La Salle’s largest class since 2018 made themselves at home at 20th and Olney

The class of 2029 settled in at La Salle University for Welcome Weekend and the 2025-26 academic year.

Overall, La Salle is expecting approximately 900 new undergraduate students for the 2025-26 academic year, including first-year, transfer, and students enrolled in La Salle’s new Campos School. In addition to 40% more first-year students this year, La Salle counts a 60% growth in transfer students and 25 more international students.  The growth in student coincides with 1,700 more applications for the 2025-26 academic year, a 40% increase from the prior year and the most since 2010.

While the sky was cloudy on Thursday August 21, the mood was anything but as over 700 new Explorers settled into their new home at La Salle University. This year’s class represents the largest group of first-time, full-time students since 2018. 

Students and their loved ones benefitted from a streamlined move-in to St. Basil Court and St. Neumann Hall on La Salle’s south campus, as University move-in crew volunteers of faculty and staff helped them unload boxes and bags from their cars to their new residence halls.  

To make room for the 300 more new and returning Explorers residing on campus in 2025, the University renovated and re-opened two residence halls that have been closed for the last couple of years.  

Overall, La Salle is expecting approximately 900 new undergraduate students for the 2025-26 academic year, including first-year, transfer, and students enrolled in La Salle’s new Campos School. In addition to 40% more first-year students this year, La Salle counts a 60% growth in transfer students and 25 more international students.  

The growth in student coincides with 1,700 more applications for the 2025-26 academic year, a 40% increase from the prior year and the most since 2010. 

August 21 was not just move-in day but the first day of Welcome Weekend for the new students.  

University President, Daniel J. Allen, Ph.D., spent the morning meeting students and their families and helping them to feel welcomed in their new home.  

After the beds were made, clothes were hung, and personal touches were added, the students took part in the fourth annual First Expedition Walk, where they were led through campus by the 76ers Official Drumline, their student orientation leaders, the La Salle Spirit Dance Team, and President Allen and La Salle faculty processing from Hayman Hall to the John E. Glaser Arena.  

Once they arrived at the arena, cheered along the whole way by their families, friends, and Explorer community, students took part in the New Student Welcome Convocation, where they heard from President Allen and keynote speaker, Justin Cornelius, ‘19, deputy secretary of legislative affairs at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office.   

“I know you will feel at home at La Salle because our mix of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are not manufactured. Not forced. It just is,” Allen proclaimed. “It is natural. It is authentic. It’s individual threads woven into colorful, flexible but untearable fabric. It. Is. Us.” 

He let the class of 2029 know what they had to look forward to: guidance, support, and grace, a high-quality Lasallian Catholic education, life-long friendships, and the promise of exploring Philadelphia.  

“Welcome to La Salle. Welcome to 20^th and Olney. Welcome to your home,” Allen said. “Let’s begin this journey together. Go Explorers. I see you.”  

Cornelius, the keynote speaker, shared his experience as an Explorer, and all the opportunities he was able to take advantage of during his time at La Salle, encouraging the new class to do the same.  

“We are known for more. More than ambition. More than titles. More than GPAs or resumes or where we came from. We are known for faith. We are known for service. We are known for community,” he said. “Be curious, but don’t stop there. Be grounded. Be bold, but don’t stop there. Be intentional. Be excellent, but don’t stop there. Be ethical. Be involved, but don’t stop there. Be invested in others.”  

“Here at La Salle, it’s not just about what you do, it’s about who you become. Never stop exploring. Explorers are never lost. And now, it’s your turn to be known for more. Go live it. Go lead with it. Go light up campus with it. And be the reason someone else dares to become their best,” Cornelius said.  

August 21 was just the first day in of a Welcome Weekend packed full of activities and information for the students, who still had dinner tailgates, yoga sessions, and mixers to look forward to between all the gathering all the knowledge they need to settle in for the academic year and the start of classes on August 25. 

-Naomi Thomas

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