In the University of Michigan affirmative action cases,the Supreme Court

A) rejected mechanical point systems for university admissions but upheld highly individualized affirmative action policies that were designed to promote diversity.
B) upheld mechanical point systems for university admissions but rejected highly individualized affirmative action policies.
C) rejected all affirmative action policies in university admissions.
D) asserted that affirmative action policies are subject to strict scrutiny.

The University of Michigan affirmative action cases involved two separate lawsuits, Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger. In Gratz, the Supreme Court rejected the University's use of a mechanical point system for admissions that awarded extra points to underrepresented minority applicants. However, in Grutter, the Court upheld the University's highly individualized affirmative action policy that considered race as one factor among many in a holistic review of applicants in order to promote diversity. The Court emphasized that such policies must be carefully tailored to ensure that they narrowly serve a compelling government interest and that they remain flexible and subject to periodic reassessment. Therefore, the best choice is A.