Julie J. Park

Associate Professor of Education, University of Maryland-College Park

Chapter Member: Maryland-Washington, D.C. SSN

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About Julie

Park's research focuses on race, diversity, and affirmative action in higher education. Overarching themes in Park's work include the role of race in admissions and campus climate, including the diverse experiences of Asian American students. Park served as a consulting expert on the side of Harvard on th matter of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | In the News | Publications

Contributions

What the Harvard Lawsuit Reveals about Asian Americans and the Criteria Used in University Admissions

Key Findings Brief, February 2019

In the News

Opinion: "A Year After the Supreme Court’s Historic Affirmative Action Ruling, MIT's Drop in Student Diversity Provides a Cautionary Tale," Julie J. Park, The Hechinger Report, September 24, 2024.

Opinion: "Do Colleges Have to Go back to the SAT?," Julie J. Park (with Kelly Rosinger and Dominique J. Baker), Inside Higher Ed, August 26, 2024.

Publications

"Test-Optional Admissions, Selectivity, and Enrollment Outcomes During the Pandemic," (with Kelly Rosinger, Dominique J. Baker, Joseph Sturm, Wan Yu, OiYan Poon, Brian H. Kim, and Stephanie Breen), College Admissions Futures Co-Laborative, 2024.

Examines adoption of test-optional policies during the pandemic among selective and highly selective institutions. Results suggest test-optional implementation related to increases in Black student enrollment, mostly at moderately selective colleges and when policies extended to all applicants and scholarships. At highly selective colleges, results suggest test-optional implementation related to an increase in applications but not consistent gains in enrollment.

"Test-Free Admissions at Selective Colleges: Insights From Admissions Professionals," (with Pearl Lo, Julie J. Park, Nancy Wong, Jia Zheng, OiYan Poon, and Kelly Rosinger), College Admissions Futures Co-Laborative, 2023.

Examines the implementation and ramifications of test-free admissions by studying admissions professionals working at schools that adopted test-free admissions during the pandemic. Findings show that participants generally viewed the shift to test-free admissions favorably, and the vast majority felt that test-free admissions made it easier to identify talented applicants from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Benefits included helping readers not over-rely on test scores as a shortcut when reviewing applications, and others.

"Inequality Beyond Standardized Tests: Trends in Extracurricular Activity Reporting in College Applications Across Race and Class," (with Brian Heseung Kim, Nancy Wong, Jia Zheng, Stephanie Breen, Pearl Lo, Dominique Baker, Kelly Rosinge, Mike Hoa Nguyen, and OiYan Poon), College Admissions Futures CoLaborative, 2023.

Analyzes extracurricular activity descriptions in applications submitted through the Common Application platform. Findings show that White, Asian American, high-SES, and private school students reported substantially more activities, more activities with top-level leadership roles, and more activities with distinctive accomplishments (e.g., honors, awards). Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income students reported a similar proportion of activities with top-level leadership positions as other groups, although the absolute number was lower.

"Race on Campus: Debunking Myths with Data" (Harvard Education Press, 2018).

Challenges persistent myths about how race works in college admissions and campus life. Includes issues such as affirmative action, the mismatch hypothesis, and "self-segregation."

"It Takes a Village (or an Ethnic Economy): The Varying Roles of Socioeconomic Status, Religion, and Social Capital in SAT Preparation for Chinese and Korean American Students" American Educational Research Journal 49, no. 4 (2012): 624-650.

Documents the high rate of participation in SAT prep courses by Asian Americans.

"Asian Americans and the Benefits of Campus Diversity: What the Research Says," National Commission for Research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Education, August 1, 2012.

Addresses how Asian American students benefit from racial diversity in college.

"Does Socioeconomic Diversity Make a Difference? Examining the Effects of Racial and Socioeconomic Diversity on the Campus Climate for Diversity" (with Nida Denson and Nicholas A. Bowman). American Educational Research Journal 50, no. 3 (2013): 466-496.

Examines the effect of socioeconomic diversity in higher education. Concludes that socioeconomic diversity, while beneficial, cannot replace racial diversity in campus environments.