US Bill Would Require Colleges Disclose Use of ‘Racist’ Personality Tests in Admissions

People walk on the campus of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on June 29, 2023. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that race-based admission policies used by Harvard and the University of North Carolina violate the Constitution. (Eros Hoagland/Getty Images)

U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) has introduced legislation to require colleges and universities to disclose whether they use personality trait tests in admission decisions after the U.S. Supreme Court said colleges cannot use race as a factor in admissions.

Ms. Steel, who introduced the Helping Applicants Receive Valid and Reasonable Decisions (HARVARD) Act on June 30, said some colleges and universities still utilize personality tests as a means of racial discrimination.

“While the Supreme Court put an end to universities’ discriminatory quota system this week, many schools may still use arbitrary personality assessments that have been used to disadvantage Asian American students in the admissions process,” she said in a June 30 statement.

The legislator said she introduced the bill to ensure racial prejudice does not play a factor in the admissions process.

“I am introducing the HARVARD Act to shine a light on this process and ensure that all students and their families are fully aware of which schools are using these tests, the metrics used, and the rationale for these personality traits,” Ms. Steel said. “Students deserve the right to pursue their full potential without fear of prejudice based on the color of their skin.”

Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) participates in a press conference in Santa Ana, Calif., on Nov. 5, 2020. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

Still citing the recent Supreme Court ruling, Ms. Steel’s statement said records showed that Asian-American applicants were routinely rated lower by Harvard University than others “on traits like ‘positive personality,’ likability, courage, kindness, and being ‘widely respected.’”

Though Asian-American applicants often had higher test scores and grades, their personality ratings often brought down overall admissions scores and lowered their chances of admission, according to Ms. Steel.

If passed, the HARVARD Act would require colleges that receive federal funds to advertise their use of personality tests on application and admission materials.

The bill would also require schools to issue a statement informing applicants of the use of personality traits in making admissions decisions, their rationale for use of such tests, a description of the process under which personality traits are considered, and standards and criteria used for rating personality traits, according to Ms. Steel’s office.

Harvard Yard, old heart of Harvard University campus, in Cambridge, Mass., in 2013. (Jannis Tobias Werner/Shutterstock)

Ms. Steel introduced the same bill in April 2022, which died in committee, after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the two cases—one against Harvard University and the other against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill—which led to the landmark ruling June 29 that using race as a factor in college admissions was a violation of the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.

She also issued a statement that same day praising the decision.

“I immigrated to this country from Korea when I was 19 years old to pursue an education,” she said. “I am living my American Dream because, in this country, your actions determine your success—not your race and ethnicity. For 40 years, American colleges and universities have stacked the deck against Asian Americans in the name of diversity ... today’s victory marks a new chapter in the fight for equality in education.”