Waterville, ME: I wasn't sure what to expect when my father and I drove up to Maine for a college visit. We arrived in Waterville the night before I was to take a tour of Colby, and I didn't get much of an impression of the town. But it was 10 p.m. on a week night, so I didn't really expect much. The impression that I got of the college itself the next day made up for it completely.

Located on a hill, semi-isolated from the town, is the beautiful campus of Colby College. Although it was early fall, the leaves had just begun to change color. It seemed that Saturday morning as though that I had never before been in a place so peaceful. I could picture students studying outside during the pristine Maine springtime and having a great snowball fight in the snow-blanketed winter. It took me a minute to get over my reaction to the scenery and to think about what the school really was all about.

We went to the admissions office to sign in and wait for the tour and were immediately greeted by a friendly student host. Chipper and eager to help, the freshman told us about his experience at Colby and answered all of our questions. I found out, looking through the pamphlets wallpapering the waiting room, that Colby has several rarely found majors including creative writing. This was an automatic plus.

The tour was medium-sized with five or six students and their parents. The guide gave us the basics, like the school's population (1,800) and then went into more specific detail as the tour went on. She, too, was as helpful as possible, and pointed out the areas of our individual interests. (She'd asked about them earlier.) Unfortunately, the tour ended without a stop at the athletic facilities (due to distance), so my dad and I checked them out on our own. We were quite impressed with every part of it, especially the rink. Nice. Very nice.

I concluded my visit with an evaluative interview. The woman with whom I spoke seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. She recommended that I meet with several professors in my field of academic interest and even offered to help set up meetings. However, because of time constraints, I couldn't do it all. (It took seven hours to get there.)

I really liked Colby, and I could see myself being very happy there for a full four years. Although it is rated very highly academically, I didn't get the feeling of competitiveness that I saw at other schools. This was something that both caught my attention and impressed me. I know now that they have available at Colby all that I want in a college, and I am looking forward to applying. f




Reviewed in 1995