College Essays Can and Should Help Schools See the Whole Student

In its July 29, 2025 memo, rife with misrepresentations, the U.S. Department of Justice aims to chill colleges and universities from pursuing lawful activities that aim to advance racial equity, dismantle barriers to educational opportunity, and strengthen our campuses and our country as a whole. The memo implies that a college admissions essay prompt about an applicant’s lived experience, or their experience overcoming obstacles, may be unlawful because it “advantages those who discuss experiences intrinsically tied to protected characteristics” like race or gender. This implication is harmful, offensive, and inaccurate under Supreme Court precedent.