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An illustration of the words 1st Gen laid over a question mark with a graduation cap on top symbolizes the inconsistency and uncertainty of what it means to be a first-generation college student.

Defining ‘First Generation’ in Different Ways

Colleges and governments offer financial and academic support for these students, but there’s no set standard among colleges for what the term means, as limits on affirmative action raise the stakes.

Four blocks of text from essay prompts, highlighted sporadically in light orange, on a darker orange background.

The Common App Enters an Uncommon Era

The start of this year’s application cycle was more momentous than usual, as colleges introduced new essay prompts and adjusted requirements for a post–affirmative action world.

Students on University of South Carolina campus

Admitting the Top 10%, for Geographic Diversity

University of South Carolina to admit top 10 percent of students from the state’s public high schools. Texas did that when its colleges couldn’t consider race; South Carolina officials say that’s not their motivation.

Virginia Tech Ends Legacy Admissions, Early Decision

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is the latest institution to put an end to legacy preferences in admissions. On...
An neoclassical brick building stands in the middle of a tree-lined college campus

UNC Board Changes Admissions, Hiring Policies on Race

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Board of Trustees voted Thursday to prohibit the institution from considering race...

The Week in Admissions News

UNC board changes admissions; hiring policies on race; Occidental ends legacy admissions; NACAC acquires Character Collaborative; Education Department discharges loans of 7,400 CollegeAmerica students.

A man in a blazer and glasses talks using his hands.

First Out of the Gate

Wesleyan University was the first elite college to end legacy admissions after the affirmative action ban. President Michael Roth explains why he made the jump and whether others will follow.

The white-columned facade of the U.S. Supreme Court
Opinion

Selective Admissions on Trial

The Supreme Court decision on affirmative action is yet another reminder that emulating Harvard is—and always has been—a fool’s errand, John R. Thelin and Richard W. Trollinger write.