Over the past seven days, The Daily Pennsylvanian photographers captured the excitement, nerves, and overall bustle of New Student Orientation and Transfer Student Orientation. 

From meeting Penn President Liz Magill during move in to spending an evening at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and witnessing the annual Convocation ceremony, these first moments for the Class of 2027 and transfers marked their early transition to Penn. They embraced the chance to not only explore the campus and greater Philadelphia, but to also forge friendships with their peers and set the framework for their college experience.

Here’s how the Penn community welcomed its newest students to campus, in photos.

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Transfer students began their move in on Aug. 21. As a part of their specialized programming, they participated in guided tours around campus, mixers with old transfers, and advising sessions.

Transfer students attended a picnic on the Gutmann College House lawn later in the day, joined by Magill and the Peers Helping Integrate New Students team. In this casual setting, they had the opportunity to meet their fellow classmates over catered dinner and dessert and discuss their goals for their Penn journeys.

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Magill greeted Engineering first year Luka Koll during his move in to the Quad on Aug. 22. For each student she talked to, she asked them to share one thing they brought with them that reminds them of home and received answers ranging from stuffed animals to Polaroid photos and promises to call parents.

Provost John L. Jackson spoke with Magill at the President and Provost’s First-Year Family Welcome in front of College Hall on Aug. 23. After the event, he met with new students to discuss their academic and personal goals for college.

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Houston Hall was bustling with students and their families on Aug. 22 for the New Student Resources Fair, a ‘one-stop shop’ with essential resources for the Penn community. Organizations — like Campus Express, Penn Dining, Penn Transit, and more — hosted booths for new students to learn more about their services before the upcoming school year.

This year, first-year students took their class photo at night, in an event dubbed Friday Night Lights. They played games, met with Penn athletics teams, and received their class T-shirts — which, for the first time, was handed out after the photo in an effort to increase attendance.

First years were also greeted by the Quaker mascot during Friday Night Lights. He mingled with attendees and posed for photos, now a familiar figure to new students after a week of NSO events and activities.

The annual gala event, An Evening at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, invited new students to a catered dinner reception on Aug. 26. The celebration also featured tours of the exhibits, music, and dancing, a highlight in an action-packed NSO week.

This year marked the first-ever dessert reception for incoming sophomores at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts on Aug. 27. Students toured the exhibits, mingled on the dance floor, and posed at the photo booth — all part of the Second Year Orientation experience and something that Troy Majnerick, associate director of the New Student Orientation & Academic Initiatives, hopes will become an annual tradition in the years to come.

Convocation took place at Franklin Field on Aug. 28 due to ongoing renovations to College Hall, the ceremony’s typical location. Magill, Jackson, and Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule delivered speeches welcoming the incoming students, and attendees also listened to performances by Penn Band, Penny Loafers, and Penn Glee Club.

Magill’s speech included an interactive exercise, where students passed multicolored cards to their neighbors behind them. Afterwards, when most students only remembered the color of their card, she encouraged them to be open to new ideas and a broad perspective during their time at Penn.