Colby College Top Questions

I believe that in some cases, these stereoptypes are true; however, there are a lot of Colby students who do not fit this mold. Many love the outdoors and are far from rich or spoiled; many take care of themselves and also have the pressure of making the grades in order to get the financial aid that they need.

for the most part, with some exceptions as always

Quite frankly they are, for most of the campus flows into these types of stereotypes. Yet, there are a few that deviate from the "Colby norm," but for the most part these stereotypes are quite accurate in portraying Colby students.

I would be lying if I didn't admit that rich, preppy WASPS from New England comprise a large percentage of our student body, but once on the hill, a lot of these differences fade into the background. Just because I'm on tons of financial aid and my roommate isn't doesn't mean that we aren't good friends or have nothing in common. Extracurriculars, majors, and housing are more likely to determine who you hang out with than where you're from.

somewhat, but there are a lot more "weird" kids than i expected- artsy kids and kids who are into things like theater

yeah

There is a lot of drinking, but the students also work very hard on there classes. Also while in general the campus wants to help the environment, it defiantly does not define most of the students.

To a certain degree, otherwise they wouldn't exist. We definitely have a strong population of environmentally-conscious, outdoorsy types on campus, most noticeably our Woodsman team or the inhabitants of our Green dorm. The Outing Club, which rents out equipment like tents and snowshoes, is the biggest club on campus. I think the outdoorsy end of the spectrum is more of what the school tries to play up and promote through events like Colby Outdoor Orientation Trips (COOT) for freshmen, and it's historically been Colby's image. That being said, the New England prep school, country club stereotype also holds some truth. While the student body is comprised of people from almost every state and countries all over the world, it seems the more often than not you're talking to someone who is from "right outside Boston" and who knows half of the people here through their private high school's sports rivalries. I've only been here for a year and a half, but from looking at the older to the younger grades there definitely seems to be a transition taking place where this preppy culture is coming out more to the forefront of the overall "Colby Image." Obviously that doesn't speak to the entire student body, or even the majority of it, but if you're painting with broad brushstrokes I'd say those two stereotypes are certainly the most noticeable and fitting.

Most of the stereotypes are exaggerated or incomplete. First of all, there is a large population of private school students, but no more than 40 percent (off the top of my head). At the same time, although Colby has historically been predominantly white, we also received an award this year for being progressively diverse. We have students from an incredible number of countries. Colby was also ranked high for most money given to students as scholarships or grants. The only cliques that exist at Colby are among sports teams when in season, but this can be found at most schools. And as far as the social life, there are events planned both nights of the weekend by our Student Planning Board that are substance free, and there are a significant amount of students attending all of these events. There is no pressure to consume alcohol here. However, the students here do work hard, and are high achieving. The only reason we seem so busy is because people love being involved in many activities.

not so much. Colby students love to party, but they also see grades and other involvements as their primary concern. Partying is viewed as a reward for working so hard. As a Liberal Arts school, there are most definitely hippies, and being in the North East, there are definitely preppy people, but there is also a wide range of people in between who just live life the way they are most comfortable. Everyone at Colby is very comfortable with themselves.