly offensive statements in the past should be allowed to show that they’ve changed before a university rescinds their admission. Nine in 10 (89%) students overall say their prospective classmates should have the chance to prove they have changed, while 83% of black students say the same.
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted among a sample of 3,610 full-time and part-time students attending four-year colleges or universities in the U.S. who are part of College Pulse’s American College Student Panel.
