QUALITY OF THEIR CHARACTER. . THE RULING HAS A DIFFERENT IMPACT HERE IN CALIFORNIA. AS YOU MIGHT KNOW, CALIFORNIA VOTED IN 1996 TO BAN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN STATE COLLEGE ADD MISSES. BUT TODAY'S RULING BY THE SUPREME COURT MEANS PRIVATE SCHOOLS, LIKE STANFORD, SANTA CLARA AND USF, WILL FACE THESE SAME RULES. HERE'S NBC'S IAN COLE. >> Reporter: TODAY'S SUPREME COURT RULING WAS JARRING FOR SOME STUDENTS ACROSS CALIFORNIA, INCLUDING THIS WOMAN, WHO JUST GOT HER AA AND WILL BE APPLYING TO SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THIS FALL. >> WHAT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION MEANT TO ME IS I HAD AN EQUAL CHANCE. >> Reporter: SHE'S THE FIRST PERSON IN HER FAMILY TO GO TO COLLEGE. ON TOP OF THAT, SHE'S A PROGRAM COORDINATOR AT AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SERVICE AGENCY IN SAN JOSE AND HELPS OTHER STUDENTS APPLYING FOR SCHOOLS AS WELL. >> NOW I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO TALK WITH THEM ABOUT, LIKE, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE TAKE THESE STEPS TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, LIKE REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS HERE WITH THIS RULING, WE'RE STILL GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET INTO WHERE YOU NEED TO GO. >> Reporter: ON THE OTHER HAND, CALVIN YANG IS A RISING JUNIOR AT UC, BERKELEY. HE WAS PART OF THE GROUP THAT BROUGHT THE CASES FORWARD AFTER HE WAS REJECTED FROM TWO IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS. TODAY HE'S CELEBRATING THE COURT'S DECISION. >> IT BELONGS TO ALL OF US WHO DESERVED A CHANCE AND CAN NOW REJOICE OVER THE FACT THAT AT LEAST OUR KIDS CAN BE JUDGED BASED ON THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS AND MERITS ALONE. >> Reporter: IN CALIFORNIA, IT WON'T HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE UC OR CSU SYSTEMS. VOTERS BANNED AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN ADMISSIONS AND HIRING AT ALL STATE INSTITUTIONS IN 1996. THEN VOTED TO UPHOLD IT IN 2020. TODAY'S RULING, HOWEVER, DOES AFFECT PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES. >> MANY INSTITUTIONS ARE PROBABLY GOING TO SEE AN IMPACT AS WE DID IN CALIFORNIA AFTER THE PASSING OF PROPOSITION WHERE THERE WAS A CHILLING EFFECT AND YOU SAW A DRAMATIC DROP OF APPLICATIONS FROM STUDENTS OF COLOR, INCLUDING BLACK AND LATINO STUDENTS. >> Reporter: STANFORD'S PRESIDENT FILED A BRIEF SUPPORTING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN THIS CASE AND SAID HE'S DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED BY TODAY'S DECISION. WRITING IN A LETTER TO IT THE COMMUNITY, STANFORD WILL CONTINUE SEEKING THROUGH LEGALLY PERMISSIBLE MEANS THE BROADLY DIVERSE STUDENT BODY THAT WILL BENEFIT YOUR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND PREPARATION FOR SUCCESS IN THE WORLD AND THAT WILL BENEFIT OUR MISSION OF GENERATING KNOWLEDGE. >> I'M LEARNING HOW -- >> Reporter: MUNOZ SAYS THIS WON'T DETER HER COLLEGE DREAMS. >> BUT THAT DOUBT DOES SET IN MY HEAD, AM I GOING TO GET REJECTED MORE NOW THAN
