The decision was 6-3. The breakdown was as you would guess.

The court wrote:

...the Harvard and UNC admissions programs cannot be reconciled with the guarantees of the Equal Protection Clause. Both programs lack sufficiently focused and measurable objectives warranting the use of race, unavoidably employ race in a negative manner, involve racial stereotyping, and lack meaningful end points. We have never permitted admissions programs to work in that way, and we will not do so today.

At the same time, as all parties agree, nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant's discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise. But, despite the dissent's assertion to the contrary, universities may not simply establish through application essays or other means the regime we hold unlawful today...

A benefit to a student who overcame racial discrimination, for example, must be tied to that student's courage and determination. Or a benefit to a student whose heritage or culture motivated him or her to assume a leadership role or attain a particular goal must be tied to that student's unique ability to contribute to the university. In other words, the student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual--not on the basis of race.

Does this mean that affirmative action is done? Oh no. No no no no no. Schools have been abandoning objective tests of academic potential as well as emphasis of a student's grades precisely because they anticipated that this was coming. They are getting rid of all merit-based measures of a student -- so that they can continue affirmative action admissions without leaving a paper trail behind.

Admissions will be based 100% on student essays, or, let's be honest and call them Student Declarations of Grievance and Disadvantage, because that's all they'll be going forward.

And schools like Harvard will continue to rate Asian students as "lacking personality and interest," because they need to find some excuse for denying the admission of academic standouts.

This will be the next series of court battles -- suing schools for Not-So-Stealth continuation of affirmative action policies, and trying to subpoena applications materials and evaluations of students.

Do not be surprised when colleges and universities -- which we're all paying for through massive taxation -- adopt the FBI's policy of simply never recording critical conversations.

You can't disclose what you never bothered to write down in the first place!