(Excerpts from Insider Ed News)

• Americans do not favor the consideration of race, ethnicity or gender in college admissions decisions.
• A new Pew Research Center report found that 74 percent think race and ethnicity should not be considered in admissions decisions. For gender, 82 percent think it shouldn’t be considered.
• The findings come as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear two cases, probably in October, on the future of affirmative action in admissions.
• The deadline for Students for Fair Admissions, the group challenging the affirmative action policies of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to file its brief in the cases is today.
• Angel B. Pérez, chief executive officer of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, said he was not surprised by the findings on affirmative action, “but I am in disagreement.” 
• He said colleges need to do a better job of explaining how they use affirmative action. For example, he said that many people responding probably think that considering race or ethnicity means not considering academics. What people don’t understand is that colleges use affirmative action to admit students who can succeed.
• Edward Blum, president of Students for Fair Admissions, said the results show a simple truth: “Americans of all races and political leanings overwhelmingly do not believe race should be a factor in college admissions.”