May 15, 2026
This message is from MPA’s Office of Admission from the May 16 issue of Inside MPA. Click here to get in touch with Admission and learn more!
This fall, members of MPA’s Class of 2026 will begin their next chapters as Tigers, Bruins, Blue Demons, Blue Jays, Tritons, Golden Eagles, and much more.
They’ll head off to colleges and universities across the country to study everything from engineering and neuroscience to business economics, cognitive science, liberal studies, and more. Several students will also continue competing in collegiate athletics, pursuing their passions in sports like Nordic skiing and golf.
From coast to coast—and even internationally—the Class of 2026 is preparing to make its mark. MPA graduates are heading to schools in 17 different states with destinations ranging from California and Colorado to Massachusetts and North Carolina. They’ll soon call cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, among many others, home.
In total, the 55 members of the Class of 2026 will matriculate to 39 different colleges and universities, a reflection of the individualized and student-centered nature of the college search process at MPA. Rather than following a single path, students are encouraged to discover the colleges and opportunities that best align with who they are and whom they hope to become.
On May 1, seniors gathered to celebrate College Choice Day, proudly wearing apparel from their future schools while creating their annual college pennants, taking photos, sharing laughs, and soaking in one of the final traditions of their MPA experience together. See photos from the day!
“College choices are led by each student’s set of priorities in choosing a school. These priorities center on a number of different themes—academic programming, athletic interests, scholarship awards, location, research opportunities, and extracurricular pursuits—which is why our seniors matriculate to such a wonderful array of schools. We have a system in place where Dr. Quam, assistant director of college counseling, and I know each senior exceptionally well,” says director of college counseling Lisa Pederson.
Congratulations to the MPA Class of 2026! We are so proud of all you have accomplished and excited to see where your next adventures lead.
