The University of Minnesota will no longer consider legacy or employment along with race and ethnicity while deciding who they'll admit following a recent United State Supreme Court ruling.
In June the high court overturned decades of precedent that allowed affirmative action in higher education. Since then, activists have sued Harvard for its use of legacy admissions, arguing that it gives an unfair boost to mostly white children of alumni.
The University of Minnesota says they'll take a more "holistic approach" in deciding admissions, considering a number of factors, including academic and context that they say takes into consideration the individual circumstances that make each student unique.
The practice of giving priority to the children of alumni has faced growing pushback in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision. Opponents say the practice is no longer defensible without affirmative action providing a counterbalance. The NAACP has also said the process discriminates against students of color in favor of children of alumni.
An Associated Press survey of the nation’s most selective colleges last year found that legacy students in the freshman class ranged from 4% to 23%. At four schools — Notre Dame, USC, Cornell and Dartmouth — legacy students outnumbered Black students.
Supporters of the policy say it builds an alumni community and encourages donations. A 2022 study of an undisclosed college in the Northeast found that legacy students were more likely to make donations, but at a cost to diversity — the vast majority were white.