Colby is the most sought-after LAC

[Anonymous]

Does not have the prestige of Amherst or Williams. Colby is second best school in Maine and that’s its claim to fame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the class of 2029, Colby College had over 20,000 applications-that is almost 0.75 to double that of all the WASP colleges, and its acceptance rate is comparable to the most competitive lacs Pomona and Swarthmore! Is Colby going to climb the ranks as the most prestigious liberal arts college? It has the endowment, outcomes, and now application total to back it!

I'm not surprised Colby is on the rise. My DS loved his visit so it's definitely high on his list! Is it one that needs an ED application or is RD ok odds still?

Good standardized test scores and reasonable academics and he'll be fine RD, as was my son.

[Anonymous]

Colby is indeed a pretty cool LAC!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of these tiny LACs should just be called LAC 1, LAC 2, etc. They're all interchangeable and indistinguishable from one another.

For sure, because when I look at Pomona, Colby, and and Reed I see the same school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First off, Colby is a great and very cool LAC. So this post isn't mean to bag on Colby at all.

But applications to Colby are (a) free and (b) have no supplemental essays. Applying to Colby thus takes almost no time or effort by applicants and substantially expands the applicant pool, which probably includes a lot of applicants who have marginal interest in Colby.

If you look at ED applications, which may or may not be a better indicator of "sought-afterness," Colby does not stand out. According to the Internet, Colby received about 1,000 ED apps for 2,300 students. Whereas, Pomona received about 1,700 ED apps for 1,750 students, Bowdoin was 1,600/1,900, and Swarthmore was 1,400/1,650. And I believe that Colby's ED acceptance rate is significantly higher than these schools. Its yield rate, particularly in RD, is also probably a lot lower. (Colby no longer publishes their Common Data Sets, so I can't say for sure.)

Again, Colby is a great school. But I think the number of applications and admission rate requires a deeper look.

Williams 964 ED apps for 2,097 students
Middlebury 1,392 apps for 2,800 students

Colby is very similar to Williams and Middlebury. I think to be fair, this number doesn't mean much.
Not an indication for "sought-afterness."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First off, Colby is a great and very cool LAC. So this post isn't mean to bag on Colby at all.

But applications to Colby are (a) free and (b) have no supplemental essays. Applying to Colby thus takes almost no time or effort by applicants and substantially expands the applicant pool, which probably includes a lot of applicants who have marginal interest in Colby.

If you look at ED applications, which may or may not be a better indicator of "sought-afterness," Colby does not stand out. According to the Internet, Colby received about 1,000 ED apps for 2,300 students. Whereas, Pomona received about 1,700 ED apps for 1,750 students, Bowdoin was 1,600/1,900, and Swarthmore was 1,400/1,650. And I believe that Colby's ED acceptance rate is significantly higher than these schools. Its yield rate, particularly in RD, is also probably a lot lower. (Colby no longer publishes their Common Data Sets, so I can't say for sure.)

Again, Colby is a great school. But I think the number of applications and admission rate requires a deeper look.

Williams 964 ED apps for 2,097 students
Middlebury 1,392 apps for 2,800 students

Colby is very similar to Williams and Middlebury. I think to be fair, this number doesn't mean much.
Not an indication for "sought-afterness."

No dog in the fight, but Williams actively discourages a majority of the applicant pool from applying ed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a free app with no supplemental essays, so its application numbers are inflated. If you visit and you're full pay (and remotely credible academically), you'll be admitted. Fail either of those conditions and you need a big hook.

100x, its a backup for the tophalf of any decent private. Naviance is mostly green

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a free app with no supplemental essays, so its application numbers are inflated. If you visit and you're full pay (and remotely credible academically), you'll be admitted. Fail either of those conditions and you need a big hook.

DC's freshman class was comprised 90% of students who graduated cum laude from their high schools. I don't think those qualifications count as "remotely credible" but straight-up competitive.

DC was not cum laude (just missed it) but had an athletic hook and a really high SAT. The student body is one of the top 5 wealthiest in the country. That's not great as a diversity measure. But between their ability to pay full tuition and their stats as being at the top of the high school's academically, Colby students have options. They're choosing the school for good reasons. It's a first-rate education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Does not have the prestige of Amherst or Williams. Colby is second best school in Maine and that’s its claim to fame.

Third.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Does not have the prestige of Amherst or Williams. Colby is second best school in Maine and that’s its claim to fame.

Third.

Uh. No. Colby>Bates.

Though Husson is a hidden gem.

[Anonymous]

Who wouldn't want to go to Colby?!

[Anonymous]

Way too cold and remote.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Way too cold and remote.

That $240M athletic complex tops many Private D1 facilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First off, Colby is a great and very cool LAC. So this post isn't mean to bag on Colby at all.

But applications to Colby are (a) free and (b) have no supplemental essays. Applying to Colby thus takes almost no time or effort by applicants and substantially expands the applicant pool, which probably includes a lot of applicants who have marginal interest in Colby.

If you look at ED applications, which may or may not be a better indicator of "sought-afterness," Colby does not stand out. According to the Internet, Colby received about 1,000 ED apps for 2,300 students. Whereas, Pomona received about 1,700 ED apps for 1,750 students, Bowdoin was 1,600/1,900, and Swarthmore was 1,400/1,650. And I believe that Colby's ED acceptance rate is significantly higher than these schools. Its yield rate, particularly in RD, is also probably a lot lower. (Colby no longer publishes their Common Data Sets, so I can't say for sure.)

Again, Colby is a great school. But I think the number of applications and admission rate requires a deeper look.

Williams 964 ED apps for 2,097 students
Middlebury 1,392 apps for 2,800 students

Colby is very similar to Williams and Middlebury. I think to be fair, this number doesn't mean much.
Not an indication for "sought-afterness."

No dog in the fight, but Williams actively discourages a majority of the applicant pool from applying ed

Source?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First off, Colby is a great and very cool LAC. So this post isn't mean to bag on Colby at all.

But applications to Colby are (a) free and (b) have no supplemental essays. Applying to Colby thus takes almost no time or effort by applicants and substantially expands the applicant pool, which probably includes a lot of applicants who have marginal interest in Colby.

If you look at ED applications, which may or may not be a better indicator of "sought-afterness," Colby does not stand out. According to the Internet, Colby received about 1,000 ED apps for 2,300 students. Whereas, Pomona received about 1,700 ED apps for 1,750 students, Bowdoin was 1,600/1,900, and Swarthmore was 1,400/1,650. And I believe that Colby's ED acceptance rate is significantly higher than these schools. Its yield rate, particularly in RD, is also probably a lot lower. (Colby no longer publishes their Common Data Sets, so I can't say for sure.)

Again, Colby is a great school. But I think the number of applications and admission rate requires a deeper look.

Williams 964 ED apps for 2,097 students
Middlebury 1,392 apps for 2,800 students

Colby is very similar to Williams and Middlebury. I think to be fair, this number doesn't mean much.
Not an indication for "sought-afterness."

No dog in the fight, but Williams actively discourages a majority of the applicant pool from applying ed

Source?

If you're interested, go on tour. Admissions officers are very blunt that their ed process is mostly for athletes and boosted groups, so it's helpful to just apply rd. The Williams AOs are not afraid to make it clear how their process works.