Bryn Mawr College has posted its highest sophomore retention rate in a decade, two consecutive years running, after overhauling how it prepares incoming students for campus life.

The milestone comes as the Class of 2030 prepares to arrive, with international first-year students due on campus Tuesday, Aug. 25. Every member of the incoming class has already met one-on-one with a dean, reviewed fall courses and heard from campus support offices before setting foot on campus, according to the college.

The structured programming began with the Class of 2027 under MB Horvath, associate dean of the first-year experience. Horvath's team introduced virtual sessions for parents and families that cover logistics previously crammed into move-in day. All sessions are recorded and posted online.

"This has been really helpful for parents of international students, but it gives all students and their families more time to spend together and to focus on the actual move-in," Horvath said.

The office also consolidated the college's communication stream. Incoming students once received a flood of emails from multiple departments; now information funnels through a single strengthened newsletter managed by Horvath's team. Students also get a companion online course they can reference through the summer and first year.

New for the Class of 2030: a book club and "Mawrter Moment with Maggie," a short-video series in which Maggie Hernan '22, a graduate assistant on the first-year experience team, shares first-hand perspectives on undergraduate life.

The retention gains align with Bryn Mawr's broader strategic direction. The college's 10-year plan, "The Next Chapter," released in April 2026, lists increasing retention and graduation rates as a key initiative and cites the looming "demographic cliff" of fewer high school graduates nationally as a reason robust student support matters.

Bryn Mawr did not release a specific retention percentage or the size of the Class of 2030.

International first-year students arrive Tuesday, with the broader orientation schedule still to be announced.