Colby College Names Randi Maloney Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
A member of the senior staff, she will lead all aspects of recruitment, selection, and enrollment
Colby President David A. Greene has appointed Randi Maloney ’09 as vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid. In her new role, Maloney will lead all aspects of student recruitment, selection, and enrollment while spearheading the College’s innovative access-based and financial aid initiatives. Maloney will also serve as a key member of the senior staff, working closely with President Greene in positioning Colby as one of the most preeminent liberal arts colleges in the country.
Since joining the College in 2010, Maloney has held several leadership roles within the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, including as director of outreach and recruitment and most recently, associate vice president and dean. Her work has not only led to a significant increase in applicants but also to a series of incoming classes that have consistently set new standards for academic preparedness year after year.
“Randi truly embodies Colby’s core values and has been remarkably successful in leading our admissions and financial aid teams, including finding new and creative ways to attract the most talented students from across the globe,” said President Greene. “I am delighted to have her join our senior leadership staff so we can work more closely together on continuing to open the Colby doors wider for students from all backgrounds.”
A dynamic leader
In the years since Maloney assumed the role of assistant vice president of admissions and financial aid in 2019, Colby has expanded and enhanced its outreach efforts to reach talented students from all backgrounds. The College has developed new partnerships with community-based organizations across the country and world, launched an early college-planning program for Maine middle and high school students, and joined the STARS College Network alongside the nation’s most prominent universities and colleges to support the aspirations of students from small-town and rural America.
Under Maloney’s leadership, Colby’s applicant pool has increased from 13,584 in 2019 to 19,188 in 2024, while the College’s selectivity rate has dropped from 10 percent to 7 percent. Over that same period, the number of enrolling students graduating within the top 10 percent of their high school has increased from 67 percent to 85 percent, and their median SAT scores have risen from 1450 to 1510.
“I look forward to furthering the College’s commitment to ensuring the most talented students from all backgrounds have access to extraordinary resources and life-changing opportunities.”
Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Randi Maloney ’09
Maloney has also played an important role in helping to launch and expand Colby’s financial aid offerings, including the Fair Shot Fund in support of middle-income families, and the $0 contribution policy, which guarantees a $0 parent/guardian contribution for families earning a total income of $75,000 or less with typical assets. These efforts have made a Colby education more affordable than many public in-state institutions and positioned the College as having one of the most generous financial aid programs in the country.
“It has been an honor to be part of such a dynamic and innovative community, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve in this new capacity at such an exciting time in Colby’s history,” said Maloney. “I look forward to furthering the College’s commitment to ensuring the most talented students from all backgrounds have access to extraordinary resources and life-changing opportunities.”
A first-generation college student from western Maine, Maloney graduated with a degree in government from Colby, earned an M.B.A. from Thomas College, and completed the Yale School of Management’s Women’s Leadership Program. Before joining Colby’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Maloney worked at VOX Global, a public affairs and communications firm based in Washington, D.C., as well as in Colby’s Office of Advancement.
