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Colby College Summary

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Miller Library

Basic Statistics

Location
Waterville, ME
Website
www.colby.edu
Full-Time Undergrads
1,815
Part-Time Undergrads
0
Setting
Town
In-State Tuition
$44,320
Out-of-State Tuition
$44,320
Room & Board
$11,380
Acceptance Rate
29 %
Admission Difficulty
Hard
Average SAT Scores
1860–2130
Average ACT Scores
28–32

Best ThingsMore . . .

  • Academics
  • The professors-they want every student to succeed and will go out of their way to ensure success.
  • The campus is gorgeous.
  • Everyone is friendly and smart.

Worst ThingsMore . . .

  • Weather, weather, weather
  • Tuition
  • Laundry machines
  • Small size leads to repeat hookups and a vast rumor mill.

Frequently ComparedCompare . . .

Ranked In The Top 100 ForMore rankings . . .

Overall ExperienceWhat's This?

Colby students love Colby. While they can always find something to complain about—the weather, the town, the lack of diversity, and the homework—they tend to be happy that they chose to come here. Most cite the academics and the friendly atmosphere. Classes and professors are undeniably wonderful, and the student body tends to be happy, friendly, and optimistic.

There are definitely things about Colby that should change. The school is not for everyone. The diversity issue is pretty serious and causes the most friction on campus. Also, many find campus to be claustrophobic at times. Being up on Mayflower Hill all the time can drive you crazy if you can’t find a way to get into town every now and then. And even when you can get into town, unless you’re eating or seeing movies, there’s not much to do. The near-constant drinking can overwhelm some people. And the school really needs to work on a system of underground tunnels so students don’t have to walk around outside in the winter. The campus, though, is bolstered by the student body’s seemingly endless stores of energy and optimism, and most people have a positive Colby experience.

 

Colby Student Reviews

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0
Colby College Diversity was reviewed by mvallema
D

Colby tries pretty hard in getting diversity on campus, it's not that you won't meet any diverse people, but there are some, especially in the Pugh Center which is the multicultural building here on campus. Colby also has a lot of international students who are pretty awesome to meet. There are a lot of other groups here on campus that represent diversity, but it can be a little hard to be accepted because of the majority of white students here. But that shouldn't scare students to come to our school.

Could you develop a bit more on that subject? I've seen this comment a few times on this site and I wanted to know what is the exact problem of diversity at Colby. Do you mean that there are clearly distinctive friend groups made up of international kids who are ignored by the rest or is it plain old obvious racism? Your comment makes it seem like it's not too bad but the grade does...

As an Asian American, I have found it extremely difficult to integrate myself into the Colby community. I am a senior graduating this fall and never once have I felt at home on this campus. The Pugh center does its best to promote multiculturalism and diversity and it often is considered a safe space on campus by ethnic minorities. However, then you run into the problem of segregating yourself even more from the rest of the Colby community. Yes, there are clearly distinctive friend groups comprised of international students who largely stick together. There is even a significant divide between the Asian American community and that of the international Asians. Of course, there are certainly opportunities to make connections and a large part of it is your personality and your willingness place yourself in uncomfortable situations - joining a team or some sort of extracurricular activity helps, I think. Still, I personally have felt on edge all four years here and would suggest bracing yourself for a huge culture shock.

As a minority, I've found great friends in people of various races. I've always been an outgoing kid, and I'm not trying to say that anyone whose experiences havent been as good as mine's problems aren't legitimate, but it is totally possible to have a great and fulfilling social life as an ethnic minority.

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1
Colby College Academics was reviewed by mvallema
A

I think the academics here are very great. Especially the study abroad programs, the majority of them you can get funded for and sometimes your financial aid goes with you. The classroom and faculty are always there to help, discussion classes are always intriguing and not boring. Workload is not so bad, a lot of times you have to do a lot of reading, but the readings are usually pretty interesting.

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1
Colby College Parking was reviewed by growler95
A+

For such a small liberal arts college, Colby offers MORE than enough parking space, hence the reason why freshman are allowed to bring cars.

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2
Colby College Diversity was reviewed by brownatcolby
B+

People get really up in arms about our lack of diversity, and to an extent, its true. Most Colby kids look like most other Colby kids. However, as a person of color, I have experienced nothing but respect here. There are not a lot of differing ideas and experiences here, but there is a lot of kindness and understanding, and a genuine desire to make Colby a comfortable space for everyone.

Is

thank you for this post :)

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-4
Colby College Diversity was reviewed by ColbyTruth
D-

DO NOT GO TO COLBY IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR DIVERSITY. (OR SUPPORT FOR "DIVERSITY")

Seriously. The pamphlets/magazines are false advertising. Everyone knows at Colby that the most diverse pictures are always picked for the webpage, magazines, etc... The college will do anything to make you think it is more diverse than it actually is.

Now, yes, Maine is the whitest state in the nation... so of course Colby would be white. BUT. Not only is Colby lacking diversity, it is also completely lacking the SUPPORT necessary for the diversity it does have to SURVIVE on campus.

Colby does not prioritize student support, no matter what they may tell you on the website. Their actions do not align with their message. As a student, I have been silenced. I have experienced blatant discrimination, hatred, and oppression. And, worst of all, I have been crushed under the reality that the administration DOES NOT and possibly WILL NOT provide the support I, and all, students deserve.

One example of dozens: students have been calling for a gender and sexual diversity resource center for YEARS to provide support for victims of sexual assault, anyone who feels unsafe on campus, a space for advocacy, for a physical area free of violence (verbal, emotional, physical, etc...), a safe space for those questioning their gender/sexual identity, and other issues pertaining to gender and sexuality on college campuses. Colby cannot even provide us students with a simple space; something that is guaranteed at EVERY OTHER NESCAC SCHOOL.

Don't even get me started on how unsupported other minorities are on campus... Colby does not have its priorities in order, and too many students are afraid to speak up about it. Even if we did (and some of us do), they don't listen anyway.

Go somewhere else if you want to be supported and heard - Colby is not the right school for you. (Unless you want to come and exhaust yourself in a fight for change; in that case, you're probably masochistic. I know I must be for staying here.)

Okay, so yes, I'll give you that the resources aren't always the best, but as a someone who is questioning, I have found a great friend group that is supportive and not even remotely connected to the LGBTQ community on campus. They're also not all theater people; many of them are athletes, artists, SGA people, etc.

I might be lucky because I'm the kind of guy who surprises people when I say I'm not 100% straight, but ultimately, I've found that part of the issue is that there's not a whole lot of space on the Bridge for those of us who don't represent stereotypical queerness.

Even the head of the Young Republicans Club is a big supporter/celebrator of Pride Week, so I've found that it's more about funding and faculty than the actual tone on campus. Once again, I'm less flamboyant than a lot of the straight preppy guys on campus, so maybe that plays some role, but I think this is a little unfair in terms of how students act in relation to Gender/Sexuality issues. The only place I feel more safe than at Colby is my house, so if attending the college is masochistic, I guess I'm kinkier than I thought.

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