Which case rejected racial quotas but allowed race to be used as one factor in admissions decisions?

• A. Grutter v. Bollinger (2003)
• B. Fisher v. University of Texas (2013)
• C. Loving v. Virginia (1967)
• D. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

Answer: (D)

The important idea is the difference between a racial quota and using race as one factor in admissions. In the Bakke decision, the Court ruled that fixing a certain number of seats for minority applicants (a quota) is unconstitutional. But it also said race could be considered as one factor among many in a holistic admissions process to promote diversity, as long as the policy isn’t a rigid quota. That combination—rejecting quotas but allowing race as a factor—defines why this case is the right one. By contrast, other cases either later affirmed the use of race as part of holistic review (without establishing quotas) or deal with different issues altogether (like Loving v. Virginia on interracial marriage).