Denison University will extend a warm welcome to 615 first-year students as residence halls open for the Class of 2018 on Sunday, Aug. 24. That day, students will move into their residence halls assisted by members of the Big Red football team, Sustainability Fellows and other staff and members of the student body. The Class of 2018 will embark on their academic careers on the first day of classes, Thursday, Aug. 28.
Denison prepares students to thrive through academic inquiry and research, faculty mentorship and robust career-launch programming. “We’re very excited to welcome the Class of 2018 to campus,” says Perry Robinson, vice president for admissions. “This class has great strengths and abilities. They will be able to take full advantage of the Denison liberal arts and sciences education to learn and to achieve their highest potential.”
The Class of 2018 comprises students from 38 states and 36 countries, 55 percent of them women, 45 percent men. The class continues the college’s upward trend in diversity with 36 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 SAT score for the first-year students is 1285 and the average ACT score is 28.
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.; outdoor backpacking in Kentucky; an on-campus program especially suited to multicultural students; an arts exploration in Philadelphia; and a program to acclimate international students. This year, Denison introduces two new orientation programs: a sustainable farming program, which takes place locally on the Flying J Farm; and a cycling orientation, in which students ride 140 miles to and from Mohican State Park, exploring the Ohio countryside.
First-year students and their parents are invited to the Induction Ceremony at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 24, during which they will be greeted by Denison faculty and staff in full academic regalia, and formally welcomed by President Adam Weinberg, members of senior administration, and the president of the student body.