One of the reasons the controversy about the University of Michigan’s use of race in its admissions policy has advanced all the way to the Supreme Court is the tremendous diversity (no pun intended) of opinion about the consequences of overturning Michigan’s policy.

Some argue that it will be impossible for public universities like Michigan to attract minorities to enroll without the much-publicized admissions bonus. Others say removing the bonus will not affect minority enrollment. And others say the bonus is unfair regardless of what removing it might cause.

A case study, though, may shed some light on the topic.

The University of Georgia used to have a policy that gave blacks points in the admissions process. It was overturned by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in August 2001, and Georgia has since seen its black enrollment tumble to 5.5 percent.

The population of Georgia is 29 percent black.

The low ratio of minority students is now contributing to a vicious cycle, as Georgia high schoolers each year look elsewhere to schools with more evenly split demographics where they say they will “fit in” better.

The court of appeals ruling also made public schools adjust their scholarship programs to avoid a lawsuit. In the case of Georgia, that means the financial aid it can offer to minority students is not competitive with private schools and out-of-state colleges. The university is left to step up its face-to-face recruiting efforts to try to bring more minorities to the Athens campus.

But Georgia’s best efforts are proving ineffective.

The university says they have been making more phone calls, visiting more high schools and sending more mail since the ruling — but mostly to no avail.

A Marist College national survey released Monday suggests that Americans have mixed feelings about affirmative action.

According to the survey, 85 percent of Americans believe a diverse student body makes for a better educational experience for college students. But 80 percent also said they did not think race should be used as a factor in admissions.

Georgia’s struggle doesn’t tell the entire story. In Florida, Gov. Jeb Bush eliminated race-based admissions in 2000, and black and Hispanic enrollment has risen at the University of Florida. In Florida, though, those gains have come coupled with a program to help low-achieving high schools. “Students in these schools are now being actively recruited while curriculum reform strengthens their high-school experience,” Bush said. That won’t happen everywhere, though.

By overturning Michigan’s admissions standards, the Supreme Court could be creating Georgias all across the United States.