Conn welcomes the Class of 2024
In a video message welcoming the newest camels to Conn, Student Government Association Vice President Kayla Glemaud ’21 recalled being both nervous and excited on her own move-in day as a first-year student three years ago.
“I wondered what my college experience would be like, what friends I would make, what my major would be and how I would navigate this new chapter in my life,” she said, before sharing how she has built meaningful relationships with people across campus, including those she has met while working as a barista in one of the campus coffee shops.
“The close-knit community Conn fosters is unique. It is the reason for my academic success, my personal growth and for the long-lasting friendships that have made me the person I am today.”
That community will be particularly important for the new students, who are the first group to begin their collegiate careers during a global pandemic in more than 100 years.
“Whether you are on campus, off campus or studying remotely, this is going to be a period of change and growth for all of us,” Glemaud said. “Just as my first year at Conn was filled with new change and experiences, this semester will be like none other. But I’m happy to be back home at Conn and to embrace our new normal.”
Admitted from the largest applicant pool in the College’s history, the 440 members of the Class of 2024 and 20 transfer students are an impressive group, with 77 percent graduating in the top 20 percent of their high school classes. They come from 26 states and 15 countries, including Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Georgia, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Sweden, The Bahamas, Turkey, United Kingdom and Vietnam. Sixty-nine members of the incoming class are the first in their families to go to college, while 23 are at least the second members of their families to attend Conn.
The newest class is also among the most diverse in the College’s history; 26 percent are domestic students of color and 5 percent are international students.