Complaints of ethnic discrimination against the admissions offices of Harvard and Princeton have been withdrawn, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights said Friday. The investigation was the catalyst for a post on The Choice last week about the perception of admissions bias against Asian-American college applicants.
The Education Department said that the original complaints were received last August, and that both had recently been withdrawn. The Office for Civil Rights closed its case against Harvard on Feb. 15, and removed the complaint accusations from an existing compliance review at Princeton.
In each instance, an Asian-American applicant had complained of being rejected because of “national origin/race.”
Jeff Neal, a senior communications officer for Harvard, wrote in an e-mail on Friday that the university was pleased with the outcome. “Harvard College welcomes talented students from all backgrounds, including Asian-Americans,” he said. “Our review of every applicant’s file is highly individualized and holistic, as we give serious consideration to all of the information we receive and all of the ways in which the candidate might contribute to our vibrant educational environment and community.”
Asked to comment, a Princeton spokesman only acknowledged the department’s decision.
