The Impact of Race-Blind Admission Policies on Pathway Program Admissions: Saturday Academy at NYU Dentistry

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of race-blind admissions policies on the recruitment and enrollment of a single, university-based, pathway program.

Programmatic data were used to conduct a retrospective cohort study of applicants to the pathway program, Saturday Academy at New York University College of Dentistry, during the period of race-conscious admissions practices (2023) and after the implementation of race-blind admissions policies (2024). Chi-squared, Fisher's exact, and Z-tests were used to compare demographic characteristics reported by program applicants and enrollees.

No statistically significant differences were observed in the demographics of the applicant pool between 2023 and 2024, as it related to gender, ethnicity, race, use of federal/ state assistance programs, or first-generation college status. No statistically significant differences could be observed between Saturday Academy enrollees in 2023 and 2024 as it related to gender and use of federal/ state assistance programs. There was a 46.2% (p = 0.002) decrease in the proportion of Hispanic students and a 74.4% (p = 0.001) decrease in the proportion of Black students admitted to the program in 2024. Also in 2024, there was a 119.8% (p = 0.004) increase in the proportion of Asian American students admitted, and the proportion of students who self-identified as first-generation college students increased 27% (p = 0.03).

The effective federal ban on race-conscious admissions practices is likely to compromise the ability of pathway programs to significantly contribute to the development of a healthcare workforce that is representative of the demographics of the US population.