President Farnam Jahanian embraced incoming students with a warm welcome to the Carnegie Mellon University community, kicking off the 2022 Orientation. The class of 2026+, joined by family and friends, gathered in McConomy Auditorium in the Cohon University Center to hear Jahanian's advice about their next four years at CMU.
Jahanian was joined onstage by Provost and Chief Academic Officer James H. Garrett Jr.; Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Director of the Office of Student Leadership, Involvement, and Civic Engagement Liz Vaughan; Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Gina Casalegno; and Head Orientation Counselor Leela Jay, a social and decision sciences major in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, who served as the master of ceremonies.
"Class of 2026+, today you begin your college career and embark on an exciting journey to fulfill lifelong ambitions. I can imagine that you are all feeling pretty triumphant to have made it to this moment. And you should," Jahanian said. "The next four years or so will undoubtedly be some of the most transformative of your young lives. The education you will receive here at CMU will give you every opportunity you can imagine to achieve your dreams."
Carnegie Mellon had a record 34,261 students apply to join the Class of 2026+, with record numbers of applicants across all schools and colleges at CMU. Nearly 11% of applicants to this class were admitted — CMU's most selective admittance rate ever — with a record 45% of admitted students enrolling. In just three years, the number of applicants to CMU has risen by almost 25%.