Bear Beginnings

With high hopes and bulk supplies of hand sanitizer, the Class of 2024 arrived at Washington University in St. Louis Sept. 4-6. “This is what we’ve all been waiting for,” said Nick Cloney, an Arts & Sciences student from Boston. “It may not be what we expected. But even in this altered world, we can still have those integral first-year experiences.” 

In the past two years, five students kept a video diary of their first days as first-year students. Find out what has changed for them in the past year.

James McCutcheon, a first-year student at Washington University in St. Louis, identifies as a moderate. His roommate is a Democratic Socialist. Will they get along? The new orientation program, “Dialogue Across Difference,” set out to help new students navigate conversations about identity and race.

The 1,736 members of the Washington University in St. Louis Class of 2023 arrived Aug. 17. They hail from 19 countries and 47 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Eight percent are from St. Louis, 15 percent are Pell grant-eligible and 9 percent are first in their families to attend college. Twenty percent of the class is Asian, 11 percent is black and 10 percent is Hispanic.

When the Washington University in St. Louis Class of 2023 arrives Aug. 17, they will experience a nine-day Bear Beginnings orientation program that is more inclusive, more fun and, yes, more days. Traditions such as Convocation and the Common Reading Program discussion will continue, but Bear Beginnings also will include new programs.

What’s it like to be a member of the Washington University in St. Louis Class of 2022? First-year students Ella Holman, who is a dancer and member of the Deneb STARS, and Marissa Kalkar, a soccer player, have chronicled the first weeks of life on campus by shooting one second of video every day. 

A lot has changed for international student Astrella Sjarfi of Jakarta, Indonesia, and football player Tim Tague of Orinda, Calif., since they each shot a second of video during their first 40 days at Washington University in St. Louis in 2017. Here, they share their new goals and reflections on their first year.

This past weekend, all new undergraduate students at Washington University in St. Louis attended “The Date” and a post-performance conversation about sexual assault. Part of new student orientation for 16 years, the play is written, produced and performed by students. 

The 1,780 members of Washington University in St. Louis’ Class of 2021 came together for the first time at the end of Move-In Day, Aug. 24, for an evening of house cheers and family hugs. The annual Convocation also provided an opportunity to reflect on the events of Charlottesville and to commit to a Washington University that is diverse and tolerant.

Washington University in St. Louis welcomed the 1,780 members of the Class of 2021 on Thursday, Aug. 24. This year’s class includes six members of the first cohort of the College Prep Program, which prepares talented, first-generation students for life on a college campus.