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About 400 new incoming students, including the Grotenhuis Nursing cohort of 24, arrive at Westmont to begin their first week of Orientation, Aug. 21-25, and the start of the fall semester, Aug. 26.
Nineteen percent (70) of new students are first-generation and will join their parents beginning Tuesday, Aug. 20, for a First Connections Pre-Orientation program, which prepares them for a new cultural experience and the interpersonal connections vital to thriving in college. In addition, 21 international students representing nine countries, including Liberia, Belgium, Rwanda and Germany, will participate.
“This class of incoming students earns the perseverance award for their tenacity to navigate through the FAFSA challenge that delayed financial aid offers for more than seven months,” says Irene Neller, vice president for enrollment, marketing and communication. “In typical years, most would start receiving aid packages by mid-December, and these students were waiting into June. I applaud them for following through with their college dreams and beginning their life-changing journey in August. Their great determination and energy will serve them well throughout their academic career.”
Westmont continues to enroll large numbers of male students (43%) and students of color (49%), with 26% of new students identifying as Hispanic, a priority for the college becoming a nationally recognized Hispanic Serving Institution.
Westmont awarded academic scholarships ranging from $15,000 to more than $44,000 each year to more than 95 percent of entering new students.
While less than a quarter of students submitted test scores, as most colleges and universities make them optional, the average GPA of 4.0 is once again among the highest in school history. The middle range of SAT scores was 1220-1420 for the 65 new students who submitted them.
Westmont continues to serve the local community with 81 students from the Tri Counties, including 55 from Santa Barbara County.
The top three majors for new students include economics and business (57), biology (45) and psychology (38).
Athletes on the men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball teams began practice Aug. 19. The Warriors will be eligible for postseason play in both the PacWest and NCAA Division II championships for the first time this season.
Families will move their students into residence halls throughout the day Aug. 21 before the Welcome Session, a celebratory opening event of Warrior Welcome 2024 at 3:30 p.m. in Murchison Gym. President Gayle D. Beebe, in his 18th year as president, will welcome the new families, and the college will introduce them to this year’s Orientation Team, which represents Student Life, professors and staff.
The Service of Commitment, a formal ceremony with professors in academic regalia who welcome students to the Westmont community, takes place Thursday, Aug. 22, at 3:30 p.m. beginning in Murchison Gym. Following the service at about 4:30 p.m., bagpipe fanfare, a longstanding Westmont tradition, will lead new students on their First Walk through the Formal Gardens to Kerrwood Lawn, anticipating their Last Walk that occurs at Commencement from Kerrwood to Thorrington Field.