Regarding affirmative action, the Supreme Court has sent mixed signals about its view on using race as a factor in university admissions.

On Monday, in one of the most contentious arguments to come before the court this year, the conservative majority of the Supreme Court sent a strong signal of skepticism regarding the practice of race-conscious admissions at American universities.

The admissions departments at both Harvard and the University of North Carolina have regulations that allow them to consider applicants' races when making their decisions. Depending on ....