Colby College is a small private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. Colby is part of the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium and NESCAC. Athletically, they are mostly a Division III school; however, they are Division I in Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, and Squash.
Recently, Colby has become highly competitive. Their acceptance rate for the Class of 2027 was only 7%. The Class of 2026 had a record-breaking applicant pool with the “largest and most competitive applicant pool in Colby’s history,”… and they received about 900 more applications for C’27, breaking the previous year’s record.
Okay, so it’s harder to get into Colby than ever, but you still dream of going there. You might ask yourself, “Well, what should I do to maximize my chances of getting in?” We’re glad you asked; let’s break it down.
We hate to start with an issue… but…
This blog is part of a series about how to get into Northeastern Small College Athletic Conference schools. However, this one will look a little different than the blogs that we have already published on Amherst, Bowdoin, and Bates. This is because Colby does not release as much information about its admissions process as other NESCAC schools.
Most schools publish something called a “Common Data Set.” This document contains information and data about the admissions process, including points like ACT/SAT ranges and which admissions factors they look for. This makes it a handy document. Colby hasn’t published a Common Data set since 2016. On the record, we hate that. Like, come on, Colby, release some data; it won’t kill you. This makes it harder to talk about Colby admissions, but we still want to give you as much information as possible.
So, what do you need to get in?
Academics come first
The first thing you will need to get into Colby is good grades. They strongly recommended:
“a minimum of 16 academic preparatory units… including four years of English, three of a single foreign language, three of college preparatory mathematics, two of history or social studies, two of laboratory science, and two years of other college preparatory electives. Most successful candidates for admission present at least 20 academic units.”
We recommend not only completing those 20 academic units but also taking them at an accelerated level when possible. This can mean honors, AP, IB, or even dual enrollment, depending on what your school offers. You want to show that you push yourself academically, and the first step to doing this is taking challenging classes.
For the Class of 2026, 90% of admitted students were in the 10% of their high school class. While not all high schools rank their classes, this is an important data point for prospective students. Even if you aren’t sure if you are in the top 10% of your class, you should push yourself like you are trying to be.
Tests
Colby is test-optional, but if you are considering sending scores, they should be in line with admitted ranges. The middle 50% of SAT scores for the class of 2027 were between 1440-1530. Similarly, the middle 50% of ACT scores were between 32-34. If you choose to submit scores, ideally, your scores are either higher than or inside of the middle 50%.
Extracurriculars
It’s no secret that colleges aren’t only looking for outstanding academics, but they are also looking for great resumes. But what makes a great resume? Well, we always look for a commitment to one’s passions and leadership. Okay, that sounds vague, mainly because it is a little bit. Everyone has different passions, and the best extracurricular record shows off your passions. From looking at your activities, it should be immediately obvious what you care about. Ideally, there should be both academic passions and other passions showcased. For example, maybe you want to study history and also love playing rugby. It would be great to see both being an intern at a local history museum and the co-captain of the rugby team.
Whatever your passions are, you also need to show your commitment to them. If you love animals, starting your own dog-walking business looks better than volunteering once a month at the ASPCA. Better yet would be volunteering multiple hours a week and balancing this with your dog walking business. The name of the game here is commitment and involvement. We want to see you pursuing your passions and using the opportunities available to you. If you are, most likely, you will also be given more responsibility, which shows leadership whether it comes with a title or not.
Essays
You want to write a killer college essay. This is true not only for Colby but really anywhere you apply. An excellent college essay does a couple of things.
Showcases a couple of your good qualities
Tells an engaging story
And presents this information in a creative and well-written way
We know it’s a lot for 650 words, but we have a lot of blogs on how to best tackle the Common App essay. If you don’t know where to start, we suggest this one.
Colby doesn’t have a supplement. However, we still suggest writing something directed to their admissions office. We have our students write an introductory email to their admissions rep. These emails are a great way to start a relationship with your regional rep and also make a case for why you would make a great Colby student. We break down how to do this here.
Colby is a bit of a mystery, but it’s still important to put your best foot forward. Make sure to push yourself and make yourself the best Colby candidate you can be.
Need help navigating college applications? We can help with that. Contact us here.