Wesleyan University will no longer engage in legacy admissions. This comes in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action.
“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,” Wesleyan President Dr. Michael S. Roth said in a statement.
Family members of alumni will receive no preference and will be admitted based on their own merits, Roth said.
“It’s important to underscore that Wesleyan has never fixated on a checked box indicating a student’s racial identification or family affiliations,” Roth said. “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.”
Wesleyan plans to encourage geographic diversity by recruiting students from across the U.S.; strengthen outreach to community-based organizations, college access programs, and Title I high schools; continue its Center for Prison Education; increasing financial aid support; and develop more free credit bearing courses for online or hybrid learning.
The school has also launched a scholarship program to annually recruit and support undergraduates from Africa.
