Today’s United States Supreme Court decision barring the consideration of race for college admissions will not disrupt admissions operations at George Mason University, because Mason does not factor race into its admissions decisions.
George Mason’s admissions processes are race-neutral and have been test-optional for undergraduate admissions since 2007, more than a decade ahead of the national trend. As Virginia’s most diverse public university, Mason has long embraced an inclusive admissions policy that offers everyone who is academically prepared for the rigors of study at this top-ranked research university the opportunity to pursue the life of their choice.
When students apply to Mason, they are evaluated on their high school academic performance, extracurricular and community activities, and personal essays. Students who demonstrate they are prepared to succeed academically are admitted. As a result, we are proud to report an admission rate of more than 90 percent for undergraduates.
When we must decline admissions to applicants, we do our best to point them to alternate pathways to a college degree, which we hope will eventually lead them back to Mason for a bachelor’s degree and beyond.
While here, Mason students learn in an environment ranked by The Wall Street Journal as a top-50 public university experience. And when they graduate, they do so at rates above the national average, and without the performance disparities among demographic groups that most universities must contend with. Ultimately, Mason graduates are in high demand by regional employers, enjoying career successes that are comparable with even the most elite universities in the nation.
In August, Mason will once again welcome the largest and most diverse student body in the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia. This diversity of origin, identity, circumstance, and thought is what drives our quality and defines our character. When walking across one of our campuses, the rich diversity everyone sees is not artificially curated by an admissions process primarily defined by keeping students out. It is attributable to our historic recognition that limitations of commonly accepted measures, like problematic standardized test scores or legacy affiliation, compel us to take a broader view of student potential. We have long sought to expand our reach to all communities, not lock down our opportunities for just a few.
To the countless students and parents who may now wonder if there is a place in college for them: be assured that there is. Everyone belongs at a university like George Mason, which commits itself fully to inclusive admissions, enrollment, university life, graduation, and career success.
George Mason University is proudly Virginia’s largest, most diverse, and top-ranked university for innovation. Today’s ruling will not change that.