The 1,434 members of the Class of 2008 assembled on the Main Green Wednesday night for their first official class meeting.
The message of the evening - delivered to first-years from all 50 states and 39 countries - was very much the same as in years past.
Dean of the College Paul Armstrong encouraged students to "take intellectual risks" and to "develop an understanding of the variety of ways of knowing."
Director of Admission Michael Goldberger applauded the diversity and accomplishments of the Class of 2008, which boasts 59 more females than males and was selected from an applicant pool of over 15,000.
Goldberger rattled off the traditional list of impressive class statistics: 90 percent of admitted students were ranked in the top 10 of their high school classes, and more than 20 percent were class valedictorians. Students came to Brown from 974 high schools, dispelling the myth that the University accepts most of its students from "feeder schools," Goldberger said.
The class included students from Mississippi, Idaho and North Dakota - states not represented in last year's entering class. The five most represented countries are Canada, China, Turkey, the United Kingdom and Korea. New York, California and Massachusetts are the most represented states.
The most common female name is Elizabeth, and the most common male name is Michael. An 800 was the most common score for both the SAT verbal and math sections, though 90 percent of the class did not have these scores. One student sat for the SAT nine times. The Program in Liberal Medical Education received 1,400 applications for 65 places.
Goldberger praised the class of 2008 for being "the best class ever."
"It's really impressive that each year Brown students become better, although it's disappointing that '07 is no longer the best," said Minority Peer Counselor Vidya Putcha '07.
Forty-five percent of the class intends to study sciences, math or engineering. Twenty-two percent plan to study humanities, and 20 percent want to pursue the social sciences. Goldberger predicted, however, that 88 percent of the class will change their minds at least twice.
Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services David Greene welcomed the first-year students to a community where, he said, "debate is the chosen form of expression." He encouraged students to be respectful of their peers, making particular reference to two alleged hate crimes last year that involved sexuality and gender identity.
The Brown Band performed tunes by Outkast and The Offspring as the class took their seats, and members belted out the alma mater before the class dispersed.
Co-chair of the Orientation Welcoming Committee Joshua Wilson '05 provided first-years with a few words of wisdom before they were released into the cool September evening: "When it comes to choosing between studying and food, always choose food. Brain cells come and go, but fat cells live forever."
