The Impact of Race‐Blind Admission Policies on Pathway Program Admissions: <i>Saturday Academy</i> at NYU Dentistry

PURPOSE/ OBJECTIVES: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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). CONCLUSION: 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.