College admissions offices nationwide are still feeling the effects of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor’s point-based undergraduate admissions policy unconstitutional.

A much greater number of under-represented minority students have applied to Northwestern this year — with applications still unread.

At the same time, the number of minority applicants to some public schools affected by the ruling decreased, leaving some admissions officials wondering why.

In June the Supreme Court ruled that Michigan’s admissions policy violated the U.S. Constitution’s equal-protection clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits racial discrimination by any institution receiving federal funds. The court upheld the law school’s policy, which considers race but does not include it in a point-based system.

In response to the ruling, Michigan made changes to its application, adding an optional essay asking how the applicant would contribute to campus diversity.

As of Wednesday the number of black applicants to NU had increased 28 percent since last year, and the number of Hispanic applicants was up 15.5 percent. The total number of applicants had risen 10 percent.

But some administrators said they are not certain why the number of minority applicants rose so dramatically.

Janet Olivo, assistant director of admissions, said the university’s minority outreach programs did not change very much this year. Recruiters visited most of the same high schools as last year and targeted similar out-of-state areas, she said.

Associate Provost for University Enrollment Rebecca Dixon said the increase in minority applicants still could be the result of the university’s continued dedication to seeking minority candidates.

“Sometimes these things just start to work, finally,” Dixon said, referring to the university’s minority recruitment programs.

As of Feb. 5, the number of minority student applicants at UM was down 23 percent as compared to the same time last year. Total applications fell 18 percent.

The university “ratcheted up” its minority recruitment efforts, including more high school visits and guidance counselor meetings, said Joel Seguine, a spokesman for Michigan.

Schools with similar point-based systems, such as Ohio State University and University of Massachusetts at Amherst, also were forced to change their policies.

Although the number of Latino applicants at Ohio State rose 3 percent, the number of black applicants decreased 20 percent since the same time last year, said Jefferson Blackburn-Smith, Ohio State’s senior associate director of undergraduate admissions.

Ohio State’s application grew from four to six pages and now includes additional essays. This, along with an increased application fee, might have deterred many students, he said.

To accommodate the changes, the university will add recruitment programs targeting minority communities, an admitted-student day for minorities and more letters and phone calls to minority students.

While Massachusetts also had to change its application, the older version included an essay section, so the new edition is not significantly different. The total number of applicants increased by 11 percent since the same time last year, with minority applications up 3 percent.

Even though the students that aren’t applying to the affected state schools may be deferring to universities like NU, Blackburn-Smith said he is worried minorities are discouraged from applying to college because the point-based system no longer exists.

“Our concern,” he said, “is how many of those students have chosen just not to apply to college at all.”