Finding Your Best-Fit College Spotlight on Colby College

Colby College Offers a Tight-Knit Community and a Rural Campus IvyWise Intern Sarah tells us how she knew Colby College was her best-fit school. Having attended a large public high school in the Mid-Atlantic, I was eager to pursue a different path for college and quickly became interested in small, liberal arts options throughout the Northeast. I wasn’t drawn to the pre-professional feel of many larger universities and was looking for smaller class sizes and a tight-knit community. Colby was the last school I visited after touring many similar colleges. Looking back, I’m not sure why I liked it the best—it just felt right. I decided to apply Early Decision after completing my initial summer visit and returning once more when classes were in session. Visiting campus that September was a great decision—it reaffirmed what I had learned in August. Spending time with friendly students and sitting in on several classes made the college experience feel a bit more real. While eating dinner in the dining hall, my dad and I began talking to three freshmen seated near us (one of whom I’m still in touch with today!), and they later showed me around their residence hall and introduced me to their neighbors, giving me a taste of Colby’s kind community. I was thrilled to receive my acceptance letter that December, and the same group of girls got back in touch with me online before I moved in at the start of freshman year. At Colby, I majored in sociology, served as the editor-in-chief of the weekly paper, participated in class council, and mentored a local middle school student for several semesters. It wasn’t until I studied abroad at a large, European university that I truly learned to appreciate the accessible professors, fantastic dining halls, and close proximity of Colby’s buildings. There’s something to be said for being able to walk to class in five minutes or less! While going to college in a rural environment may not be for everyone, I greatly enjoyed getting to know Maine. There are tons of cute cafes and restaurants in town, many places to go hiking and skiing nearby, and lots of activities right on campus, including interesting lectures (Bob Woodward and Gloria Steinem, for example), major concerts (Macklemore performed a couple of years ago!), and even school dances (everyone attends, I promise!). Go Mules!