The U.S. Supreme Court, which began its 2012-13 term this month, is considering a case that will affect college-bound students in future years. The nine justices last week heard arguments about diversity in higher education and whether admissions officers can consider race when deciding who to accept.

The dispute involves Abigail Fisher, a white student rejected in 2008 by the University of Texas -- the campus she had her heart set on. It's where her father and sister went to college. Fisher, now a 22-year-old financial analyst with a Louisiana State University degree, says an affirmative action policy favored minority applicants. She and supporters feel the public university violated her constitutional right to equal treatment in order to boost black and Hispanic enrollment.

University of Texas junior Jennifer Tran was among about 100 students rallying outside the court steps during the hour of arguments by each side in Washington, D.C. "As much as we want to pretend like we live in a colorblind society, that just isn't the case," she said, defending affirmative action policies. "You have to be able to deal with lots of different people with different mindsets. That's not something that can be taught." In a 2003 case involving the University of Michigan, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that race could be considered in admission decisions as one factor among many. Now it has a chance to clarify or change that ruling.

Rejected student says: "I'm hoping that [the justices] will completely take race out of the issue in terms of admissions and that everyone will be able to get into any school that they want no matter what race they are, but solely based on their merit and if they work hard for it." -- Abigail Fisher in New York Times interview, Oct. 9

Diversity advocate says: "It's expected to be a close decision. If the court sides with Fisher, our nation's colleges could soon become much less diverse -- with major repercussions in every sector of our society." -- Wendy Kopp, chief executive and founder of Teach for America training program

Editorial says: "Schools wouldn’t need to fight over issues like race if they would . . . adopt new ways to expand the pie of learning. . . . Racial inequality will be better reduced by an expansive view of education itself than by many more years of racial preferences." -- Christian Science Monitor