Class of 2025 Admitted to Colby
Colby has offered admission to 1,279 students for the Class of 2025. Selections were made from the record-breaking 15,857 students who applied, representing the largest and most competitive applicant pool in the history of the College. This translates to an acceptance rate of 8 percent.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome this talented cohort of students to Colby’s Class of 2025. Despite the challenges of 2020, they have excelled in their academic and personal pursuits, and we look forward to them contributing their talents and energy to our community,” said Randi Arsenault ’09, assistant vice president of admissions and financial aid.
This year’s admitted class hails from 48 states and 60 countries, and more than 800 high schools are represented. Among United States students, 35 percent identify as a person of color. Eleven percent are non-U.S. citizens. The median ACT score is 34, and the median SAT score is 1520. Nearly 95 percent of the students are expected to graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class.
These students will enter Colby during a time of extraordinary momentum for the College. They and their families will benefit from Colby’s nationally recognized financial aid programs, including the Fair Shot Fund and the College’s newest policy, which ensures families with a total household income of $65,000 or less and typical assets can send their students to Colby and expect no parent or guardian contribution.
The Class of 2025 will be the first class to benefit from the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence, a new cross-disciplinary academic program set to begin in fall 2021. The Davis Institute, the first of its kind at a liberal arts college, will allow faculty and students to bring the liberal art’s broad-based thinking into issues surrounding AI and machine learning. The institute will also support the integration of AI into the curriculum in nearly all disciplines to prepare students for a 21st-century world where AI permeates nearly every aspect of society.
Admitted students will also have access to the new 350,000-square-foot Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, the most advanced and comprehensive D-III facility in the country. They will find a deep commitment to the arts with a new arts collaborative and the Paul J. Schupf Arts Center opening in downtown Waterville, while on campus, they’ll witness the groundbreaking for the Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts.
Throughout their Colby academic careers, students will discover opportunities to conduct research with faculty or at one of Colby’s many world-class research partners; they’ll explore unique science- and humanities-based labs; they’ll engage with DavisConnects, charting their own pathways through the integration of global internship and research opportunities while preparing for post-graduate success; and they’ll join a global community of scholars committed to an inclusive learning environment on Mayflower Hill.
“There has never been a more important time to support the most talented students who represent the diverse backgrounds and wide-ranging perspectives that these students will bring to Colby,” said Matt Proto, vice president for enrollment and communications. “As the world’s challenges become increasingly complex, we believe that the Class of 2025 will take full advantage of the distinctive elements of a Colby education. We recognize their talent and potential to problem-solve, think critically, and pursue innovative solutions.”
Colby expects to enroll approximately 560 first-year students in the incoming class. In lieu of an on-campus admitted student program, the College will build on last year’s successful virtual experience and offer a robust online program throughout April, providing multiple opportunities for students and families to engage with faculty, current students, and staff.
