Smith College Votes To Accept Transgender Applicants

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (AP) — Smith College is changing its policy to accept self-identified transgender women.

The new policy, which takes effect for those applying this fall, followed a year of study. The women's college had previously asked undergraduates to have been consistently identified as female.

Smith President Kathleen McCartney and board Chair Elizabeth Mugar Eveillard said in announcing the change on Saturday that "In the years since Smith's founding, concepts of female identity have evolved."

Smith will not admit students who were born female but self-identify as male.

Other women's colleges, including Mount Holyoke and Wellesley, also have changed their policies to admit transgender women.

The advocacy group GLAAD said it worked with Smith alumnae for the change. GLAAD President and CEO Kate Ellis said Smith joins a growing number of colleges that "respect and afford equal opportunity to all women."