Class of 2028 Admitted to Colby
The College draws from its largest pool of applicants and offers admission to an academically talented class of first-year students
Colby has offered admission to 1,275 students for the Class of 2028, with selections made from a pool of 19,188 candidates, the largest and most competitive applicant pool in Colby’s history.
“Applicants to Colby continue to display a remarkable range of talent and accomplishment,” said Molly B. Hodgkins ’15, deputy dean of enrollment management. “We look forward to welcoming them to campus as they develop their talents and skills and become exceptional citizens of the world.”
Members of this year’s admitted class represent all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, more than 80 countries, and more than 800 high schools. Approximately 15 percent of the admitted class would be the first from their family to graduate from college.
They are an accomplished group academically; 94 percent are projected to graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class. The median SAT is 1510, and the median ACT is 34.
“The group includes exceptional artists and writers, creative thinkers and innovators, award-winning scientists, talented athletes, and leaders who are transforming their schools and communities in meaningful ways,” said Randi Maloney ’09, associate vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid.
The students and their families will benefit from Colby’s generous financial aid programs, including the Colby Commitment, which promises to meet 100 percent of each admitted student’s demonstrated financial need without loans. Colby guarantees parents or guardians will pay $0 if they have an income of $75,000 or less, approximately the median household income in the U.S., and assets typical of that range. Colby also offers the Weiland Welcome Grant, which provides $1,250 in addition to financial aid for expenses associated with necessary school items to eligible first-year students.
In addition, Colby’s Fair Shot Fund caps parent and guardian contributions at $15,000 for students who are part of a household with an income and typical assets of $150,000 annually, often making Colby more affordable than a public institution.
The incoming students will arrive during a time of change on Mayflower Hill and in Waterville. Last fall, Colby opened the Gordon Center for Creative and Performance Arts, an innovative performing arts facility and home of the departments of Music, Cinema Studies, and Performance, Theater, and Dance. With flexible, multipurpose performance areas and studios, the Gordon Center provides transformational opportunities and experiences for students and the broader community.
The 74,000-square-foot building is the largest academic project in College history and the latest investment in the arts. In December 2022, the Paul J. Schupf Art Center, a hub for the visual and performing arts and community engagement, opened in downtown Waterville. Also downtown, in fall 2021 Colby opened the Greene Block + Studios, home of the Lunder Institute for American Art, community performance and gathering spaces, and studios for Lunder Institute artists.
Members of the Class of 2028 will receive the benefit of a broad liberal arts education with the opportunity to pursue personalized academic interests. The Lyons Arts Lab offers students the chance to imagine, create, and stage new films, plays, dances, musical compositions, and other forms of creative expression. The Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship will challenge them to be innovators and entrepreneurs, while rewarding their good ideas with financial backing and other tangible incentives.
The Buck Lab for Climate and Environment supports climate-change and other environmental initiatives across disciplines, including research and experiential learning in labs, museums, and natural environments around the globe. The Linde Packman Lab for Biosciences Innovation prepares students to become science leaders and innovators by placing them in labs in Maine, throughout New England, and across the country that specialize in the next generation of research and life-saving bioscience innovation.
With a similar ethos of embracing the possibility of excellence and innovation, the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence encourages all students to apply their broad-based liberal arts thinking to issues related to artificial intelligence and machine learning. The institute encourages students across the curriculum to incorporate AI into their education and convenes leading experts to engage students about the potential of AI, as well as its dangers and threats.
Through DavisConnects and external partnerships in science, medicine, education, government, business, the arts, and other fields, Colby ensures that all students, regardless of financial background or personal networks, have access to funded internships, research opportunities, and global experiences.
The College also operates the Island Campus in midcoast Maine, offering Colby students unique and timely cross-discipline research and personally immersive opportunities in a range of academic programs, including the marine sciences, the arts, religion and spirituality, and others.
Colby students have access to the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, the most advanced D-III athletic facility in the country, and the Colby Museum of Art and its renowned collection of art, including the Lunder Collection, that serves as a teaching tool across the curriculum.
“Members of the Class of 2028 will be given every opportunity to take advantage of the depth and breadth of a Colby education,” said Tori Neason, deputy dean of admissions. “We are proud to offer a unique and lifelong community to these students as they pursue their passions and become leaders, innovators, and kind, caring members of their communities who will have an impact on the world in their own unique ways.”