By Parker Gordon/ Staff Writer

As a freshman, going into college is exciting and nerve racking. Something you want to ease into as you get to know the new environment around you. The freshman class of 2024 at Missouri Valley College however, are being put to the test and breezing through it

First year students attending MoVal in the fall of 2024 are the first class to have an average high school GPA of over 3.0 on a 4-point scale in recent memory.

“Each year we are trying to raise the bar for students just a little bit and I think this year they succeeded and want to continue to do that,” said Paul Troth, the Executive Director of Student Success and Assistant Professor of Education. 

Troth said the hope is that recruiting high school students with stronger academic backgrounds will translate into higher graduation rates at MVC.

 “Anytime you start out stronger in your pool of freshman, hopefully that will lead to increased numbers of completing their degree,” he said.

Derek Bohnsack, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, declined to comment on Valley’s academic recruiting for this article.

While the long-term effect of the increase in in-coming student GPA remains to be seen, it is having an immediate effect in one area of campus life. 

“There has been an increase in freshman at the honors college this year,” said Christopher Libby, the Dean of the Honors College and Professor of Religion and Philosophy. 

Libby added that in his observations, the first-year students seem to be off to a good start. 

“I see the expectations being set well and the pace is not too hard for them,” he said.

 Lastly interviewed is a freshman going to Missouri Valley to see how she felt about being in the position she was put into and Blaze Corbin had to say “ I am being academically challenged by the amount of work I am given. I feel that I have not been getting so much work that its overflowing but just enough to challenge me.” and stating “ I’m not necessarily enjoying the challenges i’ve been given I would say I have adjusted at this point and just going through the motions”

The teachers of Missouri Valley College are liking the 2024 freshman and the freshman seem to be handling the college work and doing what they need to do.