Arrival Day

As they arrived on campus Wednesday and Thursday, Connecticut College’s newest camels were greeted by cheering student leaders, colorful signs and a simple message: Welcome home.

“You are joining our Connecticut College family,” Student Government Association President Jamila Ezbidi ’19 told the new students at a welcome assembly. “Your experiences at Conn will influence your lives forever.”

Admitted from the largest applicant pool in the College’s history, the 514 members of the Class of 2022 and 29 transfer students are an impressive group. More than 75 percent graduated in the top 20 percent of their high school classes. They come from 25 countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Jamaica, Lesotho, Mauritius, Nepal, Poland, Vietnam and Zimbabwe, and they speak 37 languages, including Akan, Amharic, Arabic, Cantonese, Croatian, Galician, Georgian, Gujarati, Latvian, Marathi, Nepali, Oromo, Persian, Serbian, Sotho, Swahili and Urdu. Four transfer students and 87 members of the incoming class are the first in their families to go to college, while 57 are at least the second members of their families to attend Conn.

The newest class is also the most diverse in the College’s history; 23 percent are domestic students of color and eight percent are international students.

“This class is a clear reflection of Conn’s mission and character: it is diverse; it is international; and it is academically very strong,” said Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Andrew Strickler.

“When we received a record 6,433 applications this year, we knew we would be able to admit a great class. But the Class of 2022 is exceptional. They are clearly taking notice of the College’s growing profile as a leader in integrative education, and we’re all very excited about how they will transform the campus during their time here as students.”