In the Bakke decision, which statement best describes the court's ruling on admissions based on race?

• A. The university must admit all applicants regardless of qualifications.
• B. The university could not admit less qualified individuals solely because of their race.
• C. The university must give preference to minority applicants.
• D. The admissions policy was upheld.

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is how race can be used in college admissions without violating equal protection. In Bakke, the court struck down the use of fixed racial quotas—the idea that a certain number of spots must go to minority applicants. But it did permit race to be considered as one factor among many in a holistic review to promote diversity, as long as it doesn’t automatically admit less qualified candidates solely because of their race. So the best description is that the university could not admit less qualified individuals solely because of their race. This reflects rejecting a hard quota or automatic preference, while allowing race to be one element among several factors in evaluating applicants.