Can you explain, for people who aren't familiar with the current state of these laws?

I am pointing out that the WP explicitly says here that Harvard and others were using race-based admissions as opposed to a more center-left friendly phrasing that schools couldn't use race as a factor for admissions or that the Supreme court struck down affirmative action.

This is all very coded normally.

Oh, I didn't read the cynicism in your comment. I didn't really think the quote sounded like an uncharacteristically frank choice of words (or at least, not so much as to warrant mocking their usual choice of words).

Not cynicism, just 40 years of reading the news.

Same thing?

Prior to the decision, anerican colleges were allowed to admit who ever they want so they could have a diverse student body regardless of academic standing.

It's why there was a common joke about being, " native American" as your golden ticket to the ivy leagues.

With the strike down, it refocuses admissions solely on academic performance which was what they used to be based on before the 1960s.

I think you mean wealth, not academic performance