Wesleyan University Ends Legacy Preferences in Admissions
Practice has faced increased scrutiny after Supreme Court struck down affirmative action Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., has about 3,000 full-time undergraduates. Photo: MICHELLE MCLOUGHLIN/REUTERS By Jennifer Calfas July 19, 2023 1:01 pm ET Wesleyan University, a liberal-arts college, said it would end legacy preference in its admissions practices, after the Supreme Court struck down race-based affirmative action earlier this summer. The Middletown, Conn., institution joins several other universities forgoing the decades-old practice of giving the children of alumni preferential treatment in the admissions process, which disproportionately benefits students who are wealthy and white. The Supreme Court’s decision striking down the use of affirmative action in college decision
Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., has about 3,000 full-time undergraduates.
Photo: MICHELLE MCLOUGHLIN/REUTERS
Wesleyan University, a liberal-arts college, said it would end legacy preference in its admissions practices, after the Supreme Court struck down race-based affirmative action earlier this summer.
The Middletown, Conn., institution joins several other universities forgoing the decades-old practice of giving the children of alumni preferential treatment in the admissions process, which disproportionately benefits students who are wealthy and white. The Supreme Court’s decision striking down the use of affirmative action in college decisions in June eliminated a tool many universities used to diversify their campuses, thrusting legacy preference into the spotlight.
Wesleyan University President Michael S. Roth said in a statement Wednesday that legacy status “has played a negligible role in our admissions process for many years.” But the liberal-arts college, which had a 15.7% acceptance rate for the class of 2027, found it necessary to formally end the practice following the high court’s decision, he said.
“We still value the ongoing relationships that come from multigenerational Wesleyan attendance, but there will be no ‘bump’ in the selection process,” Roth said. “As has been almost always the case for a long time, family members of alumni will be admitted on their own merits.”
Lawmakers and civil-rights groups criticized the use of legacy preference in admissions in the weeks that followed the Supreme Court’s decision. President Biden suggested in June that legacy admissions, “expand privilege instead of opportunity.”
The Supreme Court has banned colleges from using race as admission criteria, essentially ending affirmative action. California did the same 25 years ago. WSJ explains how what happened then can offer a roadmap for what could happen now. / Photo Illustration: Madeline Marshall
Lawyers for Civil Rights filed a complaint against Harvard University with the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights in early July, claiming the school’s legacy admissions preference discriminates against applicants of color.
Some schools, including Johns Hopkins University and Amherst College, had ended legacy preference policies in their admissions practices before the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision.
States are also taking action. Colorado became the first to ban legacy admission at public universities in 2021. Lawmakers in Connecticut, where Wesleyan is based, filed a bill last year that would forbid its use at public and private colleges and universities.
Wesleyan, which has around 3,000 full-time undergraduates, will work to diversify its student body in part by recruiting more students from low-income and rural communities, Roth, the president, said Wednesday. He said the institution also remains focused on increasing financial aid.
“Ending preferential legacy admission is the easy part,” Roth said.
Write to Jennifer Calfas at [email protected]
What's Your Reaction?
