A: The race and ethnicity questions on the first-year and transfer applications are optional for students. If a student chooses to share their race and ethnicity, we will use that information for statistical and research purposes. This and other student data will help inform our access and equity initiatives and to provide insights into the national conversation on equity in college admissions.

A: Colleges have the option to hide (or “suppress”) the self-disclosed race and ethnicity data from application PDF files for both first-year and transfer applications. 

Colleges have the ability to suppress data that students have entered into the application on their PDF. The data that can be suppressed include:  

• Any or all test information
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Race and ethnicity
• Social security number (SSN)

A. Common App’s inclusion of an optional race and ethnicity question is not illegal. Common App does not make college or university admissions decisions. Our role in the college admissions process is to serve as an application for students to apply to college. The Supreme Court’s decision applies to public or federal funds-receiving colleges and universities who make admissions decisions. Those institutions determine the information they consider when making those decisions.