Selective colleges reported sharp declines in Black first-year enrollment this fall, two years after the Supreme Court ended race-conscious admissions. An Associated Press analysis of 20 highly selective institutions found steep drops at campuses including Harvard (Black freshmen share down to 11.5% from 18% in 2023), Princeton (5% from 9%), Columbia and Amherst. College leaders, student activists and diversity advocates warned that the declines risk erasing recent gains in campus representation and could reshape recruitment, financial-aid targeting and retention efforts. Institutions cited legal constraints and shifting admissions policies; students described the change as sudden and demoralizing.