A big-name college drops legacy admissions. Will others follow?

For nearly a year, the “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal has sparked a public backlash against perks for the wealthy and well connected. One main target: legacy preferences. But until January, Johns Hopkins University had been staying mum about a major shift in its policy: Since 2014, it has admitted applicants without regard to any family alumni ties.

President Ronald Daniels set the higher education world abuzz when he went public with the change. Legacy students have fallen to 3.5% in the 2019 freshman class, from 12.5% in 2009, just before a phaseout of legacy admissions began. The number of Pell Grant-eligible students grew in the same period from 9% to 19.1%.

“It makes me proud of my alma matter. ... It makes the process

Backed by research – and moneyDiversity and legacy? Effective and sustainable, but secret