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Connecticut College welcomes Class of 2012

August 25, 2008

A sailor who has navigated the world, a bird-watching enthusiast and the college's first Bill Gates scholar are just some of the newest 496 members of the Connecticut College community.

The class of 2012, an elite group selected from a pool of 4,716 applicants, hail from 32 states, the District of Columbia and 33 countries, including Cameroon, which has never been represented on campus before.

The newest camels are a talented and diverse group. Sixty percent of the freshmen were ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school classes - a record high - while 90 percent graduated in the top 20 percent. Eleven percent of the students are the first in their families to attend college, and 16 percent are American students of color - the highest percentage in recent history. Additionally, nearly 25 percent of the freshmen are recruited athletes who will don the camel blue and white.

This year's class also includes the first 17 students participating in the Science Leaders Program. Last year, Connecticut College launched the program, which is designed to increase the number of women and minority students graduating from the College with a degree and research experience in the sciences. Students enrolled in the program receive enhanced scholarships, additional mentoring and support, career preparation and counseling and assistance applying to graduate and medical school. They will also complete an intensive first-year seminar with other Science Leaders.

"I am very pleased with the overall strength and diversity of the incoming class but am especially pleased with the 17 Science Leaders who will be joining us this semester," said Martha Merrill, dean of admission and financial aid. "I look forward to following these students as they pursue research with our faculty in the coming years."

At an assembly during their first day on campus, students were welcomed by President Leo I. Higdon Jr., college administrators and the president of the Student Government Association, Leidy Valencia '09. At the ceremony, freshmen received a small blue "passport" emblazoned with the college seal. The passports are a gift from the Connecticut College Alumni Association through the Office of Alumni Relations. They are given annually to each incoming class during orientation and serve as a symbol of unity among the college's current students and more than 22,000 alumni. The program was launched by the alumni association in 1998 to remind freshmen and their families that they are becoming part of the college and its history.

The assembly kicked off a five-day orientation during which students learn about everything from the college honor code to its study abroad and internship programs. They will also meet with their faculty advisors, take placement tests, learn about community service opportunities and meet each other at a variety of social events like the annual "Batch Blast." Established in 1988 by an anonymous donor in honor of Esther Batchelder '19, the annual social gathering on the green will include a visit from a hypnotist, games and a dance contest.

The orientation week culminates with Convocation, a meeting of the entire college community to celebrate the formal beginning of the academic year, Thursday, August 28, at 4:30 p.m. in Palmer Auditorium. Bridget Baird, professor of mathematics and computer science and this year's recipient of the college's Helen B. Regan Faculty Leadership Award, will give the keynote address.

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For media inquiries contact: Amy Martin (860) 439-2526; a.martin@conncoll.edu