Hi! I’m a current first year at Colby and I’d love to share some insight with you. First off, let me start by saying I LOVE Colby so far. Colby honestly was not my first choice by far but it has ended up being the perfect school for me. In terms of culture— it definitely feels very different to me then what was described in the original post on that thread. The only subculture of Colby that is still very dominated by this Uber rich, white, prep school culture is some sports teams so if you’re child isn’t going to be on a team then you’re already avoiding this anyways. I’ve found the party culture to be really fun, but you have to come in having the expectation that you’re not coming to some big state school with the classic college parties. I have heard that covid has shifted the party culture but, as with any school, the going out scene is just not going to be as fun for freshmen anyways and I’ve still been able to find fun parties every weekend. To be honest with you, I do know a few of my classmates trying to transfer but in almost every case these people came into Colby only choosing it for the prestige and low acceptance rate and not because it fit them well. Many of them never even wanted to go to a small, rural school so it doesn’t surprise me that they’re transferring and unhappy. A few other things to note: the academics here are beyond amazing. I have become so close with so many professors in just one year and have taken the most incredible classes. Almost all my classes have been less than 15 students and I have had amazing academic opportunities. Colby has so much money that they’re practically throwing at students for research, international trips, internships etc. Even my friends that go to Ivy leagues and other top ten schools have not had the opportunities I have found here. Contrary to what others are saying, I have found really passionate activist and social justice spaces here— you just have to seek them out yourself. Bottom line is that I think Colby has such a special community that really cares about me and makes me feel welcome and everyone here seems genuinely happy. Some cons I would note is that it is really, really cold. You learn to deal with it and get to take advantage of Maine winter activities but winter is no joke here. Also, the housing situation is not great and Waterville is not the nicest town to hang out in (but it has everything you need). I also am not super outdoorsy at all so it was a bit of a learning curve coming here where everyone is so into the outdoors but I’ve grown to love all the outdoorsy things that Colby kids take advantage of. Let me know if you have any more questions!
13 Likes
DS is the current freshman at Colby and could not be happier and fulfilled. Friend of my friend is sending her second child to Colby this year, with a junior at Colby already. College experiences are created by students, not provided.
3 Likes