<p>For "caligirl13" (and other interested parties):</p>
<p>Decision letters will be mailed near the end of the month, on or about March 28. We hope to have decisions posted on our website by the 30th--to access these, you'll need a username & password that you received after we processed your application earlier this winter. Before this happens, however, we're frantically trying to finish the reading and make decisions, then print & proof thousands of letters, and get them stuffed into the right envelopes.... all of us help with these duties, too, it's a very stressful but hands-on process. For an in-depth look at what we do & how we do it, check out the blog posted weekly by one of my colleagues: <a href="http://www.colby.edu/admissions_cs/%5B/url%5D">http://www.colby.edu/admissions_cs/</a> (click on the "Behind the Decision" section in the right margin).</p>
<p>I can't find my user ID and password for checking things online. Is there some way I can get hold of those again so that I don't have to wait for it to come in the mail? I know I'll start getting nervous when I see everyone else's results on here and can't look at mine.</p>
<p>My son didn't get in, despite a great interview, 2090 SAT, great EC, etc. I think I know the answer to this -- but is there any point in begging the admissions dept. to reconsider? It was his first choice.
Thanks!</p>
<p>Unfortunately, our admission decisions are final. Your son applied in a year that saw more applications received than in any previous year, from the strongest students we've ever seen. Many excellent candidates, deserving of admission in most years, were turned away simply because we didn't have the room to take them, there were just too many wonderful applicants. The only changes in an admission decision at this point would perhaps come in May, if we are able to accept students off our Wait List-- we are several weeks away from knowing anything about that--and if your son is one of this group, then we can discuss options/procedures related to our Wait List. Otherwise, I am sorry that this isn't the news for which you and your son had hoped; best wishes to you both as he pursues his education, and succeeds, elsewhere. Thanks to you (and him) for your interest in Colby.</p>
<p>Thanks again for making yourself accessible to the forum. I started a thread a few days ago on this same subject and I got a very helpful answer, however, I was wondering if you could give me some more information. I was accepted into Colby and I am still trying to make a decision. Can you give me some information on the government department at Colby? How is it viewed compared to other schools? Is it a strong department?</p>
<p>Our Government department is excellent-- professors nationally renowned for their expertise, but also their work with current students, are very involved here. I do not know how our department is "viewed compared to other schools"-- an in-depth comparative study may not exist, and for reasons I've mentioned before, I shy away from 'rankings' of most kinds--but I agree with what "werd814" has posted on a different thread... and I encourage you to go right to the source, and ask professors in our department what they do/what they think. Since it is with these people you will be spending time, and to whom you will listen if you enroll, it is perhaps from them you should get your information. Best to contact the department from their website, and from there you may also learn of other related opportunities/programs (eg. fellowships, Goldfarb Center, etc.): <a href="http://www.colby.edu/academics_cs/acaddept/government/%5B/url%5D">http://www.colby.edu/academics_cs/acaddept/government/</a></p>
<p>Congratulations on your acceptance, and good luck as you work through your decision!</p>
<p>"on the full IB Diploma program. At the discretion of individual academic departments, advanced placement and credit may be earned for scores of 6 and 7 on Higher Level examinations. Students may earn up to a full semester of standing in this manner. A full year of credit may be earned for an IB Diploma point total of 36 or better, assuming all examination scores are 5 or better."
--colby.edu</p>
<p>I am an candidate for the International Baccalaureate Program, and I was wondering if you could go a little more in depth about if you were to get a point total of 36 points or better.</p>
<p>Honestly, your question is best directed to our Director of Admission, Steve Thomas (who travels internationally, where this query is more frequent-- <a href="mailto:tsthomas@colby.edu">tsthomas@colby.edu</a>) or the registrar herself (the text you quote is, in fact, directly from the registrar's office via our webpages-- <a href="mailto:regristr@colby.edu">regristr@colby.edu</a>.) One or both of them will be able to get more in-depth regarding the allocation of IB credits, towards possible advancement through Colby.</p>
<p>Hello ColbyAdmissions, I have a bit of a dilemma. My family moved to a different town in my sophomore year of high school to an AP school where I am currently taking AP classes and tests. Next year, I will be returning to that school where I attended in 9th grade as a senior. That school I will be attending next year is an IB school. </p>
<p>How much emphasis is put on obtaining the IB Diploma in the admissions process if I have shown to be taking the most rigorous classes but because of family issues/moving and time constraints will be nearly unable to so?</p>
<p>We will take into account your situation-- this is why, during my presentations, I refer not only to the context of one's school (what courses are offered, what teachers say/write about you) but also the opportunities available to a student, which sometimes aren't as rich as at first glance... your situation illustrates a fairly common dilemma among applicants, whose families have moved or who have switched high schools partway through their education. We will notice the change, and will evaluate your candidacy accordingly.</p>
<p>In addition, you might even enlist the support of your counselor to further illustrate your conundrum. It won't hurt to have him/her reinforce the point, I think. Thanks for your good question, and for your interest in Colby!</p>
<p>colbyadmissions,
Do you know the exact number of applicants that Colby recieved/accepted this year? I heard about a drastic increase of applicants at BC for example and I'm curious about Colby's numbers.
Thanks</p>
<p>Like many of our peers, we also saw a dramatic increase in the number of applications received this year. By my count, we crested 4,679 applications for the fall (Class of 2011), which is almost 11% higher than last year's totals, and the most we've ever received. This incoming class should comprise roughly 475 students, and to get there we've accepted 1,443 students (including Early Decision). That acceptance rate, 30.8%, is the lowest we've ever seen--again, some of our peers are reporting similar high- (or low-) water marks for this year's applicant pool. Once we get into late May or early June, and any (if any) WaitList activity settles down, more solid stats/figures should be clearer regarding this class.</p>
<p>I am hesitant to post this, as I can easily envision how these and other statistics may be misinterpreted by some, in a desire to find The Answer to "getting in"... but as it would be rude not to respond (and deceptive to claim "I don't know", although I don't have specific breakdowns to answer some inevitable questions), I can offer this: we admitted about 190 students under our Early Decision rounds in December and January. With its binding clause, only a few students have fallen away from us in the meantime, leaving a group comprising roughly 1/3 of what we expect to be the size of the Class of 2011. The admit rate for this group was, I believe, about 42%, which is lower than the last two years and on par with our historical average. This group is very self-selective, and has done its research on Colby and is by nature confident of the match--so it's not a surprise to me that the admit percentage is a bit higher for this group than for Regular Decision applicants (see below post--although, keep in mind that these students are telling us that we're their top choice, many of whom believe they are solid and competitive candidates and they believe us to be a great match, and we DISagree more often than not).</p>
<p>Keep in mind, also, that roughly 1,250 letters of acceptance went out to those in Regular Decision, as opposed to the 190 or so for our Early Decision rounds--there are many qualified applicants who just don't commit to us in November or January (or, who have been denied "early" somewhere else, and are still very strong candidates for Colby). Despite the higher percentage of acceptance, Early Decision isn't necessarily the "easier" path to gain admission to Colby. I suppose a few students <em>are</em> advantaged by their ED application, who might not have otherwise been outright accepted in the Regular Decision round, but the vast majority are solid applicants in their own right and don't necessarily need the "lift" that applying ED might provide.</p>
<p>I hope this post provides a bit of context, but also some perspective... especially given the preponderance of "Early Decision"-related threads on CC, and the desire of many posters I've noted in the CC universe who look to pick apart all the stats and percentages of our profession (which, is, in my opinion, a profession that doesn't lend well to picking apart statistics and percentages). The reality is that there are <em>many</em> qualified applicants to our school, many more than we could ever hope to accept and enroll, and many deserving, outstanding students who have earned a spot at my school, just won't get that chance because we don't have room for all of them. My firm belief is that students who work through the college search process effectively and with a healthy balance of perspective, will be rewarded in the end-- even if not at their "dream" school--by virtue of continued hard work AND getting the most out of the college/university at which they enroll.</p>
<p>Sorry if that got a little "Soap Box-y".... we've been barraged with phone calls & questions for weeks about our admission stats, and trying to assuage the pain of those who were denied admission (mostly parents make these calls). Simply put: Early Decision is a great option for some students, perhaps a few are advantage by applying ED, but the majority are not and we accept many, many more students Regular Decision. Didn't mean for the above to get defensive or preachy.</p>