Pomona College Class of 2029 on the steps of Carnegie Hall during Move-In Day
Move-In Day:
Cars started lining First Street at Columbia Avenue as early as 7 a.m. Saturday, the license plates along the queue as diverse as the Pomona community that the precious cargo inside the vehicles would soon join.
Hundreds of new students moved into their residence halls with the help of dozens of residential advisors and Pomona staff members.
Bailey Williams ’26, a computer science and politics double major from Dallas, Texas, was among the cohort of residential advisors outside Lyon Court offloading suitcases, appliances and furniture by the trunkload.
“The energy is unmatched,” he said. “Everyone’s excited to see the new class.”
With most new students moved in by noon, families shared a meal at Frank Dining Hall before students met with members of the Orientation Team, their resident advisors or their sponsors to make first connections with the Pomona community.
The Class of 2029 took a group photo on the steps of Carnegie Hall in the afternoon, then did the traditional “Through the Gates” walk with President G. Gabrielle Starr.
Starr, who returned to her post last month after a spring sabbatical, addressed the first-years later in the evening, before a “Boba Break” at Harwood Pergola to cap off the day.
In total, 423 first-year students and 30 transfer students are joining Pomona this fall.
For Williams, the hustle and bustle of Move-In Day rekindled fond memories of his first days at Pomona.
“My advice to new students is [that] there’s a lot of things to get into, and you’ll find yourself and your place at Pomona eventually,” Williams said. “So take your time and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.”
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- Class of 2029 international students
Orientation Adventure Builds Friendships and Faith
In August 453 new students-first-years and transfers-kicked off their Pomona journey by participating in the annual Orientation Adventure (OA), a three-day experience that allows students to bond in the week before classes start.
A nearly 30-year-old tradition, OA features opportunities ranging from backpacking and surfing to “Quintessential L.A.,” which included taking in the Hollywood sign, Grand Central Market and an Angels baseball game.
The “Pali Retreat” group participated in a variety of outdoor activities that included archery, tomahawk throws, three ropes courses and a 40-foot harnessed drop known as the “Leap of Faith.”
Other excursions included “Farm and Fish” (think fishing trips and urban farms in Pasadena) and “Community Partnerships and Service,” where, among other things, students spent a morning helping the Claremont-based Prison Library Project find books for local incarcerated individuals.
Four years from now, OA friends will cheer for each other again—only this time, rather than being 40 feet overhead getting ready to leap, they’ll be walking across the stage at Commencement.
“This is only my second day here, and it’s already been amazing,” says Isaac Aguirre ’29, who hails from Buena Park, California. “There are great people out there.”
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- Professor Wolf with student at Fall 2025 Academic Fair
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- Students preparing food at 2025 Fall Orientation Adventure
