Gratz v. Bollinger
United States Supreme Court
539 U.S. 244 (2003)
Gratz and Hamacher (plaintiffs), rejected white applicants to the University of Michigan's undergraduate program, challenged its admissions system, which scored applicants on a 150-point scale but automatically awarded 20 bonus points to any underrepresented minority, disadvantaged-school, or recruited-athlete applicant — far more than smaller point values given for things like extraordinary artistic talent — with most applicants admitted or denied based on this point total alone rather than individualized review. The district court found the policy violated equal protection, but the court of appeals reversed.
Whether a university's admissions policy that automatically confers a racial preference on minority applicants, without additional individualized consideration, violates the Equal Protection Clause.