Wesleyan University says it will formally end legacy admissions

 Wesleyan University in Middletown says it will formally end admission preference for “legacy applicants.”

The announcement comes after a United States Supreme Court decision in June that colleges and universities would have to stop considering applicants’ race in admissions.

Wesleyan University president Michael S. Roth released a statement, saying legacy status has played “a negligible role” in its admissions process for many years, but the university feels it is important to formally end admission preference for legacy applicants in the wake of the Supreme Court decision.

“We still value the ongoing relationships that come from multi-generational Wesleyan attendance, but there will be no “bump” in the selection process. As has been almost always the case for a long time, family members of alumni will be admitted on their own merits,” Roth said in the statement.

Roth said Wesleyan "has never fixated on a checked box indicating a student’s racial identification or family affiliations" and basis admissions decisions on several facets.

You can read the full statement from Wesleyan University President Michael S. Roth here.

Following is a statement from Roth that Wesleyan released Wednesday.

“As a highly selective university, Wesleyan University seeks exceptional students from a wide range of backgrounds and circumstances who will thrive at and enrich the Wesleyan community. An applicant’s connection to a Wesleyan graduate indicates little about that applicant’s ability to succeed at the University, meaning that legacy status has played a negligible role in our admissions process for many years. Nevertheless, in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision regarding affirmative action, we believe it important to formally end admission preference for “legacy applicants.” We still value the ongoing relationships that come from multi-generational Wesleyan attendance, but there will be no “bump” in the selection process. As has been almost always the case for a long time, family members of alumni will be admitted on their own merits.

“It’s important to underscore that Wesleyan has never fixated on a checked box indicating a student’s racial identification or family affiliations. We have long taken an individualized, holistic view of an applicant’s lived experience—as seen through the college essay, high school record, letters of recommendation, and interactions with our community. Our admission decision is based upon diverse facets of the individual’s history, talent, potential to contribute to the university and get the most out of a Wesleyan education. Applicants’ achievements and promise are carefully considered in the context of their respective schools, public engagement, and personal circumstances. We will continue to do all of this.

“By cultivating free speech, mutual respect, and values of inclusion, we seek to foster a sense of belonging for everyone on campus. By recruiting students, faculty, and staff with diverse life experiences, attributes, and points of view, we continue to build a diverse, energetic learning environment comprised of people who think critically and creatively and who value independence of mind and generosity of spirit.

“Ending preferential legacy admission is the easy part. We will continue to work to ensure diversity in the student body in a variety of ways. We will encourage geographic diversity by continuing to recruit students from across the country, not just from the coasts and large cities. We will strengthen our outreach to community-based organizations, college access programs, and Title I high schools, while building a pipeline of community college graduates and veterans interested in a liberal arts education. We will also ensure the sustainability of Wesleyan’s Center for Prison Education, a degree program for incarcerated people.

“In keeping with our belief in the importance of internationalization, the University has launched a scholarship program to recruit and support a group of undergraduates from Africa each year.

“We will maintain our commitment to access and affordability by increasing financial aid support, and by meeting the full demonstrated need of all matriculants while keeping loans to a minimum. By making Wesleyan’s three-year degree program more visible, we can normalize that option for students who are seeking to reduce the cost of college. Finally, we plan to develop more free credit bearing courses delivered online or in a hybrid mode.

“Wesleyan has long had impact disproportionate to our numbers by empowering graduates to shape a changing world. We will continue to expand that impact through an equitable and forward-thinking admissions process that finds talented people from around the country and the world to join our lifelong network of learning and accomplishment.”