Wearing colorful T-shirts emblazoned with the names of their new house communities, members of the Class of 2030 officially came together for the first time Sept. 2 at a welcoming ceremony that raised the curtain on new opportunities and challenges in their lives.
“At Dartmouth, you will learn to exercise sound judgment, navigate ethical complexity, grapple with uncertainty, and take responsibility for your decisions—skills that have always been a part of the Dartmouth experience and are now more important than ever,” President Sian Leah Beilock told the 1,200 new undergraduates and another 500 parents and supporters at the event, which took place in Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field. The ceremony, which included transfer students, was also livestreamed.
Smiling as she scanned the audience, President Beilock acknowledged that everyone is likely to feel some “first-day jitters” at the start of a new school year.
“My research as a cognitive scientist has been in the field of performance anxiety—for professional athletes, CEOs, performing artists, and yes, students,” she said. “Asking questions like: Why do I feel like an imposter? How do we know whether we’ll perform well in high-stress situations—say, for example, an Ivy League midterm?”
In fact, feelings of self-doubt are integral to success, said Beilock.
“The science tells us: The only avenue to success is accepting that we will sometimes doubt ourselves. The key is to use it as fuel: gather more information, learn from your experience, and seek out different points of view.”
To that end, Beilock said students will take part in Dartmouth Dialogues, “a series of sessions and workshops designed to help you live out the values that make Dartmouth so special: how to tell your own story, and listen deeply to those of others.”
At what she described as “the most polarized moment in history since the Civil War,” Beilock said, “Leaders in every field tell us: we need young people who have the empathy, courage, and intellectual humility to move us forward.”
About artificial intelligence, which Beilock noted was “launched at Dartmouth, right here in Hanover, 70 years ago,” she said, “We take very seriously our responsibility to prepare you for a changing world and workforce. That’s why our faculty are teaching students how to think alongside and with AI, not letting the tools think for you.”
In her remarks, McKinlee Williams ’29, a mentor in the First-Generation Office, recalled feeling a bit antsy on the long trip to Dartmouth from her home in Panama City, Fla.
“While my dad drove me the full 25 hours, I anxiously waited for the moment I would meet my new peers. What would my new friends be like? Would they like the same movies and shows I like?” she wondered.
Reassuring answers came quickly as she got to know her classmates.
“So be brave, put yourself out there,” Williams advised. “The truth is, all of you are a little bit nervous and looking for friends. So compliment someone, ask them a question about themselves, and show support for your new community.”
That community is multitalented and geographically diverse, said Kathryn Bezella, assistant vice president and dean of undergraduate admissions. “You are 1,219 curious high achievers drawn from 971 high schools around the world, as well as 32 transfer students who have already started your college journeys and who now give us the honor of finishing your undergraduate years here with us in New Hampshire’s North Woods,” she said.
Drawing applause with her observation that 13% of the entering class are the first in their families to attend college, Bezella read a few compelling excerpts from entrance essays, including this one from an international applicant:
“Back in Syria, I played the snare drum. Its sharp, rattling beat cut through the air, almost like the warning signals we regularly heard. That’s the rhythm that defines me now, not the chaos of my past, but the steady beat of my resilience.”
Among many other noteworthy newcomers, Bezella welcomed the North American high school Scrabble champion, a reporter for The Navajo Times, and an internationally ranked Alpine skier.
“When Dartmouth’s motto says we educate the most promising students for a lifetime of responsible leadership, remember this: we mean you,” Bezella said. “As you can see, your stories have already hinted at the wisdom, humor, empathy, and spark you will bring to our campus. And parents, supporters, you have much to be proud of as you give those goodbye hugs today.”
As classes begin Sept. 14, Nina Pavcnik, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, advised students to take full advantage of Dartmouth resources.
“Talk to your professors outside the class. Go to their office hours, introduce yourself, and ask them questions. They love learning and are here to learn with you,” said Pavcnik. “From our residence halls and house communities to student clubs and organizations, and beyond, you’ll find a tight-knit community and professional staff who help make this vibrant and inclusive undergraduate community a space where you will learn and thrive.”
Carolyn Gray Kimberlin, interim vice president for alumni relations, urged students and parents to see themselves as part of a broader Dartmouth community engaged in lifelong education.
“Families and supporters, you will see the transformative power of the Dartmouth education through the eyes of your loved one,” said Kimberlin. “The doors that will open and the choices they will have are countless.”
After the ceremony, the Class of 2030 followed upper-level students carrying flags for their house communities to Leede Arena, where they held their first class meeting and watched Your Class, Your Words, an annual spoken-word program based on admissions essays.
As they walked and talked, South House members and new roommates Ella Adams ’30, from Waltham, Mass., and Adele Boggess ’30, from Holliston, Mass., said they were eager for some outdoor adventure. Adams, who plans to study engineering, is an avid rock climber.
“I view myself as a very serious athlete and very serious student, and I think I can combine those two worlds really well,” Adams said.
Boggess liked the advice she heard from Pavcnik: to try something new.
“Get out of your comfort zone. I believe that, but sometimes I don’t actually do it,” Boggess said. “But you’re standing at the entrance to the rest of your life and if you don’t take risks, what are you going to do about it?”
Gareth McJunkin ’30, an East Wheelock House member from Muskogee, Okla., who is interested in environmental studies, said he wrote in his essay about being raised by his grandmother after his mother died and his father was often absent.
“I made it out of that small town, I made it out of Oklahoma, and here I am,” he said, smiling broadly.
New Student Orientation continues until Sept. 13, including open houses with academic departments, the Student Involvement Fair, an introduction to Dartmouth Dialogues, meetings with advisers, and course selection. The first of four sections of First-Year Trips started on Sept. 3. There’s a new student dinner on Sept. 9 in the Class of 1953 Commons. Matriculation and the Twilight Ceremony are set for Sept. 13.
Other events for undergraduates in advance of fall term included the International Undergraduate Student Pre-Orientation Program, the Native and Indigenous Pre-Orientation Program, and The First-Year Summer Enrichment Program, organized by the First-Generation Office.
The Tuck School of Business concluded Tuck Launch, a two-week orientation that prepares incoming students for the MBA curriculum, on Aug. 21.
The Geisel School of Medicine held orientation programs for new medical students and enrollees in Master of Public Health and Health Care Research programs in late July and early August. Health sciences programs—Epidemiology, Health Data Science, Medical Informatics, and Implementation Science—will hold events for incoming students Sept. 8 to 11.
Orientations at Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies and Thayer School of Engineering will take place Sept. 9 to 11.
