Denison University will extend a Big Red welcome more than 600 first-year students in the Class of 2019 as residence halls open on Sunday, Aug. 23. New students will move into their residence halls with assistance from members of the Denison football team and other members of the student body, as well as a number of college staff. The first day of classes for all students is Thursday, Aug. 27.
“The Class of 2019 set a number of records for Denison, including the highest number of applicants, the highest number of early decision students, and the highest number of international students,” said Mike Hills, director of admissions. “We are thrilled that these exceptional students will call Denison home for the next four years.”
The Class of 2019 includes students from most U.S. states and 40 countries. Women comprise 54 percent of the class, with 46 percent being men. The class continues to demonstrate the college’s commitment to diversity with 32 percent of the entering class hailing from multicultural backgrounds. This puts Denison in the company of the most diverse liberal arts and science colleges in the country. The average combined verbal and math SAT score for this year's class is approaching 1,300, and the average ACT composite has increased to 29.
Denison offers several special-interest orientation programs in addition to the all-encompassing orientation for the entire class. The special-interest orientations include service activities in Washington, D.C.; an outdoor orientation, hiking in a national forest in Kentucky; an on-campus program especially suited to incoming multicultural students; an arts exploration in Philadelphia; a program to acclimate international students; and a sustainable farming program, which takes place on an working area farm. Two new orientation programs have been introduced this year: an opportunity to camp and canoe on the scenic Mohican River and an “insight bound” program at a nearby retreat.
Denison faculty and staff, attired in full academic regalia, will greet the Class of 2019 and their parents at the official class induction ceremony at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, on the Reese-Shackelford Common located centrally on Denison's 930-acre campus. The ceremony will include a formal welcome by Denison President Adam Weinberg, members of the faculty and senior administration, and the president of the student body.