Welcome, Class of ’14!

Moving into Barclay Hall, with Customs People doubling as porters.

Freshman have moved in and Customs Week is underway.  It’s our distinct pleasure to introduce you to the newest Fords!

First, some numbers:

  • 99% of you were in the top 20% of your class
  • 94% of you were in the top 10%
  • 18 were the Valedictorian of their class, and another 13 the salutatorian
  • 2 were homeschooled
  • 7 were originally admitted to the Class of 2013, and chose to defer your enrollment to this year
  • For 22%, one or both parents did not attend college, and 12% are the first in their family to go to college
  • 14% speak a language other than English at home
  • 5% are Quaker
  • 32% identified yourselves as a student of color
  • 7% came to Haverford from outside the United States
  • 20 of you who served as the Head or Vice President of Student Government
  • 92 of you were a captain of a sport – many of you for multiple sports; remarkably, this is the exact same number as last year
  • 35 of you were the captain of an academic team
  • 25 of you were the Editor-in-Chief of your school’s newspaper
  • And around 25% of you were the President or Head of some other club or organization in your school
  • Around 20% of you founded your own club or organization somewhere along the way
  • More than half of you were involved in the arts in some capacity during high school, with a full 1/3 of you involved in music
  • And it would have been impossible to count the hours dedicated to service of all sorts

Now…the skinny on the Class as a group of individuals. A member of the Class of 2014…

  • Was team manager for the Middle East winner of the Formula One Car Design contest
  • Conducted an independent project on the genealogical history of Frederick Douglass
  • Was an All-State Tenor AND the goalie on the 2009 NY State Lacrosse Championship team
  • Pushed for your school to create an exchange program in South Africa. While on this trip, you met Bishop Tutu and also made an unauthorized trip to a township, staying there overnight by yourself
  • Writes computer programs for the Low Cost Laptop program, which sends laptops to kids in developing nations
  • Was the 2009-10 New Jersey Dairy Princess
  • Was National High School co-leader of Friends General Conference, a major Quaker organization
  • Created the “Kilowatt Kickoff” at your high school, reducing energy consumption by 20% and saving your school $12,000/yr
  • Left home at age 13 to attend a dance academy. Among many achievements in dance, danced with the Pussycat Dolls
  • As a Kindergartener was ranked 5th in the nation for your grade level in chess
  • Is a serious roller coaster enthusiast, aspiring to design your own roller coasters and amusement parks, and creator of a roller coaster website that is extremely popular among other enthusiasts
  • Was the President and Founding member of Junior Bassmasters
  • Participated in the European Youth Parliament
  • Was the 2009 NJ State Champion Fencer in Epee, and a Junior Olympic Fencer
  • Does Chinese Papercut Art
  • Did research on Renaissance Venice during your college tour – visiting each college’s library to find sources not available at your high school library
  • Grew up without electricity or running water until 3rd grade
  • Collects Roman coins
  • Did an internship at the National Organization for Women
  • Was the 2010 Delaware State Diving Champion
  • Raised $20K as President of the Action 4 Africa organization
  • Plays ukulele in a band called Toolbox
  • Published a paper on Studs Terkel and presented your work at the Oral History Association National Symposium
  • Was part of the US Soccer Development Academy
  • Established the annual “Give the Principal a High Five” day
  • Was top 10 in the US on the National French Exam
  • Plays Competitive Online Scrabble
  • Invents languages and alphabets
  • Established the “Living Free for Research” foundation, which has raised over $100K for stem cell research
  • Cohosted a popular biweekly Twilight Podcast, and was even flown out to a Twilight convention in Washington
  • Placed 8th at the Nike US Nationals for Indoor Track
  • Took time off after graduating to live in Japan. And while there, took a Tea Ceremony course and performed at Japan’s largest annual tea ceremony
  • Was the senior intern of the Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History
  • Intern for the NC State-Wide Gay Rights organization
  • Is the 2010 Nat’l Catholic Forensic League National Champion in Policy Debate
  • Is a Nationally ranked competitive rock climber, going to the US Sport Climbing Series National Championship and the American Bouldering Series National Championship
  • Has studied ancient Greek since age 4
  • Won “Audience Favorite” and a $1,000 prize at the Chicago Union League Jazz Improvisation Competition
  • Is the Founder and Director of “Project Snuggly Heads”, making hats for cancer patients
  • Took the past year away from school to curate an exhibition in London on Street Art and produce an accompanying coffee table book. The exhibition was a huge success, and the book is amazing – we have a copy in admission if you want to check it out

See you ’round campus!