Exactly three months ago, Dunn School graduated 49 outstanding seniors and wished them good fortune as they headed to colleges in every part of the nation. This week, the private school in Los Olivos embraced the joyful task of welcoming 88 new students to campus.

“We’re delighted to usher in the biggest and most talented class in recent memory,” admission director Mike McKee said.

From 239 applicants, Dunn’s admission office selected 58 new students in the Upper School and 30 new students in the Middle School. Student-reported diversity reached 35 percent this year, and 29 percent of families qualified for need-based financial aid awards.

Dunn’s new families join the college-prep school from every part of Santa Barbara county, plus four states: Washington, Texas, Montana and Massachusetts. Dunn also welcomes new students from Canada, Mexico, Spain, Norway, Germany, Scotland, China, Turkmenistan, Taiwan and Sierra Leone.

What most delighted McKee and the admission committee was the talent new students brought to Dunn. Among the incomers are a flamenco dancer, a dog show participant, several scuba divers, a balloon artist, an outdoorsman, a competitive surfer, elite baseball players, a filmmaker, a wood worker, a surveyor for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, serious volleyball, lacrosse and soccer players, and several quintets of musicians.

As the 2014-15 academic year gets under way, Dunn’s new students are discovering just what it means to belong to the Earwig Nation.

Dunn is a college-prep private school for grades 6 through 12 in Los Olivos. On our idyllic 55-acre campus we bring together 43 talented teachers who inspire students to become sharp thinkers, creative doers and confident leaders. As a boarding and day school, Dunn forms a strong community — a small school where teachers become mentors and advocates. It all adds up to a spectacular environment in which to discover your passions, build unshakable confidence, and learn to make an impact in the world.

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— Jessie Brumfiel represents Dunn School.