Hi everyone:
I got admitted to Colby Class of 2019 yesterday! It is really exciting because Colby is such an amazing school and is one of my top choices! I plan to major in Economics in college and was wondering how the econ program is at Colby. Is Colby a school with connections to business centers such as Boston? Do students have plenty internship/job shadowing opportunities? What have recent econ majors done with their degrees?
Also, I love Colby's beautiful rural campus but I am not a very outdoorsy person. I heard a lot of Colby students are into skiing/mountain climbing. Will I be able to fit into Colby?
Thank you!
The econ department here is probably one of the strongest departments on campus. There’s a lot of focus geared towards econ majors whether it’s through Alumni Relations, the Career Center, or just professors getting recruitment opportunities for the students. That being said, econ is probably one of the hardest departments on campus and one of the most demanding. There’s two tracks within the department (math econ and financial econ) and they’re both really great. I know a lot of my senior friends are heading off to IB or risk management next year and the connections definitely help.
In terms of Colby being an outdoorsy campus, while that is true, there is a lot to do otherwise. There are those who ski every week during the ski season, but there’s also those who maybe ski once or twice for the fun of it. I think you’ll be able to fit in just fine.
This is kinda late but… Congrats on your admission to Colby! I’m applying this year and i think that Colby is one of my dream school. Since you have just applied last year, can you chance me? Heres my info
SAT: 2140 (or 1420) I think I will take the SAT again this Oct to improve the scores, I hope to get 2200.
TOEFL: 114/120
GPA (unweighted): 3.64
My ECAs spans a number of fields, I have much exp in play production (I was the leader in one musical’s logistics team and vice leader in the other’s). Organizing committee for one MUN. Involved in some cafe performances (I sing a little bit). My volunteer work is not so bad as I participated in one fundraising event for autistic kids, and also a teaching programs for the poor.
Awards: I have some regional awards in English, but they date back to grade 9. I wonder if I should write them in my CV?
My rec lets and essay are quite convincing in my opinion. ^^~
I am still wondering if Colby is way above my ability… Please chance me!!
Daughter is an incoming freshman. I believe that this past admission cycle was quite competitive. Colby received over 7,000 applications for basically under 500 spots. I have been hearing an acceptance rate of around 22%. That being said, I would never discourage anyone from applying to their dream school. Admission to these select liberal arts colleges is very hard to predict. Although Colby’s admission process is probably still somewhat holistic, I believe they put a great emphasis on GPA and rigor of classes taken. Obviously, any “hook” helps. Most students applying have impressive resumes and stats, but one or two stand out components of an application can make the difference. My daughter had many honors and AP classes. She had multiple leadership positions and was a varsity athlete for 4 years of high school. Do the best you can with your application and apply ED. I wish you luck.
Thank you very much for your advice. I will definitely try my best.
Also, congratulations on your daughter’s admission to Colby!
Anyway, I am a bit concerned about the college’s setting. I think that there is not much going on around the campus as Colby is rural and to be honest that discourages me a little bit because I always seek to go outside and explore the surrounding area and participate in every outdoors activities that I can. I’m an international student so unfortunately I cannot visit the campus before applying. I assume that you and your daughter have toured the campus, can you tell me more about the social life in Colby?
Yes, we visited twice, once before applying and once during accepted student weekend. Lovely campus. I can tell you very little about the social life, as my daughter is not there yet but if it is like any of these small LACs, they operate socially in a “bubble”. Portland is an hour away and that is a fabulous town otherwise not sure about the area. My daughter is not “outdoorsy” but likes the cold and is usually up for anything. It is about the vibe for her and she liked what she saw. Being an international student, the internet is almost as good as visiting. It is quite small and that is good for my daughter but would not be for everyone. Hope this helps and again, good luck.