On Monday morning, a bright sun and blue sky accented a warm greeting by President L. Rafael Reif to the newest members of MIT — the Class of 2026 — who gathered with their families under a large and airy tent on Kresge Oval for Convocation, the Institute’s annual welcome to the incoming class. This year’s first-years at MIT comprise 1,139 students, who have come from 50 states, 65 countries, and more than 900 high schools. The incoming class was selected out of a total of 33,796 applicants — a…