Meet Emory’s
Class of 2030
Emory’s Class of 2030 represents 46 states, 71 countries beyond the U.S., and thousands of unique experiences.
Get to know the class and find out what inspires the newest Emory Eagles.
Emory’s Class of 2030 is comprised of 2,002 incoming students selected from a pool of more than 43,000 applicants. These newest Eagles bring strong academic records, exceptional talents and wide-ranging interests, seeking to explore diverse areas of study and build connections through a variety of student groups.
“What stands out most to me about the Class of 2030 is the combination of academic excellence, intellectual curiosity and a genuine desire to contribute beyond themselves,” says Kelley Lips, vice provost for enrollment for undergraduate admissions.
“Our students aren’t simply looking for a top-tier university. They are looking for a place where they can combine rigorous academics with research, service, leadership, interdisciplinary exploration and engagement with Atlanta and the world,” says Lips.
One such example is incoming student Rebecca Fury. Growing up in Cape Town, South Africa, Fury swam competitively and later took up lifesaving, a sport that combines ocean swimming, board races and other events based on rescue skills. “What I really loved about it was that it’s the only sport that has a moral or humanitarian impact,” she says.
At Emory, Fury will compete on the swimming team and hopes to find ways to teach swimming in the community, while fully embracing Emory’s holistic liberal arts education.
“I knew that I had to come to a university that would let me kind of branch out into so many different areas,” she says. “I felt like I was at home here when I stepped foot on the grounds.”
In all, Emory College of Arts and Sciences welcomes 1,469 first-year students to the Atlanta campus. Oxford College will welcome 533 first-year students to its tightly knit, smaller campus.
Two Paths Toward the Future
Each student’s path to Emory is unique, and it remains that way after they arrive on campus. First-year students can apply to two starting points, either entering Emory College on the Atlanta campus or studying for their first two years at Oxford College, on Emory’s original campus in Oxford, Georgia.
After sophomore year, all students complete their undergraduate degrees on the Atlanta campus through Emory College, Goizueta Business School or the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.
“Welcoming the Class of 2030 is especially meaningful as I serve as dean of Emory College this academic year,” says James Nagy, dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences. “These students bring new perspectives, curiosity and a genuine excitement for learning. I look forward to seeing how they make Emory their own and all they will accomplish during their time here.”
On the historic Oxford College campus, first-year students moved in Friday, Aug. 21, to dive into orientation traditions including the Oxford Olympics.
“What excites me most about this class is the energy, curiosity and range of experiences they will bring to Oxford,” says Molly McGehee, dean of Oxford College. “They are accomplished students, and they are also thoughtful, creative and eager to make a difference.
“Oxford is a place where students are known, supported and challenged to grow,” McGehee adds. “I look forward to seeing how this remarkable class shapes our community and discovers the many ways they can contribute to the world around them.”
First-year students participating in Atlanta or Oxford campus pre-orientation programs and International Student Welcome arrived as early as Aug. 15, building connections with others who share similar interests and experiences.
The rest of the Emory College Class of 2030 arrived Saturday, Aug. 22, and orientation began, including practicing for Songfest, enjoying the Gate Crossing + Coke Toast and more, making Emory feel like home ahead of the first day of classes on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
Gate Crossing: First-year students in Emory College walked through the university's historic main gate together, with faculty, staff, fellow students and alumni sending them onto campus with cheers to celebrate the symbolic start of their journeys as Eagles.
Chantel Dae Cabrias was one of the students who moved to campus for the International Student Welcome, offering her a chance to meet other students and settle in. Cabrias grew up in Guam. Emory caught her eye when she realized during her junior year of high school that she wanted to go into nursing.
And like so many of her peers, she comes to Emory with multifaceted interests. She looks forward to joining the symphony, building on years of playing violin in her high school orchestra, at her church and in a community orchestra.
Opening the Doors to an Emory Education
Lips notes that the Class of 2030’s applicant pool was Emory’s largest ever, part of which she credits to Emory Advantage Plus. The financial aid program provides full tuition for eligible undergraduate students from families earning $200,000 or less and took effect this fall.
Through Emory Advantage Plus, “Emory made a substantial commitment to expanding access and making an Emory education more attainable for families who previously may have viewed the university as financially out of reach,” Lips says.
It’s one of the main reasons first-year student Maddux McClymonds now calls Emory home.
Growing up in a lower-income household in Twin Falls, Idaho, McClymonds found the price of many highly ranked, out-of-state colleges prohibitive.
Emory Advantage Plus changed the equation, offering enough financial certainty to make Emory his first choice, leading him to apply through Early Decision. “I knew if I got in, I’d be able to attend without going into debt, making the college process far more manageable,” he says.
McClymonds, who is starting at Oxford College, plans to study political science, minor in English and pursue a pre-law track. He is also eager to meet people whose experiences are different from his own. “Where I’m from, you don’t really get to meet people from a lot of different places,” McClymonds says.
“I want to help people and give back to whatever community I’m in.”
By the Numbers
The Class of 2030 hails from 46 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, along with 71 other countries.
For Oxford College students, there are 48 languages (besides English) spoken primarily at home; among Emory College students, 62 non-English languages are spoken at home.
First-generation college students — meaning neither parent completed a four-year degree — make up 18% of the first-year class at Oxford College and 16% of the first-year class at Emory College.
Emory also participates in the QuestBridge National College Match program, which matches outstanding high school seniors from low-income households with some of the nation’s best colleges.
This year, the Atlanta campus welcomes 52 QuestBridge Scholars and the Oxford campus welcomes five. Between the national match and QuestBridge students who chose Emory during the regular admission process, the Class of 2030 includes 89 students from the program.
One of the QuestBridge Match Scholars is Myah Henry, who grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and notes that receiving the scholarship made her dream of college possible.
Henry is part of the Oxford Launch: London cohort, spending her first semester as an Eagle in Camden, England, alongside 48 of her peers, studying and exploring with Oxford College faculty.
“The other student attendees have made me feel welcomed, reinforcing the sense that I am here for a purpose,” says Henry, who plans to major in computer science with an emphasis on cybersecurity. “I truly believe that the program has strengthened my sense of independence and trust in myself and those in my community.”
First Day Fest: On the Atlanta campus, the Class of 2030 joined other students for a gala carnival marking the first day of classes.
First Day Fest: On the Atlanta campus, the Class of 2030 joined other students for a gala carnival marking the first day of classes.
Stories from the Class of 2030
Trinity Williams of Columbus, Georgia, says Emory has been her dream since sixth grade.
“I was drawn to Emory because of the numerous opportunities they have here. It started as a liberal arts school and it’s got such a focus on service, which is a big part of who I am, too,” says Williams, who plans to major in film and media production.
Although her interests and goals have changed, “Emory was still it for me, because of the broad resources, academics and opportunities.”
Kamil Owoyemi first visited Emory for a scholarship interview and immediately felt at home.
“It stuck out to me how welcoming everyone was, not just those in the scholar program, but other students across campus,” recalls Owoyemi, who is from Bethesda, Maryland.
Now entering the Atlanta campus as a Woodruff Scholar, Owoyemi is looking forward to connecting with his fellow scholars through informal meetups and more formal retreats.
But the neuroscience and behavioral biology major is also excited to join Emory’s Emergency Medical Service crew. “I’ve been interested in medicine, so I volunteered with a rescue squad in high school and definitely want to continue that.
“The scholarship and visit made Emory more attractive in my mind. Coming to campus and interacting with everyone made it stand out that Emory was the place for me,” he says.
Alex Haponik’s future as a student-athlete and Eagle was sealed during a recruiting visit to campus for the men’s cross country team.
Haponik, who grew up just outside Charlotte, North Carolina, is strongly considering the dual degree in engineering shared between Emory and Georgia Tech — which would allow him to spend three years here and two at Tech and graduate with bachelor’s degrees from both institutions. Looking farther ahead, he’s interested in aerospace and says, “I think working for NASA, that would obviously be sick.”
As he begins his college experience, Haponik is especially looking forward to a broader community than the one he knew growing up. “I’m excited to be in a new place, meet new people, make new friends and experience new things,” he says.
QuestBridge Scholar Mia Hayward is also ready to step outside her comfort zone.
Hayward arrives at Emory from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with a leg up in her career journey. She earned her certified nursing assistant (CNA) credential while still in high school and later spent about a year working in a trauma surgical unit at a Sioux Falls hospital.
The experience strengthened her interest in nursing. “The gift of it is just seeing how much people improve over time,” she says, “and just getting to say that you helped somebody.”
In her first year, she’s embracing everything that’s new. Hayward had never visited Emory — or Atlanta — before arriving for move-in. She says she is especially excited to study abroad, meet students “from all over the world” and learn about cultures she has not previously encountered.
Even for students who grew up in major metropolitan areas, Emory feels like a breath of fresh air.
Fellow first-year Paula Valger says she was shaped by the vibrant arts scene in her hometown of Manhattan, New York.
After seeing “John Proctor Is the Villain” on Broadway — a Tony-nominated work written by Emory professor Kimberly Belflower — Valger was particularly drawn to Emory.
Here, she hopes to combine film and media studies with a dual major in business, eyeing a career as a film or television studio executive. She is eager to use Emory’s liberal arts curriculum to explore subjects such as psychology, marketing and anthropology.
Valger has also spent much of her life competing in ballroom dance. Learning that Emory has a ballroom dance club was “the cherry on top,” she says.
“I knew this was the place I needed to be.”
A toast to the future: Students on both campuses joined in their first Coca-Cola Toast, an Emory tradition for decades.
A toast to the future: Students on both campuses joined in their first Coca-Cola Toast, an Emory tradition for decades.
A toast to the future: Students on both campuses joined in their first Coca-Cola Toast, an Emory tradition for decades.
A toast to the future: Students on both campuses joined in their first Coca-Cola Toast, an Emory tradition for decades.
Emory College Move-In
Oxford College Move-In
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About this story: Written by Michelle Ricker and Roger Slavens. Infographic by Elizah Huff. Photos and video by Emory Photo/Video: Corey Broman-Fulks, Sarah Woods and Avery D. Spalding. Oxford photos by Paul Beezley. Design by Laura Douglas-Brown.
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