Affirmative action alternative: computer program could enhance diversity in college admissions.

When the Supreme Court ruled last summer that race and ethnicity can be considered in the admissions process, Juan Gilbert, assistant professor of computer science and software engineering at Auburn University (AL), saw hope for diversity on campuses.

"I'm glad they ruled that diversity is a worthwhile cause," he says. "But they didn't tell us how to get it." Gilbert then took matters into his own hands and created a computer program designed to enhance the diversity of enrolled college students. Using algorithms to compare aspects of an application, the program, known as Applications Quest, is designed to group students with similar attributes into dusters. By accepting students from each cluster, a school can obtain a diverse student population, Gilbert says. Of course, diversity isn't race alone. The program considers other attributes such as GPA and hometown when clustering similarities. "It is a tool that admissions officers can use to get a different perspective of their application pool; it doesn't tell you who should get in."

Gilbert has started a pilot program for institutions interested in trying out the software.