MSU and The Ohio State University are getting a clean slate along with the rest of the nation's universities by taking a new look at applications and policies post-U.S. Supreme Court decisions banning race-based point systems for admissions.

It should be a good refresher for both admissions counselors and students.

Both universities plan to add an essay section to their application to help individualize the admissions processes. Ohio State got rid of its admission policy based on points.

This step places universities in line with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that declared the University of Michigan undergraduate admissions policy unconstitutional. The court made it clear that race could be used as a factor in admissions, but not with a point system.

According to a survey by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, nearly one-third of American colleges consider race or ethnicity in the application process and 74 percent pledge a commitment to diversity in their mission statement.

Universities will be able to make better judgments during the admissions process by asking students to talk about their background, talents or experiences.

A written response will provide admissions counselors with a more holistic view of each student in contrast to the former representation of a person by only grades and the bubbles he or she filled in on the application.

The essay will provide an opportunity for students to prove themselves to be Spartan material. The personal response is optional for MSU applicants this fall, but it will be mandatory next year.

With the changes, we will now have a chance to see the impact on university admissions and each student's experience in higher education.

The new application and essay procedures might demand more time of both students and faculty - but it will be worth it.