On January 29, Prep hosted its annual ‘Accepted Students Reception.’ Aimed at the class of 2027, it is a day to inform students about all-things Prep.

As one of the volunteers at the reception, I had the chance to speak with many incoming students about Prep life. Most said they loved their introduction during the ‘Freshman-for-a-Day’ experience and were excited for next year; many expressed appreciation to the dedicated faculty and staff they had the chance to speak with, as well as a growing love for our campus.

The reception is one example of Prep’s ways to acclimate students. Current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are already picking classes for next year with seniors eagerly waiting for college acceptances and graduation. It’s hard to belief that this year is already winding down, the groundwork ever being laid for next year. A keen-eyed observer might also notice changes in the Campus shop from 2026 to 2027.

At the reception, I learned about some demographics of our new brothers. From what I could gather, there is a wave of students from Battery Park in Manhattan. I found this exciting, knowing we’ve made a strong enough impact to bring students from across the river. I also discovered my hometown which seems to have had a slight dip from last year. One of the neat things about Prep is the changes from year to year.

I’ve always been of the mind that learning can go both ways: New students will hopefully learn from us, while we can undoubtedly learn from them.