In theory this approach is not inherently unsound.
Take two kids, each of whom scored 2000 on their SATs.
Student A is from an upper middle class family, attended private school and had SAT prep classes, even a private tutor.
Student B is from an inner-city school and a dysfunctional family.
B’s accomplishment is considerably greater than A’s, given the headwind he faced as compared to the tailwind the other enjoyed. I would have no problem with recognizing B’s accomplishment by admitting him in preference to A.
In practice, of course, this policy will be a way to continue racial quotas under terms that are harder to contest. Race, in its truly bizarre present day American definition, will not be one factor among many considered, it will be the primary one.
Your exammple isn’t quite accurate, because what these schools are doing is looking at Student A, who scored 2000 on his SAT, and Student B, who scored 1400, and concluding that Student B is more qualified for admission.
But the way it’ll most likely work is:
If Student A is from an upper middle class family, attended private school and had SAT prep classes, even a private tutor, but comes is a non-Asian minority race, and
Student B is from an inner-city school, or an impoverished Appalachian hilltop, and a dysfunctional family, but is obviously white (or of Asian descent), then
A’s accomplishment will still be assumed considerably greater than B’s, given the fact that academic liberals almost always seem to consider the color of the student’s skin over content of the student’s character. They would have no problem with agreeing upon A’s commendable accomplishment by admitting him in preference to B.