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The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced a finding that the University of California San Diego School of Medicine violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard by using race in its admissions process.
According to federal investigators, the medical school manipulated applicant data and relied on racial proxies to increase the enrollment of underrepresented minorities in medicine, specifically Black and Hispanic applicants.
The department stated that the school utilized a secondary evaluation process where admissions staff evaluated applicants using subjective criteria, such as responses to application questions regarding personal hardships, to identify underrepresented minority applicants.
Investigative findings detail that applicants were sorted into six categories based on MCAT scores and GPAs, alongside hardship subgroups. These categories were combined into groups of 30 and rated to determine who would advance to the interview stage.
The Justice Department noted that admissions reviewers were given access to applicant race during certain post-2023 admissions cycles, leading to higher interview invitation rates for targeted minority groups while white and Asian applicants with higher objective credentials were denied admission.
Title VI prohibits race, color, or national origin discrimination by institutions receiving federal financial assistance. The Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling banned race-conscious admissions practices in higher education, including the use of racial proxies to achieve specific demographic outcomes.
“Rather than rely on MCAT scores or GPA, San Diego Med’s shadow application process unlawfully judged applicants for admission based on their race,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “San Diego Med’s blatant efforts to prioritize race are illegal, and we will end these practices.”
Federal officials stated they are currently engaged in settlement negotiations with the university to bring its admissions practices into compliance with federal law. The department indicated it will file a lawsuit if negotiations fail to resolve the matter. UC San Diego School of Medicine has not publicly commented on the findings.
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DOJ Finds School Of Medicine In California Used Illegal Race-Based Admissions
