The U.S. Department of Justice found that UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine illegally considered race in medical school admissions and said its practices denied “highly qualified White, Asian, and other students” opportunities based on their race. The finding comes as the Trump administration increases scrutiny of college admissions after the Supreme Court’s 2023 ban on race-conscious affirmative action. DOJ’s investigation described a range of alleged proxies for race, including an application document asking students to volunteer whether they were part of a marginalized group and describe its impact. DOJ also cited internal data showing admitted Black students in 2024 had lower average grade-point averages and test scores than admitted Asian and White applicants. UCLA said it reviews the DOJ findings and characterized its admissions process as “based on merit” and intended to comply with state and federal law. The case escalates the administration’s broader standoff with the UC system, which has included separate DOJ focus on other conduct concerns at UCLA.