A lot of people speak out for affirmative action, but everyone is afraid to say anything about equal opportunity. He declined further comment. President Casteen, who is known as a strong supporter of affirmative action, spent much of last week trying to lower the temperature of the debate. In explaining the board's actions, he noted that recent rulings by the U. S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which includes Virginia, have struck down long-standing racial preferences. Being a Virginian or an athlete, having a parent who is a graduate of the university, or coming from a rural area of the state can also bolster one's chances ranks of Virginia's Many black the fact that only come under scrutiny.
Race clearly does carry a lot of weight in admissions, however.
Data from the university show that, in selecting freshmen for the fall of 1998, officials accepted 56.3 per cent of black applicants and 45.8 per cent of white applicants who were Virginians. Among those from out of state, the university admitted 56.1 per cent of the bIack applicants and 20.1 per cent of the white applicants. Among those who accepted offers of admission, black students had an average SAT score of 1149, compared 1339 for white students. University officials have asserted all of those admitted are qualified to be here. They have noted that 87 per cent of the university's black students graduate within six years, a figure only slightly lower than 92 per cent graduation rate for white students.