18,600 students returned to Binghamton University this past weekend, as the University received a record 58,400 total applications for the fall 2023 semester.

Approximately 3,000 first-year students ultimately enrolled out of a total application pool of 49,500, a 19 percent increase in applications received from last year. According to preliminary figures compiled by the Office of Institutional Research and shared by the University, BU received about 4,000 transfer applications, breaking a continuous 10-year decline. BU’s various graduate programs received over 4,900 applications.

In a statement to BingUNews, University President Harvey Stenger described the class of 2027 as “some of the most academically gifted students we have ever seen.”

“I’m excited to welcome this new class to [BU], as they will have a significant impact on not only the campus but also the surrounding community,” Stenger said.

In addition to the first-year class, about 750 transfer students and 1,500 graduate students were accepted and joined the campus community this fall. Geographically, 30 percent of new students are from upstate New York, 6 percent are local to Broome and Tioga counties and 52 percent are from Long Island and New York City.

Of the around 600 international students from 50 countries, most come from India, China, Turkey, South Korea and Iran, according to University data.

The move-in process was conducted over three days, with students choosing a day and time to arrive on campus. This year marked the first without the residential assistant (RA), a staple position at most colleges and universities. Residential Life announced the elimination of the RA last year, in an email to student staff at the time, saying that the position was no longer well suited to student needs. RA duties were distributed to various new roles — including community assistants, student support assistants, area assistants, wellness assistants and more.

Also in Residential Life’s gradual staffing evolution was the recent creation of the B-Welcome crew, a student staff position working to assist their peers during move-in. Jossalin De La Cruz-Natale, a B-Welcome Crew member in the Apartments Community and a junior majoring in biomedical engineering, said that the updated model helped students with the potential confusion of moving in.

“The influx of students moving in can be stressful, but being a part of the B-Welcome Crew gives a sense of support to returning and new students,” De La Cruz-Natale said. “The [Residential] Life community put a lot of time and effort into supporting [BU] students.

Casey Wall, the director of residential life and housing, oversees Residential Life’s strategic planning and operations. They addressed the collaborative nature of the move-in process.

“We are so excited to welcome students back to campus,” Wall wrote. “Everyone is very proud and pleased with the overall move-in weekend and the student and family experience. We feel it was a wonderful success and wish the students a great first week of classes.”