<p>I understood the top ten percent law to be for the purpose of achieving racial diversity in response to the Hopwood decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals which prohibited the use of race in admissions and financial aid decisions by Texas public universities.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court reversed the Hopwood decision and Texas public universities are now free to consider race, socio-economic status and use holistic evaluation in creating a meaningfully diverse student body. Holistic evaluation cannot take place with the top ten percent law in place however.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the top ten percent law has been ineffective in creating racial diversity at public universities. There are relatively fewer African American and Hispanic students at selective Texas public universities than pre-Hopwood. </p>
<p>Not sure if you have seen this paper...it's pretty comprehensive and interesting.</p>