UT-Austin may use race in admissions

By Reeve Hamilton of the Texas Tribune

In a 2-1 decision Tuesday, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled — for the second time — that the University of Texas at Austin can use race as an element of its admissions decisions for candidates not admitted via the state’s Top Ten Percent Law. 

The overwhelming majority of UT-Austin students are admitted through the state’s automatic admissions law, which is based entirely on class rank. But applicants who are not admitted because of their high school ranking are subjected to a holistic review, part of which allows the consideration of an applicant’s race.