Wesleyan and U of Minnesota Drop Legacy Admissions

Wesleyan University will no longer consider applicants’ ties to alumni in admissions decisions, the institution announced last week.

Wesleyan president Michael Roth wrote in a statement that even though legacy status already played only “a negligible role” in the university’s admissions process, it was important to take a definitive official position in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision striking down affirmative action.

“We still value the ongoing relationships that come from multi-generational Wesleyan attendance, but there will be no ‘bump’ in the selection process,” Roth wrote.

In ending legacy preferences, the private liberal arts college in Connecticut joins a small but growing list of selective institutions that disregard alumni ties, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Amherst College and Carnegie Mellon University. Institutions have come under increased pressure to disavow the practice following last month’s Supreme Court ruling.

Similarly, the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities ended its legacy admissions policy earlier in the week, The Star Tribune reported. That decision was made thanks to “an exceptionally deep review of our context factors,” according to Keri Risic, executive director of admissions. The university will also stop favoring applicants who are the children of faculty members.

“It was not adding additional insight into enrolling academically prepared students,” Risic said.