Legacy Admissions Remains in the Spotlight. But Accurate Data on the Subject Is Elusive.

Boston University’s student newspaper last month reported seemingly contradictory statements from the administration about the selective private institution’s use of legacy preferences in admissions. Colin Riley, a university spokesperson, told The Daily Free Press — and later confirmed in an email to Higher Ed Dive — that it “never had a policy” under which alumni’s children enjoy an admissions advantage. But at the same time, he also told the student press the university hadn’t considered legacy status “in several years.” Which is it? Did the university never, or ever, account for legacy affiliation?