Hello! I’m an Asian American interested in double majoring in neuroscience & philosophy (maybe lit minor). My top choice was going to a LAC but I was rejected by Pomona, Williams & the likes.
I was admitted to UCB and Colby (also I was selected as a Pulver Science Scholar" for Colby, meaning I get lots of FUNDED undergrad research opportunities). I’m looking at two schools at the opposite of the spectrum here. Due to COVID I can’t visit Colby. I’ll be attending as an out of state.
Looking for a liberal school where I can excel in the sciences and which will prepare me for a Masters at Stanford/Caltech/Harvard. I know UCB is really famous but I hate their large classes & impersonal environment. I prefer small, intimate classes and personal connections. I know Colby is very conservative and outdoorsy but I think Colby’s trying to be more diverse? Colby’s Pulver Science program is relatively new so I don’t know how valuable it is…
I also got accepted to UCSD, UCSB, Scripps, Haverford, and UW (honors) if that helps…
If interested, you can view this documentary film, in which Colby students of a previous (college) generation discuss their experiences: Colby Life Documentary - YouTube.
I don’t think Colby is conservative.
It IS outdoorsy (people in Maine ski, snowshoe, even go winter camping, sea kayaking, rock and ice climbing, etc.) but I don’t think that’d detract from the academic and residential experience.
No one’s going to force you to learn how to ski or put you into a kayak if that’s not your thing and there are lots of other things to do on campus.
Based on what your wrote
1° you want to do research and got into a special program that guarantees you research opportunities with funding
2° you want small classes.
So, that would indicate Colby has your preference.
For small classes, your real alternatives would be Haverford and Scripps, but I’m guessing Colby is less expensive, is that the case?
Colby students are more ethnically diverse than the town of Waterville, ME where it is in, but the students’ median household (parental) income is probably about 5 times that of the town residents.
Colby: 56% no financial aid (means median student probably had parents with > $200k income to afford it without financial aid), 14% Pell grant (bottom half parental income), 61% White, 8% Asian, 8% Hispanic / Latino, 5% Black, 0% Native American, 0% Pacific Islander, 5% Two or More Races, 2% Unknown, 10% International. https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=colby&s=all&id=161086
Waterville, ME: median household income $38,862 (which would qualify a college-bound kid for a Pell grant), 92.1% White (not Hispanic or Latino), 2.6% Asian, 2.4% Hispanic / Latino, 0.8% Black, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 1.8% Two or More Races.
I think your real decision is between a big research university and a LAC. If it’s a,LAC, Haverford or Colby. The documentary above is seriously outdated (experiences 2009-2013), so I would not put much stock in it. Those two schools offer similar academic experiences but have different vibes overall. My sense is that everyone finds their tribe and has a space there.
I am also not so sure I’d describe Colby as conservative. With that said, it has,always been popular with sporty, outdoorsy kids from NE prep schools, so you will find more of them there. But they are not the whole school! There are people who hang only with people like them and there are people whose friend groups are far more varied. This is the case everywhere. It seems that one thing that’s very helpful is having interests that connect you to other people. This can be we sports, music, community service, etc.
The Pulver and Presidential scholarships are great honors and opportunities. Congratulations!
I know the Pulver scholarship program is kind of new, and I honestly can’t get an honest sense of just how valuable it is simply by reading the college website. I have a conference scheduled with Colby next week but I was hoping you could tell me a bit more about your understanding of the Pulver scholarship. Thanks
I do think you should keep Haverford in the mix if you are leaning towards a small college with excellent STEM resources and research opportunities. Do a deep dive into the sciences at Haverford. Here’s a good place to start: Marian E. Koshland Integrated Natural Sciences Center
As far as diversity goes, 42% identify as people of color
6% Black/ African American
9% Latino/a/e
20% Asian American
7% Two or more races/ethnicities
Colby has 28% domestic students of color. (I couldn’t find a more granular break down). Best of luck in your decision.
I think some of this type of research used to flow through the,Presidential Scholars program but the dedicated funding has allowed them to pick 10 students for this award each year.
Colby does a pretty amazing job of creating opportunities for all its students in different areas, but this is several steps above that in focus and financial support. My guess is that the students selected would be the ones seeking out this type of research wherever they went, so having a guarantee upfront is very attractive.
I also feel that the video mentioned does not reflect what it is like to be a Colby student today. I wouldn’t put too much stock in it.
I am attaching info on Colby’s Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence, opening in the fall, as I think it impacts both your interest in science and philosophy. I hope you find it helpful. Congratulations and best of luck!
I will third keeping Haverford in the mix. My daughter is a senior chem major/environmental studies minor there. She has had the opportunity for funded research almost every summer (even remote last summer). She got also got a stipend to for a summer internship in Alaska.
Colby seems to be everything you were looking for - small LAC, liberal (not conservative), small intimate classes, and personal connections. The whole point of the Pulver Scholarship program is “to prepare students for acceptance into the most competitive post-graduate programs.” I don’t see how you can walk away from that. It’s exactly what you say what you’re looking for. While the funding (scholarship) is new there’s nothing new about research at Colby. Being a new program will just infuse it with a higher profile and all of the attentiveness needed to maximize its potential. And by the way, one of the research partners, Jackson Labs, is headquartered right in Maine. (It also has sites it Connecticut and California.) I’m not sure why you’re hesitating.
You just might be overthinking this. It’s a golden opportunity, and I hope you take it. Colby is a wonderful place to go to college. It’s an honor to have been accepted there - especially with the Pulver scholarship. You should be so proud of what you’ve accomplished!
Best guess: UW Honors is way more expensive than UCs for a CA resident and OP wants a LAC, which UW Honors specifically states isn’t what they’re about (they want students who want a large university experience, albeit with an extra challenge and extra opportunities).
That being said, you’re right, UW Honors is a tremendous opportunity for WA residents.
Seems that the OP is concerned about “diversity” at Colby.
If the OP is in California, it is unlikely that they are in a White-majority environment like Colby or even more so Waterville, so that may be a cause of the OP’s hesitation.
The SES levels of Colby students (mostly very high) and Waterville (mostly lower-middle, mostly Pell grant range for any college-bound kids) would be quite a contrast with each other, and possibly with what the OP grew up in.
Exactly! As someone studying in California I’m tentative about going to such a snowy campus that’s much less diverse than what I’m used to. The commute apparently is a nightmare at Colby too. I’m worried about not fitting in/adapting, whereas at UCB that won’t be a concern at all.
I’ll definitely keep that in mind. It’s just my parents love Berkeley’s big name and keep insisting Berkeley’s going to help me find a better job etc. However I do feel Colby may be a better fit. Thank you so much for your reply
I have to disagree about Colby. It still has diversity issues. I know multiple URMs who visited and were turned off. Are they allowing visits right now? I would not recommend committing without a visit. Haverford would be a better option.
