First-year students (from left) Lihu Ben-Ezri-Ravin, Constance Mietkowski, Christine Jane Emery, and Bobbi Kristina Latray channel the energy of the first week of classes. Photo by Laurence Kesterson.

“One of you is a prospective engineer who is also a high-wire circus performer.
One of you was chosen to blog about your college application process for The New York Times.
One of you is in a real all-girl punk band.
One of you was a Golden Gloves boxer.
And one of my personal favorites: One of you successfully avoided being eaten by a bear! We’re glad you made it to the Class of 2016!”

With those words, Jim Bock ’90, vice president and dean of admissions, welcomed the 378 first-year students and 10 transfer students into the campus community on Aug. 28. The first-year class was selected from among a record 6,589 applicants, of whom 14 percent were offered admission.

The Class of 2016 comprises 191 women and 187 men. Among the domestic students, 6 percent identify themselves as African American, 13 percent as Hispanic/Latina/o, 15 percent as Asian American, and 6 percent as multiracial. International students represent 9 percent of the class. In addition, 12 percent are the first generation in their family to attend college.

Forty-one states are represented as well as the District of Columbia. Members of the new class attended high schools most frequently in California, followed by New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois, Connecticut, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

Thirty-three international citizens representing Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, France, Ghana, Great Britain, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Myanmar, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Singapore, and Vietnam are members of the Class of 2016.