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Will Cherry plans to use the laws of physics to tackle safety issues in sports. Aminata Coundoul is nurturing dreams of becoming a pediatric nurse. Ramatulai Senghor intends to advocate for child rights, and defend in her own words, “all victims of exploitation and abuse.”

These three members of the new class of 2022 are among 21,115 ��Ʒ���˸������� undergraduate and graduate students, the University’s highest-ever enrollment counted on Census Day, the 10th day of the fall semester.

For a big school – ��Ʒ���˸������� University is New Jersey’s second largest university – “there is a sense of belonging that I feel as a freshman,” says Senghor, who is entering the combined BA in Jurisprudence/MA in Law and Governance program. And with 16,988 undergraduates on campus, “I already feel like I am part of a larger extended family.”

The freshmen include the University’s first class of Presidential Scholars. Following a rigorous selection process, the 343 students each will receive a merit-based scholarship worth up to $20,000 over four years. The cohort includes Carla Ko, an accounting major who says the academic and career preparation experiences have been among the highlights of her first days on campus.

“I thoroughly enjoy being a part of something new that not only enhances my education, but also creates a network of connections and friendships, building a real sense of community within itself,” Ko says.

The student body reflects the full diversity of the state and the nation. Geographically, the freshman applicant pool hailed from 45 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and nearly two dozen foreign countries.

Entering the freshman class from Susquehannock High School in Pennsylvania is Brady Mock, an Animation and Illustration major. Mock says he was drawn to ��Ʒ���˸������� because of its low tuition costs, proximity to New York City and academics that connect with his career goals.

“Most of my classes are directly related to my major, so it’s great spending most of my time in class engaging in subjects that I love,” Mock says.

To help support student success, ��Ʒ���˸������� launched a major initiative with the creation of University College, a pre-major academic home for discovery and advising. According to the census data, 2,064 students are enrolled.

��Ʒ���˸������� has grown in ways that would have been hard to imagine in 1908 when it opened to train teachers. It is now recognized as a Carnegie-designated research doctoral university and state-designated public research institution, and is listed among the nation’s top 100 public universities by U.S. News & World Report.

This year, 4,127 graduate students are working on doctoral, master’s and certificate programs. They include Amanda Steinberg, who says she is starting her studies in the Master of Arts in Public and Organizational Relations to expand her career possibilities.

“I chose Montclair for graduate school because I wanted a credible program from an academic institution that would open new opportunities to me,” Steinberg says. “The course descriptions intrigued me, and so far within my first few weeks of class, I know I’ve made the right decision. The small classroom setting and close-knit relationships I’ve developed with my peers makes me feel right at home.”