Mercer to welcome record-breaking freshman class for move-in day

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large group photo of smiling Mercer students and faculty during Move In
Dr. Penny Elkins, senior vice president for Enrollment Management, with Mercer freshmen and PAs during 2022 Move In. Photo by Christopher Ian Smith

Mercer University will begin its 190th academic year by welcoming a record-breaking freshman class of more than 1,000 students, most of whom will move into their residence halls on the Macon campus this Friday and Saturday.

These freshmen, along with more than 100 transfer students, will join Mercer’s largest and most talented undergraduate student body in the University’s history.

“We are thrilled to welcome the next class of Mercerians to campus this year,” said Dr. Kelly Holloway, assistant vice president for enrollment management at Mercer. “The class of 2027 was selected from among the largest applicant pool in University history and impressed us with their academic and co-curricular achievements. We look forward to supporting them throughout their Mercer journey as they endeavor to change the world.”

First-year students arriving on Mercer’s campus for the start of the fall semester will be greeted by the Mercer Movers, a group of more than 150 volunteer upperclassmen, faculty and staff, who help unload and carry new students’ belongings into their residence hall rooms.

[Related: 4 things to know about Mercer’s 2023 Opening Days and Bear Beginnings]

Move-in starts Friday at 9 a.m. and will kick off several exciting event-filled Opening Days for the new students, including:

  • POP-a-Palooza on Cruz Plaza, where students and their families can enjoy their favorite “pops” (popcorn, popsicles, soda pop) as they prepare for the annual Macon Pops concert in Hawkins Arena.
  • Bear Beginnings: First-Year Student and Family Kick-Off in Hawkins Arena, where students will hear from Mercer administrators, meet other members of the Mercer community and receive more information about what is to come during Bear Beginnings
  • The traditional Class of 2027 photo on Cruz Plaza
  • Picnic and campfire parties
  • The University’s annual Fall Convocation, the traditional start of the academic year, will take place Monday, Aug. 21, at 2 p.m. in Hawkins Arena.
  • Bear Fair, an annual event designed to introduce the newest Mercerians to campus organizations and the Central Georgia community, from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m. on the University Center intramural courts.

For more on Opening Day and the Bear Beginnings orientation schedule, click here.