New Jersey's Rowan University welcomes largest freshman class ahead of new school year
GLASSBORO, NJ (CBS) — Wednesday kicked off Welcome Week at New Jersey's Rowan University, and thousands of first-year students said goodbye to mom and dad as they got ready to experience college life.
Freshman and their families filled shopping carts with clothes, containers and all the essentials and made their way inside Holly Pointe Commons, which is one of the many residence halls on campus.
"I'm very excited. I'm also very nervous, but I know it's going to be fun hopefully," said Taryn Johnson as she unloaded her trunk filled with boxes.
Taryn Johnson and her twin sister, Caitlyn, are taking this big step together.
"It's nice to know I have someone I can depend on here with me, so it makes it a lot easier to process and everything," Caitlyn Johnson said.
"As parents you feel like you instilled enough in them to do the right thing, and now you have to just let them go and experience stuff," said Robert Johnson.
The Class of 2028 is already breaking records. With 3,100 freshman, it's the largest class in the university's history.
"Well, that has to be good luck then hopefully," said Taryn Johnson.
Rowan also said that for the first time ever, the university received applications from students in every state in the country and from 95 countries around the world.
"When I came here in 2006, we didn't have a single international student, and we had a handful of out-of-state students," said Dr. Ali Houshmand, president of Rowan University.
Houshmand says the school's enrollment has doubled over the last 10 years. He greeted students and their families Wednesday and welcomed them to campus.
"This is the most exciting time of the year when I see these young minds coming here for the first time leaving home," Houshmand said.
It's a day many of the freshmen have been counting down to, and one filled with many emotions as they begin a new chapter away from home.
"I'm holding it in right now, I'm trying not to cry yet. Hopefully, I don't cry until everything is done," Caitlyn Johnson said.
The fall semester begins Tuesday.