Wesleyan University is ending legacy admissions

MIDDLETOWN, CT (WFSB) - Following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Affirmative Action a few weeks ago, Wesleyan University took the initiative to evaluate their admission process.

Wesleyan University announced in a letter on Wednesday that terminating its use of legacy admissions would benefit diversity on campus.

“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,” said Wesleyan University President Michael S. Roth.

As a result of this decision, the university vows to encourage geographic diversity by continuing to recruit students from across the country, not just from the coasts and large cities along with building a pipeline of community college graduates and veterans interested in a liberal arts education.

This decision also brings with it more effort toward access and affordability to students by increasing financial aid support, and by meeting the full demonstrated need of all matriculants while keeping loans to a minimum. The university created a three-year degree program that will provide students an option of reducing the cost of college. They also plan to develop more free credit bearing courses delivered online or in a hybrid mode.

While Wesleyan has just now officially ended legacy admissions, Mr. Roth stated in his letter that the University has always been dedicated to a holistic approach of every application sent in.

“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.”
Wesleyan University President Michael S. Roth

Wesleyan joins a small group of other colleges and universities that have ended legacy admissions like Amherst College which concluded legacy preference in 2021, John Hopkins University which made the decision in 2020, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which has never considered legacy.