For eagles, building a nest is a bonding activity. The same could be said for the 900-plus first-year students who on Wednesday made the University of Mary Washington their home.

Move-In Day 2019.

Residence halls opened their doors to the Class of 2023, who arrived with parents, siblings, pets and armloads of bedding and clothes, as well as furniture, mini-fridges, laptops and shower caddies. They immediately began making connections with fellow students, and with President Troy Paino and wife Kelly, who – along with UMW staff – were on hand to help with the hauling. The freshmen strategically placed personal mementos and Mary Washington gear around their rooms, to remind them of the people who gave them their wings and those who’ll help them take flight.

The incoming students have a lot in common, especially their brains. Their average GPA is 3.63 and average SAT score is 1179. Nearly a quarter are the first in their families to attend college, and 102 have enrolled in UMW’s Honors Program. But there are differences, too. Read more.

The University of Mary Washington is a premier, selective public liberal arts and sciences university in Virginia, highly respected for its commitment to academic excellence, strong undergraduate liberal arts and sciences program, and dedication to life-long learning. The university, with a total enrollment of more than 5,000, features colleges of business, education and arts and sciences, and three campuses, including a residential campus in Fredericksburg, Va., a second one in nearby Stafford and a third in Dahlgren, Va., which serves as a center of development of educational and research partnerships between the Navy, higher education institutions and the region’s employers.