Yes! Harvard, and all colleges really, strive to do just that every year. For example, every college I’m aware of – save single sex colleges – wants to have an equal balance of men and women in their freshman class.
However, if MORE women apply than men, the college is left with a discriminatory choice: do we admit students based upon their scholastic ability regardless of gender? Or, do admit more men (who may not be up to the same standards as the women) to create an equal gender balance? If a college chooses the latter – which most tend to do – they are being discriminatory against one gender. Is that okay? In my book (and that of virtually every college in America), the answer is a resounding YES!