St. Olaf welcomes Class of 2018
St. Olaf College recently welcomed the Class of 2018 — a talented, diverse group of 775 first-year students from 458 high schools in 45 states and 32 countries.
They include 130 domestic students of color and 68 international students, as well as 25 Davis United World College Scholars (the most the college has ever enrolled in a single class).
Most of these new Oles — 56 percent — hail from outside of Minnesota. The class also includes 10 students who were admitted last year and deferred, spending a gap year studying in places like Russia, China, Nepal, Wyoming, New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, and Laos, or — in one case — playing junior hockey in Canada.
And while these numbers provide some insight into the incoming class, each new group of students is more than just a compilation of statistics and figures. The Class of 2018 also includes:
- One student who already has a licensed computer game with Yahoo
- Six students who have a black belt in a martial art
- One student who appeared in an episode of the Beverly Hills, 90210 remake
- Two sets of twins
“I’m thrilled to welcome the Class of 2018 to campus,” says Vice President for Enrollment and College Relations Michael Kyle ’85. “They are energetic, dynamic, and accomplished. I very much look forward to watching them grow and develop as Oles — they are already making their mark on our community, and that is exciting for all of us to see.”