Critiques of legacy admissions continue to poke the ribs of colleges and universities across the country. Should Timmy, who keeps putting his khakis on backwards even though there’s a big “F” on the front fly, get to attend Harvard just because his mom or dad rowed for the Crimson crew team?
Well, at least one gold-plated school is attempting to finesse this anti-legacy pressure by tapping into another zeitgeist obsession: farm-to-table cuisine.
Welcome to Yale University’s rebranding of legacy admissions as “locally sourced recruitment.” With the assistance of Accenture, the renowned consulting firm, Yale has reconceptualized its communication strategy for legacy admissions, a policy it remains firmly committed to.
According to Jeremiah Quinlan, Yale’s Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, “characterizing our admissions policy as ‘locally sourced’ underscores Yale’s steadfast loyalty to those alumni families that contribute so much to the rich, fertile soil that constitutes our entering class every year.
“I invite you to inhale deeply as you walk among the first-year students gathered for the welcoming address delivered by our President every fall. Smell the soul-stirring aroma of homegrown heirloom tomatoes bursting with flavor. Experience the pungent fragrance of russet potatoes pulled from lush earth that has been fertilized by scores of broccoli-chomping oxen. Discover the crisp, mischievous scent of Imperator carrots large enough to bludgeon protestors with at a campus demonstration. At Yale, we are proud to give a gilded new meaning to the phrase, ‘Farm to Table’. Come share our bounty.”
Yale’s “Locally Sourced” campaign will begin on June 1st with a full-page ad in The New York Times.