Colby is poised to have the lowest acceptance rate of any LAC this year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colby gets twice as many applications as Bowdoin. Is that because Colby is so much more in demand or because it is a much better school? NOPE. It is because Colby doesn't have an application fee. No supplemental essays and test optional, too.
Just hit send on your Common App. Makes it really, really easy for them to lower their acceptance rate. And while that won't push them up in the USNWR rankings anymore, there are plenty of people out there (and on here) that think acceptance rate is important. When we visited Colby a few years ago they could not stop talking about their 9% acceptance rate (they must have said it ten times and it was written on the whiteboard behind the AO presenting for the info session) as they pushed ED applications. I'm not saying it isn't a good school - it is. But they have played the game well!

Here’s the earlier post re: bragging about acceptance rate.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:First, those saying Colby is an "over-rated school", that is BS, it is as relatively fine as any in the Nescac. It has an excellent faculty as all Nescacs do, and a top record of professional and grad school success.

Second, acceptance rate is not included in the USN rankings, so this has nothing to do with Colby "gaming" anything.

Third, and most importantly, a top college decides to make an expensive and difficult process a little cheaper and easier on you and your kids, and you are effing complaining about it.

Unbelievable. You people are unbelievable.

I have no opinion on whether Colby is “overrated” and generally think it’s a crappy way to talk about schools. But a very small school actively soliciting tons of applications then making a big deal about their low acceptance rate doesn’t feel right. Why is it great that they are making applying easier if it just means more kids get rejected? Are they using the increased application access to significantly diversify their student body or welcome more low-income students? If not, it’s hard to see how this is positive for anyone except Colby.

I understand that Colby had diversified greatly over the last few years, and they also made a point about changes to their financial aid.

This article was about a previous president trying to diversify the school, and those efforts have continued: https://www.highereddive.com/news/colby-college-president-oversees-application-spike-amid-focus-on-diversity/405343/

When we visited, I had the sense that administrators were trying to re-steer a ship that had been homogenous for a long time.

Low acceptance happens in almost all SLACs and top universities nowadays. It is new normal, not Colby specific.

https://www.collegekickstart.com/blog/item/class-of-2027-admission-results

But the point is the number of applications Colby is getting—it’s significantly more than any other SLAC on that list. They seem to be encouraging this through a number of methods then bragging about their single-digit acceptance rate. That’s what seems off.

I think one of the reason is Colby's financial aid. Colby caps $15,000 family contribution for a family income less than $150,000.
I compared NPC with other SLACs, Colby was the least expensive one.

I just ran it at 225 and the parent contribution was 57k. I guess they want 42k of the next 75k. I'll tell my kids to apply since there is no cost, but we could never afford that

I meant the family earning less than $150,000 would have the financial aid benefit. Your kid may attend an in-state school for lower contribution.

Maybe, but if it's just a click of a button, there is no reason not to waste an expensive school's time

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:so it’s all about no app fee? wes amd midd have no supps and don’t get these numbers. could they be fudging numbers?

Also, Hamilton, Grinnell, Colgate have no supps as well.

As far as I can tell, none of these schools do tons of marketing to prospective students, nor do they push people to apply ED or spend a lot of time talking about their acceptance rates (or at least Wesleyan and Midd don’t, the two we’ve toured).

Sounds like the application fee is just one element of Colby’s game.

Grinnell has both no supps, no fee.

I agree the Colby's game. but for last several years, Colby's yields were pretty good. Last year was around 54%.
I think the high yield means a lot. If people apply only for no fee and no supps, the yield shouldn't be this high comparing with other SLACs.

I think that when a kid applies to groups of SLACs, Colby will almost never be the first choice. I could see them being ahead of Bates or St Lawrence, but I could never see them getting a kid who also got into Williams/Mid/Bowdoin and I can't see a kid who applies to Colby applying to those schools as well.

My kid was accepted to Middlebury and Colby and went to Colby. No regrets whatsoever

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colby gets twice as many applications as Bowdoin. Is that because Colby is so much more in demand or because it is a much better school? NOPE. It is because Colby doesn't have an application fee. No supplemental essays and test optional, too.
Just hit send on your Common App. Makes it really, really easy for them to lower their acceptance rate. And while that won't push them up in the USNWR rankings anymore, there are plenty of people out there (and on here) that think acceptance rate is important. When we visited Colby a few years ago they could not stop talking about their 9% acceptance rate (they must have said it ten times and it was written on the whiteboard behind the AO presenting for the info session) as they pushed ED applications. I'm not saying it isn't a good school - it is. But they have played the game well!

Here’s the earlier post re: bragging about acceptance rate.

A college tells kids the acceptance rate AT AN INFORMATION SESSION and to you that is bragging.

A college tells kids that the rate is low and recommends they apply ED if it is their first choice - as virtually every colleges does in their information session - and that is somehow done for the sole purpose of stroking their own ego in front of 60 people who drove up to Maine.

Do you realize how ridiculous those accusations sound?

I suppose they were also "bragging" about their new athletic facility, and "bragging" about everything else they do?

Jumpin jeebus on a pogo stick this forum is so ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

What's the student stats and yield rate

Acceptance rate + student stats + yield rate together determines actual selectivity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's the student stats and yield rate

Acceptance rate + student stats + yield rate together determines actual selectivity.

I would argue student stats/quality is really the ultimate gauge of selectivity. Who cares how many weak applicants they reject?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of these schools with ultra low acceptance rates are soliciting and getting a lot of (garbage) international applications. This is the dirty secret of admissions and few schools break it out. People would be shocked at what percentage of applications are international now at many schools (think half). A tiny pct of international applicants get in. In some cases domestic applications are not even going up now- the growth is all international. The schools rarely provide this breakdown because it exposes the shambolic nature of the super low acceptance rates. The fact that no one is talking about it shows they are doing a good job distracting us with other explanations like no supplements. INTERNATIONAL is why this is happening!

No. Please don't insert xenophobia into this discussion. Apart from Ivies and associated universities, the number of international applicants at US colleges is low. The reason is that none of them are well-known outside of the USA! The university with the most international applicants is NYU, because so many people have heard of NYC.

Don't use the word "garbage" and "dirty" when referring to foreigners.

- foreigner.

I laughed in reading your response, which did make me think less a foreigner and more a sensitive American poster. I'll concede the word garbage is inflammatory but the other posters are right, colleges are aggressively marketing to international applicants now, especially rich international students. The share of international students at top colleges is substantially higher today than 20 years go (another factor contributing to the decline of spaces for unhooked students).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of these schools with ultra low acceptance rates are soliciting and getting a lot of (garbage) international applications. This is the dirty secret of admissions and few schools break it out. People would be shocked at what percentage of applications are international now at many schools (think half). A tiny pct of international applicants get in. In some cases domestic applications are not even going up now- the growth is all international. The schools rarely provide this breakdown because it exposes the shambolic nature of the super low acceptance rates. The fact that no one is talking about it shows they are doing a good job distracting us with other explanations like no supplements. INTERNATIONAL is why this is happening!

No. Please don't insert xenophobia into this discussion. Apart from Ivies and associated universities, the number of international applicants at US colleges is low. The reason is that none of them are well-known outside of the USA! The university with the most international applicants is NYU, because so many people have heard of NYC.

Don't use the word "garbage" and "dirty" when referring to foreigners.

- foreigner.

I laughed in reading your response, which did make me think less a foreigner and more a sensitive American poster. I'll concede the word garbage is inflammatory but the other posters are right, colleges are aggressively marketing to international applicants now, especially rich international students. The share of international students at top colleges is substantially higher today than 20 years go (another factor contributing to the decline of spaces for unhooked students).

The adjective garbage was meant to convey low quality- no chance of acceptance like a lottery ticket - not to malign foreign citizens. I think applicants from China and India tend to blanket a lot of schools hoping to win the lottery and get accepted with a big financial aid package. All it takes is $65 and a dream. Especially now with TO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's the student stats and yield rate

Acceptance rate + student stats + yield rate together determines actual selectivity.

I would argue student stats/quality is really the ultimate gauge of selectivity. Who cares how many weak applicants they reject?

Many schools have similar student stats/quality, but some are more popular/selective then others.

Some specialty schools have high stat kids, but not really selective.

Some mentioned Northeastern here. it's student stats/quality is very high.

It has low acceptance rate, high student stats/quality, but it's yield is relatively lower compared to other elite schools, thus it's considered less selective than other elite schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's the student stats and yield rate

Acceptance rate + student stats + yield rate together determines actual selectivity.

I would argue student stats/quality is really the ultimate gauge of selectivity. Who cares how many weak applicants they reject?

Many schools have similar student stats/quality, but some are more popular/selective then others.

Some specialty schools have high stat kids, but not really selective.

Some mentioned Northeastern here. it's student stats/quality is very high.

It has low acceptance rate, high student stats/quality, but it's yield is relatively lower compared to other elite schools, thus it's considered less selective than other elite schools.

RPI?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's the student stats and yield rate

Acceptance rate + student stats + yield rate together determines actual selectivity.

I would argue student stats/quality is really the ultimate gauge of selectivity. Who cares how many weak applicants they reject?

Many schools have similar student stats/quality, but some are more popular/selective then others.

Some specialty schools have high stat kids, but not really selective.

Some mentioned Northeastern here. it's student stats/quality is very high.

It has low acceptance rate, high student stats/quality, but it's yield is relatively lower compared to other elite schools, thus it's considered less selective than other elite schools.

Northeastern stats are high but on 33 pct submit SAT and 11 pct submit ACT. Most peer schools are well over 50 percent total. So it’s another manipulation.

I just think acceptance rate and yield can be played with - what matters is how strong is the final student body. The quality of students you have, not the students you don’t have, is what makes a school selective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colby gets twice as many applications as Bowdoin. Is that because Colby is so much more in demand or because it is a much better school? NOPE. It is because Colby doesn't have an application fee. No supplemental essays and test optional, too.
Just hit send on your Common App. Makes it really, really easy for them to lower their acceptance rate. And while that won't push them up in the USNWR rankings anymore, there are plenty of people out there (and on here) that think acceptance rate is important. When we visited Colby a few years ago they could not stop talking about their 9% acceptance rate (they must have said it ten times and it was written on the whiteboard behind the AO presenting for the info session) as they pushed ED applications. I'm not saying it isn't a good school - it is. But they have played the game well!

Here’s the earlier post re: bragging about acceptance rate.

A college tells kids the acceptance rate AT AN INFORMATION SESSION and to you that is bragging.

A college tells kids that the rate is low and recommends they apply ED if it is their first choice - as virtually every colleges does in their information session - and that is somehow done for the sole purpose of stroking their own ego in front of 60 people who drove up to Maine.

Do you realize how ridiculous those accusations sound?

I suppose they were also "bragging" about their new athletic facility, and "bragging" about everything else they do?

Jumpin jeebus on a pogo stick this forum is so ridiculous.

I mean…most peer schools don’t do this. Colby seems very invested in their acceptance rate as a big selling point, which combined with the advertising and low bar for submission makes it seem like they are trying to game their acceptance rate. 9% or 6% is not particularly meaningful if you’re pushing everyone and anyone to apply. And it just feeds a vicious cycle.

I don’t know much about Colby and absolutely believe that it’s a great school that students love. I believe the same thing about Northeastern, Chicago, Tulane, and other schools that come up regularly as gaming selectivity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's the student stats and yield rate

Acceptance rate + student stats + yield rate together determines actual selectivity.

I would argue student stats/quality is really the ultimate gauge of selectivity. Who cares how many weak applicants they reject?

Many schools have similar student stats/quality, but some are more popular/selective then others.

Some specialty schools have high stat kids, but not really selective.

Some mentioned Northeastern here. it's student stats/quality is very high.

It has low acceptance rate, high student stats/quality, but it's yield is relatively lower compared to other elite schools, thus it's considered less selective than other elite schools.

RPI?

Yes very good solid engineering school with relatively high stat kids. Great outcome (expected for a good engineering school)
However location is bad and less well rounded

also Olin College of Engineering comes to my mind.

These are sort of self selecting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colby gets twice as many applications as Bowdoin. Is that because Colby is so much more in demand or because it is a much better school? NOPE. It is because Colby doesn't have an application fee. No supplemental essays and test optional, too.
Just hit send on your Common App. Makes it really, really easy for them to lower their acceptance rate. And while that won't push them up in the USNWR rankings anymore, there are plenty of people out there (and on here) that think acceptance rate is important. When we visited Colby a few years ago they could not stop talking about their 9% acceptance rate (they must have said it ten times and it was written on the whiteboard behind the AO presenting for the info session) as they pushed ED applications. I'm not saying it isn't a good school - it is. But they have played the game well!

Here’s the earlier post re: bragging about acceptance rate.

A college tells kids the acceptance rate AT AN INFORMATION SESSION and to you that is bragging.

A college tells kids that the rate is low and recommends they apply ED if it is their first choice - as virtually every colleges does in their information session - and that is somehow done for the sole purpose of stroking their own ego in front of 60 people who drove up to Maine.

Do you realize how ridiculous those accusations sound?

I suppose they were also "bragging" about their new athletic facility, and "bragging" about everything else they do?

Jumpin jeebus on a pogo stick this forum is so ridiculous.

Geez, this really got you worked up! I'm not the poster who said Colby was bragging but rather the poster who shared my experience at Colby. And to us, yes, it did feel like they were overemphasizing their acceptance rate. I don't know that I'd call it bragging but they did say many times "we are very proud of our 9% acceptance rate." And yes, to remind us all, they wrote it on the whiteboard. This was after having the info session participants play a guessing game about the acceptance rate. Really. And all of this happened even before taking us on a tour. We'd visited many, many schools at this point, including several of the other NESCACs and no other school did anything like this. We just found it odd. We have a younger kid who is looking at colleges now. My husband and I still joke when we are researching schools with him - "sure it looks like a nice school but does it have a 9% acceptance rate?" So, yes, that's what stood out to us about Colby. I don't remember much else besides that and the very nice Questbridge scholarship student who gave our tour and happened to be from our hometown. None of this means that Colby isn't a good school - it is a very good school. This is just an anecdote. No one is forcing you to read this forum if you find it so ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean…most peer schools don’t do this.

This is as wrong as anything posted here today. Every highly competitive school mentions that it is difficult to get into. Every single one.

When I visited Yale they did so, and then (I swear this is true) when a young person asked if Yale had rolling admissions the very nice AO went into a short speech about how students need to look at the data to gauge their chances.

That was Yale "bragging" I guess.