Photo courtesy GMU Winter graduation

For the first time, over 50 percent of current freshmen are people of color

BY ABIGAIL ADCOX, STAFF WRITER

This fall, Mason welcomes its largest and most diverse freshman class in the university’s history. According to President Cabrera, Mason’s total enrollment for this fall is more than 37,000 students, 3,720 of them freshmen―a six percent increase from last year. For the first time, more than 50 percent of this freshman class are people of color.

“There are many reasons why I chose Mason, but I’d definitely say the diversity is one of them,” said Viviane Vu, a freshman. “I knew I would be able to learn more about others and their cultures.”

Students in the class of 2022 have come from around the world: 44 states and 34 countries, according to Mason News. Their average high-school GPA is 3.7, up from the previous class’s 3.66. According to the university, “Top identified majors are computer science; biology; criminology, law and society; nursing; and government and international politics.”

Mason Ambassador Delaney Hertel explained how she discusses diversity during campus tours: “I tell of growing up in a homogeneous area with almost no diversity, and everything I’ve learned since coming to Mason. I talk about taking Arabic and learning all about the culture from my classmates, and [the] friends I’ve made from all over the country, who are from all different backgrounds. I find the more personal my experience sounds, the more people understand my message.”

This is the second consecutive year that U.S. News and World Report has ranked Mason as a top institution for student diversity. The university is currently tied for 25th nationally.

The Office of Admissions’ website lists inclusivity as a main reason for students to choose Mason.

“The connections that you make are really important,” said sophomore Batool Ibrahim. “Having this diverse campus, you are going to have a lot of different connections that you wouldn’t have made previously. [At] this stage … you want to be exploring, you want to learn a lot more [and have] all these different people from literally all over to interact with.”