ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) --The University of Michigan unveiled a new undergraduate admissions policy Thursday that gives the highest priority to academic achievement, but also retains race as a factor, in an effort to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

"We continue to believe in gathering a group of students that are very bright but different from one another," Michigan Provost Paul Courant said. "Students from all walks of life and backgrounds."

In a 6-3 ruling in June, the Supreme Court struck down the university's race-conscious point system for undergraduate admissions, which gave a 20-point boost to minority applicants, greater weight than it gave some measures of academic excellence.

The same day it issued that ruling, the high court also issued a 5-4 ruling on the University of Michigan's law school admissions policy saying race can be one factor that colleges use to pick their students, as long as it is not the only factor.

While race remains a factor, the new admissions policy doesn't quantify its contribution and no points will be used. Academic achievement -- including grades, test scores and high school curriculum -- are given the highest priority.

The new undergraduate policy was modeled on the university's law school policy, which sought a "critical mass" of minorities, and those at some other universities. An optional question about race and ethnicity is on the new application.

"We will be seeking in the undergraduate class, like we do in the law school, critical mass," Courant said.

New application
With different questions, new short-answer questions and an optional essay, the university says the application allows students to tell more about themselves, their priorities, intellectual interests and expected contributions to campus.

A reader, typically a part-time former educator, will review the application and make an initial recommendation about whether to admit, defer or reject the applicant. Separately, a professional admissions counselor will review the application.

The two recommendations will be given to a manager in the admissions office, who will make a final decision. A review committee will be available if there is a disagreement between the recommendations.

The new admissions process had been developed during the past several weeks in order to comply with the Supreme Court's ruling.

Critics of affirmative action policies have voiced concern that the university's new policy may make cosmetic changes, but not substantive ones.

The Center for Individual Rights, which handled the lawsuits brought against the university by white applicants rejected from the undergraduate and law schools, said it would watch closely to see how the university implements the new policy.

"If race continues to trump most other admissions factors, the new system will be just as illegal as the system the court struck down," said Terry Pell, president of the nonprofit center.

Tania Brown, vice president of student government for the school's College of Literature, Science and the Arts and an affirmative action supporter, said the full effect of the policy won't be known until the class of 2004 is admitted.

"We're generally pleased with what the university is putting forward," Brown said. "I definitely think that it's possible through this plan to maintain a diverse educational community."