Hail, Class of 2028!
The latest first-year class arrives on Mayflower Hill capable and eager to embrace Colby’s endless possibilities
Students from across the country and around the world have arrived at Colby, uniting to form the Class of 2028. Numbering 630, they join a diverse community of student scholars embracing Colby’s exceptional academic opportunities to become tomorrow’s creative thinkers, dynamic innovators, and global citizens.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Class of 2028 to Colby,” said Deputy Dean of Enrollment Management Molly Hodgkins ’15. “This incoming class has already showcased an impressive range of talents and accomplishments, and we look forward to the significant contributions they’ll make here at Colby and beyond in the years to come.”
The incoming students were selected from a pool of 19,188 candidates, the largest and most competitive applicant pool in Colby’s history. They represent 40 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, more than 50 countries, and nearly 500 high schools. Seventeen percent are the first in their family to attend college in the United States, and 14 percent are non-U.S. citizens. Seventeen percent received Federal need-based Pell Grants, which promote access to postsecondary education for low-income undergraduate students.
Forty-four percent of these students will benefit from Colby’s financial aid program, the Colby Commitment. Nationally recognized as one of the most generous, this initiative ensures the most talented students have access to the best education.
“The strong financial aid support we offer at Colby means we’re investing in our students and their future, giving them the tools to lead, create, and make a difference,” said Deputy Dean of Financial Aid Candida Oxendine. “Their time here is the start of the impact they’ll make in the world.”
Academic opportunities and so much more
Members of the Class of 2028 began classes Sept. 4 and are exceptionally well-prepared for the rigors of Colby’s singular education. Their median SAT score is 1510 while their median ACT score is 33.
In addition to 46 majors and 36 minors from which to choose, Colby students have access to prominent centers of thought and action replete with mentoring, resources, networks, and funding that offer opportunities to explore issues shaping the future.
Now in its second year, the Lyons Arts Lab is an arts incubator and creative think tank that fosters students’ passions in devising films, music, dance, and plays. The Lyons Arts Lab is part of a vibrant arts ecosystem on campus and in Waterville that includes the Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts, Colby’s largest academic project with flexible, multi-use performance venues and a spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration limited only by the imagination.
Also in its second year, the Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship is unique among liberal arts colleges in its emphasis on preparing Colby students to be effective innovators and entrepreneurs. Through a comprehensive suite of training and practical opportunities, the Halloran Lab is establishing an entrepreneurial community built on Colby’s rich history of business and social innovators.
Other prominent centers include the Linde Packman Lab for Biosciences Innovation, which connects students to transformative bioscience experiences on campus and around the world. The Buck Lab for Climate and Environment is a nexus of collaboration for student research and other initiatives across academic disciplines related to climate change and other urgent, evolving environmental issues. The Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence, the first cross-disciplinary institute for artificial intelligence at a liberal arts institution, facilitates interdisciplinary, human-centered scholarship using rich datasets with real-world consequences.
The lynchpin of Colby Labs is DavisConnects, a redefined career center that helps students identify and orient to their “true north” by focusing on high-impact internships, research, and global opportunities. DavisConnects provides expert coaching, helps qualified applicants pursue grant funding, and connects students to Colby’s global network of alumni, parents, and institutional partners.
Embarking on a first-year journey
Since July, members of the Class of 2028 have networked with one another using a virtual platform. Also this summer, and for the first time, they completed an online orientation to familiarize themselves with resources and policies. They arrived on campus for an in-person, six-day orientation on Aug. 29.
It’s all part of the innovative First Year Journey program, which integrates Colby’s rich academic program with students’ social and residential experiences in Waterville. The program supports students’ holistic growth throughout their first year living and learning on Mayflower Hill. It forms a foundation grounded in five themes: discovery, difference, dialogue, care, and community.
The First Year Journey is a year-long program that includes a series of learning opportunities, discussions, and facilitated reflections. Subjects touch on the beginner’s mind, social engagement, personal wellness, community values, and much more.
Now in its third year, the program is critically important and beneficial for students.
“How our students wrestle with the program’s five themes continues to amaze me,” said Assistant Dean of Students Billy Parker ’16. “Our students are honest, authentic, and genuine in their engagement with the curriculum. I am confident the First Year Journey will continue to provide our students with opportunities to engage with one another in meaningful ways.”
Orientation also includes a Colby Outdoor Orientation Trip, or COOT. First offered in 1975, COOT provides opportunities for students to develop meaningful social connections while being appropriately challenged through a wide range of experiences in Maine’s beautiful outdoors. Trips include classic experiences such as rock climbing, backpacking, canoeing, and whitewater rafting. Less strenuous experiences include fishing, standup paddle boarding, yoga, and a trek to Colby’s Island Campus.
The newest COOT experience focuses on a local exploration of art in collaboration with the Lyons Arts Lab. Students explore their creative side in Colby’s backyard through art projects, adventuring, exploring, and eating in the Waterville area. They also stay in cabins at an art-focused retreat center in the Belgrade Lakes area.
During their First Year Journey and throughout their time at Colby, students will find abundant support to help them unlock their greatest potential.
“These students will have unparalleled access to the incredible resources and boundless opportunities that Colby is known for,” Hodgkins continued. “Welcoming this class is a dynamic and inspiring moment for our community.”
