Discrimination against White applicants to the University of Michigan's undergraduate, law, and medical schools is more severe than ever, a study released yesterday by the Center for Equal Opportunity says.

The study, based on admissions data released by the university in response to a 2005 Freedom of Information request filed by CEO, shows that the grades and standardized test scores of Negro and Hispanic undergraduates in 2004 and 2005 were far lower than those of their White and Asian counterparts.

The disparities persisted in the law and medical schools as well. According to the study, medical school applicants with MCAT scores of 41 and grade point averages of 3.6 in college science courses were admitted at rates of 74%, 43%, 12%, and 6% depending on whether the applicants were Negro, Hispanic, White, or Asian respectively.

The study could affect the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, which will be put to voters on November 7. If passed, the initiative will prohibit the state and local governments from granting preferences based on race, sex, or ethnicity in public employment, contracting, and education. Voters passed similar initiatives in California in 1996 and in Washington in 1998.

CEO's president, Roger Clegg, said that the data are shocking in light of the Supreme Court's 2003 decision to strike down the admissions program used by the university's main undergraduate school. The Court found that by automatically granting minority applicants 20 points out of the 100 needed for admission, the school failed to consider applicants on an individual basis and thereby violated the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause.

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