PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Braving the mist and rain, more than three dozen new Brown students paraded through the Van Wickle Gates on Tuesday morning, Jan. 23, during this year’s midyear procession. Bells rang and the Brown Band played as the 41 transfer and visiting students officially began their studies at Brown.

“This is a very diverse cohort of students who hail from a wide range of academic institutions and bring an exceptional level of demonstrated academic rigor, intellectual curiosity, commitment to social justice and social responsibilities,” said Julie Lee, assistant dean of the College for academic support and transfer. “I am confident that they will contribute their talents and passions to our vibrant community at Brown.”

VIDEO: Watch this year's visiting and transfer students make their way through the Van Wickle Gates via our Facebook Live feed.

The new cohort of 36 transfer students began their academic careers at 26 universities across the United States before coming to Brown. Some of the institutes represented include Cornell University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Wesleyan University, Emory University, University of Texas-Austin, University of Vermont and University of Miami.

The visiting students include four who are part of the Brown-Tougaloo semester exchange, which offers students from each partner institution the opportunity to study for a semester at the other’s campus. Brown has shared a unique partnership with this historically black college in Jackson, Mississippi, since 1964.

Additionally one student is visiting from Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The students, who will join Brown’s classes of 2020 and 2021, have been immersed in orientation activities since Sunday — spring semester classes begin tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan. 24).