Colby College (Maine (ME))

Students at Colby College in Waterville, Maine say "Our greatest strength is our sense of community and collaboration that permeate[s] every aspect of campus life." Enrollees should be prepared to work hard, because "classes are very rigorous and there is a high expectation for reading and work outside class." In the STEM departments, for example, "students spend at least 2-3 hours on homework per hour of lecture material." Regardless of your major, undergrads say, degree "requirements are not overbearing, but provide foundational knowledge in the subject area." Overall, "Most have reasonable syllabi as well, in which assignments are spaced out over the semester." Students also enjoy the freedom of Colby's January exploratory term, which enables students "to focus on one topic, make new friends, travel, and enjoy Maine in the winter."

Instructors are reportedly "excellent, accessible, and really care about making their students successful." There's a consensus among many who feel that "Professors are here because they enjoy teaching, and they are generous with their time and willing to help students as much as possible." As one notes, "Many of my professor[s] do not have explicit office hours, solely because they look to be as open as possible with students." And their creative support doesn't go unnoticed. "Professors do a great job [of] finding interesting ways to teach and incorporating Colby's resources into their curriculum," such as "interdisciplinary teaching tools like the Museum of Art and Computer labs" and "field trip[s] to external museums."

"Colby is a tight-knit and inclusive community," and "a place for adventurous, friendly, and hardworking students." Your fellow students at Colby College "are generally curious and intellectually motivated and most have some sort of hobby or activity in the outdoors." Undergrads describe their peers as "a rather liberal and environmentally-conscious group," full of "forward thinkers who demand immediate change to social and academic schools of thought." While "Colby strives for diversity," many attest it "is still socially dominated by New England prep school students." However, despite the feeling that "many Colby students come from a privileged background, everyone is extremely humble, and is a Colby student before anything else." Such humility is understood in the "collaborative culture here on campus where we all learn from each other and celebrate all of our community's successes."

Students at Colby College are an active bunch, as "most people are involved in club or varsity athletics." In fact, "about a third of the student body are student-athletes." Many are "very outdoorsy and love to ski and hike often." But don't worry, "if you don't ski when you get here, you'll learn fast," as "weekends during the winter months are dominated by trips to nearby Sugarloaf Mountain." Many of these excursions are led by the Outing Club, one of the largest clubs on campus. When they're not hitting the slopes, "people at the school love to party." And while "there is also a big drinking culture on campus" many agree that "it is not ever forced on other students."

Given that "Colby is fairly isolated...it is a day trip to do anything off-campus." Many students emphasize that "there aren't many cities nearby," although students often "drive down to Portland and Freeport to shop and hit the towns." However, it's worth noting that these day trips "are impossible without a car." Colby "is good for the outdoor lover and people who don't care about being close to large civilization," one student explains. That's why most "appreciate the focus on on-campus events and programming."

Undergrads at Colby are quick to proclaim that the university’s career services are “wonderful [and] provides so many … great opportunities.” DavisConnects is a non-traditional career program that begins the moment a student sets foot on campus: students are assigned an industry expert advisor to help guide them in their pursuit of research, internship, and full-time job opportunities. The program will continue through summers and even post-graduation as a member of the Colby alumni network. Through DavisConnects, every grant-eligible student is guaranteed to have at least one funded international experience, which advisors will help integrate into the individual student’s curriculum. The office also hosts a variety of employer information sessions and workshops where undergrads can learn more about various industries and jobs. The program is also responsible for the plethora of on-campus recruitment, and the college continually attracts leading companies like UBS, Microsoft, Accenture, and Fidelity Investments. And the employer draw pays off: Payscale.com found that the median starting salary for Colby graduates is $71,200, and 51 percent of graduates report high job satisfaction.