<p>For those who have applied Early Decision (Round 1) to Colby: We mailed our decision letters this past Wednesday; these decisions are now available on-line at <a href="http://www.colby.edu/admissions_cs/apply_to_colby/status.cfm%5B/url%5D">http://www.colby.edu/admissions_cs/apply_to_colby/status.cfm</a>. You will need the user name (6-digit number) and unique password that you received when you submitted your application, in order to view your letter. Thanks to all of you for your patience in waiting to hear from us.</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I'm an international student that just got accepted ED! On behalf of everyone (i think) I'd just like to express a massive thank u. Your posts have been great help.
I'm in a bit of a pickle and I'd like some advice. Checked online but my mail hasn't arrived. The problem is I can't afford my financial aid package by about $7000.
I know Colby evaluates financial aid thoroughly which worries me because they think I can pay so much.
So far I've sent an email to Mr Thomas. Understandably, he hasn't replied yet.
What do you think I should do?</p>
<p>ColbyAdmissions,
Is there any advantage in the admissions process in having teachers/advisors/coaches who are alumni? Is there any weight given to a recommendation from one of these alums? Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>For "staranger": </p>
<p>Congratulations on your admission to Colby! I am not able to comment on any particular student's financial aid package (especially on a publicly-viewed website), but I encourage you to contact our office to work through the issues you may have. In your case, since you have a f.aid package in-hand, your info may point to Lucia Whittelsey, who is our Director of Financial Aid. She is probably the person to whom Mr. Thomas will direct you, as well, and her info should be included in the mail when you receive hard-copy of the f.aid package. (if it's not there, let me know and I can get you her info directly). Again, congrats on your acceptance--I look forward to seeing you here in the fall!</p>
<p>Dear ColbyAdmissions, </p>
<p>Earlier in this thread you wrote that you, personally, do not take the Writing component of the SAT into consideration too much and that one of your reasons was because students often score the same for both the verbal and writing sections. I have two quick questions about this: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Is this take on the Writing section your's exclusively or is this the general consensus of the admissions committee at large? </p></li>
<li><p>If a students Writing score is significantly higher than their Verbal score, will this help them at all? My Verbal score is much lower than my writing because, although writing and English in general is my strongest subject, I am a slow reader. However, my Writing score is very strong... what would the admissions committee do about this?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I suppose that having a Colby-connected person (alum, parent, etc.) advocate on your behalf adds a little special touch--that someone who is most likely familiar with the mission, people and programs of the College feels that you would be an especially good match, is something to which I would pay attention as I read a student's application. That the person doubles as a coach, teacher, advisor, etc. and has had the opportunity to watch & relate to you in an academic setting, makes the recommendation even more appropriate to send to us. A thought for all who would seek out a Colby alumna/-us, however, to write a recommendation: make sure this person actually <em>knows</em> you, and can speak specifically and intelligently on your qualities and characteristics. I recall one student's candidacy, several years ago, for which a president of a very well-known university sent a letter, as did the famous head of a major entertainment consortium; each admitted that he knew of the family, but hadn't had much contact with the applicant ("But it's a good family" was the gist of the praise). Even heavy-hitters in your corner, if they are unable to speak to your specific strengths--especially as it relates to the schools to which you apply-- will not "carry the day" as all might hope....</p>
<p>I suppose I should've started this whole thread with an appropriate disclaimer: "The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the admission committee, the adminstration or the College".... but I'd like to think that I'm representing some of the general views and policies of this office and of at least some of my colleagues.....</p>
<p>If there's any "consensus" about the SAT-I here, it's that we require them (or the ACT), and that currently the SAT-I has three components. That I pay less attention to the Writing subscore doesn't mean that other colleagues do, as well, nor does it mean I'll ignore the result, either--especially when there is discord between a student's Critical Reading and WR results. Depending on how wide the gap is between the two, I would perhaps wonder why, or I might find reason to consider the higher of the two, as more relevant (especially if, overall, I'm inclined to favor the student's candidacy anyway). You might consider drawing our attention to the issue, focusing our attention on the higher WR score if you believe it to be more indicative of your strengths in the discipline; the "Add'l Info" section of the Common App is a popular place for such commentary. </p>
<p>Of course, this all depends on where your scores lie--the evaluation of a student with 620CR and 780WR would be very different than, say, a student with 420CR and 580 WR... even though the gap/difference is identical, we're talking about (forgive the play on your CC tag) apples and oranges. And, don't forget, in the end I'm much more concerned with your classroom effort (grades, courses, school, etc.), and perhaps even what you do outside of class (eg. theater/music, athletics, student gov't, community service) than I am about your SATs. There are many things we take into consideration, some of which you & others have noted already, that might help us to determine how to act on a student's candidacy.... Hope this is helpful-</p>
<p>Hi,
I am a prospective international applicant and am really interested in Colby College. The thing is, I need financial aid to be able to attend a college in the U.S. (because it is impossible for my parents to afford more than $15000 a year, including travel and personal expenses).
So I would like to ask whether I can receive the remaining amount through financial aid if I am accepted. (Some colleges do not offer more than 50% of the total costs in financial aid and since I did not find anything about the average amount of aid given to international students, I am completely in the dark here)
Also,though I do know Colby's middle 50% range for SAT 1, I have no clue about what the score ranges are for admitted international students with financial aid. I scored a 2120 (740 Math, 660 Reading, 720 Writing, 10 essay) on my SAT 1 and would like to know whether my scores are in the competitive when compared to the scores of those of admitted international students(class of 2010) with financial aid.</p>
<p>Thanks ColbyAdmissions, that clears things up a lot! :-)</p>
<p>In previous posts I've touched on the topic of financial aid (and eligibility) and international student admission-- you can find some of my comments from this past summer on earlier pages of this thread. Briefly, we meet 100% of a student/family's eligibility for need-based aid--calculations are based on the information you provide to us. Some students here qualify for little, and some receive almost complete coverage for all cost of attendance. As for your question about international student SAT averages (and if/how they differ from the overall mean), I point you to Steve Thomas, our Director of Admission, who works with all international applicants and would perhaps have those numbers--or, if not, he could further talk about that part of our applicant pool. His email address is <a href="mailto:tsthomas@colby.edu">tsthomas@colby.edu</a>. Thanks for your interest in Colby!</p>
<p>A reminder to those who have applied to Colby, and wish to check to see if all information has been received: If something is missing, don't panic! Please be assured that we will not read an incomplete application. During this time of the year the volume of mail is heavy and there can be a delay in recording information in our database. Please be patient and check our website (<a href="https://www.colby.edu/admissions_cs/apply_to_colby/appstatus.cfm%5B/url%5D">https://www.colby.edu/admissions_cs/apply_to_colby/appstatus.cfm</a>) at a later date if something is missing. Thank you for your interest in Colby, and happy holidays!</p>
<p>Has Colby announced the ED1 results yet?</p>
<p>I have a question for ColbyAdmissions: If a family does not file for financial aid for someone applying this year, can we file in subsequent years if they were to be accepted?</p>
<p>Colby's policy dictates that a family that does <em>not</em> apply for financial aid in that first year, is not eligible for institutional aid until the student's junior year at Colby. A family might be eligible for federal aid (by filing the FAFSA) in the interim, but Colby-based assistance, usually in the form of grants, would not be available except in extraordinary cases. I always encourage a family to file the appropriate forms up-front (FAFSA/CSS Profile) if there is desire for financial assistance at any point of a student's enrollment, even if the likelihood of any help isn't strong in that first year--and we do see a number of cases where families don't qualify for anything at first, but might when another sibling heads off to college in a year, for instance. It's good practice, anyway, to get used to the forms for later down the road.</p>
<p>Hi, sorry for bumping a little older thread.
Colby's webpage makes a reference to the college being "a national leader in research- and project-based undergraduate learning". What, specifically, does this mean? Would you say a student very interested in social science research could find the time, resources and support for this at your school? How about post-graduation? Personally I'd be interested to know what the prospects for sociology majors look like. Thank you.</p>
<p>Hello Colby Admissions!</p>
<p>First of all I would like to say that your presence on this website is extremely helpful! I'm applying to Colby next fall and I live in the Czech Republic but I have both a Czech and a Canadian passport. Would applying as a Czech give me more of an advantage as it would add diversity to Colby? I am not applying for financial aid.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions!</p>
<p>piratemonkey,
Aren't you supposed to list all your citizenships on your application (at least on CommonApp) anyway?</p>
<p>I do think that the social sciences get the attention they deserve here, in the realm of undergraduate research. For several years, for example, Colby has hosted an undergraduate research symposium in the late spring, when students have the opportunity to share individual, group or faculty-shared work. The list of participating departments includes the natural sciences (Biology is one of our most popular majors, after all), but also American Studies, Anthropology, East Asian Studies, History and other disciplines outside the natural sciences. Opportunities for Honors projects, including Senior Scholars work, are available in many academic departments, too. A peek at the breakdown of academic divisions from this past fall shows that there are more social science majors at Colby (35% of declared majors), than in the natural sciences (24%) or humanities (26%); it makes sense that resources and research opportunities are similarly spread around the college. It is a nice balance, too, which I think is a hallmark of a liberal arts college that's doing its job. (the remaining balance, for those who do the math, represents our interdisciplinary study majors).</p>
<p>Sociology is particularly dear to Colby, as a "Father of Modern Sociology", Albion Small (who co-authored the first sociology textbook in the U.S.) was president of Colby College at the end of the 19th century. It remains a popular major, and the introductory courses are especially sought-after among underclassmen. I recommend the Sociology home page, for more information and faculty contacts: <a href="http://www.colby.edu/academics_cs/acaddept/sociology/%5B/url%5D">http://www.colby.edu/academics_cs/acaddept/sociology/</a>.</p>
<p>Thank you very much!</p>
<p>Colby Admissions,</p>
<p>Will Colby be posting decisions online for RD applicants? If so, when?</p>