Columbia Law Schools Backtracks On Strange Video Auditions
Columbia Law School reportedly reversed its decision on a recently introduced policy that required applicants to submit video statements as part of their admissions process. The law school had added a new video requirement, asking applicants to record a 90-second video statement to provide the admissions committee with greater insight into their personal strengths and achievements. This change was noticed on an archived webpage dated July 31.
Critics raised concerns that the school was trying to find a way around the recent Supreme Court decision that struck down race-based college admissions practices. However, after being questioned about the policy by the conservative news site The Free Beacon, Columbia Law School removed the language from its website and claimed that the video requirement was mistakenly added.
According to the Free Beacon, the school shared screenshots of the video statement requirements on their website before they were taken down. The school clarified that video statements would not be required for the Fall 2024 J.D. application when it becomes available in September.
Archived webpages also revealed that the school previously required transfer students to submit video statements in their applications last spring, before the Supreme Court’s ruling in June. However, the language was expanded to include “all” students shortly after the Supreme Court decision.
Some Columbia Law students were skeptical of the timing and suspected that the school was attempting to hide its intentions. Meanwhile, Richard Hanania, a former research fellow at Columbia University’s Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies, suggested that the school was navigating a fine line between compliance and potential law-breaking.
While the school backtracked on the video statement requirement, other colleges, like Sarah Lawrence College in New York, are reportedly exploring alternative ways to inquire about race following the Supreme Court ruling. Sarah Lawrence College is asking applicants how they will personally be affected by the SCOTUS decision instead of directly asking about their race.
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