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Colby College Profile

Waterville, Maine

Colby College

Founded in 1813, Colby College is a small private liberal arts and sciences institution located in the rural lake community of Waterville Maine. The footprint of the site is split into 4 geographical open spaces, one being the northern edge of the college’s athletic fields, the second being the residential facilities on the southern edge of the campus off Mayflower Hill Drive, the third being the Perkins Arboretum and the Campbell Cross-Country and Skiing Trail to the east behind the visitors center, and finally the academic Quad in the middle of the campus. The Colby campus map separates the college into a north, and south side with academic and residential quads linking both sides of the campus together. The school also has several large grassy, and tree lined areas on all four sides of the campus which highlights it’s rural campus landscape. Colby is unique because it has a small suburban school feel to it, while still being large in regard to physical geography and student activities.

The college has a large footprint of approximately 714 acres of park like property within the central area of Maine. The physical layout observes historic academic buildings, along with several new campus life facilities shared by students, and Colby employees. The campus itself has approximately 60 buildings including lecture, residential, research, and dining facilities. The overall campus map is typical for a college setting with wide sidewalks, grass field meeting places, and park like benches. The pedestrian flow of traffic within the facility was centered between the academic quads, student housing, and several student life facilities including the Alfond Fitness Center, and Cotter Student Union & Pulver Pavilion due to the time of day.

Colby’s student union, and the campus pavilion connect to each other through a barrel shaped hallway for easy access during the winter months. The union also has a large green area behind the building that connects to the Coffee House, and Dana Dining Hall that gets busy at all hours of the day when school is in session according to my student guide.

The campus buildings and open spaces were very clean and well maintained during my observations. These open spaces allow students the ability to interact with each other in a non-educational manner due to the high number of observed meeting places on campus. Colby students, faculty, and employees enjoy a community, within a community lifestyle in regard to on, and off campus activities and resources. The college also provides several critical student resources including student housing on campus for all 4 years, which helps students connect with each other throughout the year.

The published demographic information for the college describes a culturally diverse student population with students from all across the world. Colby has developed a large campus community to offer students a Liberal Arts and Sciences educational format to enhance it’s commitment to different types of career endeavors.

The College is home to relatively small campus population of approximately 844 male, and 1,023 female students. The average age of a freshman is 18 years old. 10% of students are from Maine; the other students are from 43 states, and 62 foreign countries. Students on campus provide a diverse multi-cultural makeup including 83% of students are white, 6% Asian Americans, 2% are Black, and 3% are Hispanic.

Published Academic Standards for Admission Programs

Colby College has a large educational system for a small private school, which offers Liberal Arts, and Sciences programs. Below is a specific list of under graduate admission requirements.

Student Housing

The purpose of student housing is to provide safe and reasonable accommodations for students living away from home. The issue of housing and dormitory life is a critical element of overall campus life because students spend a large amount of time in their rooms. Student housing units historically come in 3 different styles including traditional corridor, suite, and apartment style units.

Colby College guarantees on campus housing for all four years through a lottery system. Students who have filed their intent to reside on campus by the stated deadline and who have continuously registered as full time students receive housing. Colby also has several newly renovated “Special-Interest Houses” including a Green House (environmental), Spanish language, and a Music & Art Houses located within the Mary Low Quad off Mayflower Hill Drive. Colby doesn’t have freshman only housing within the campus, students live within several different housing quads throughout the rural campus. The school’s main upperclassman housing population can be found within the “West Quad“ residence halls including Chaplin, Butler, and Pierce Halls. Information about housing can be found on the quick links page of this document.

Off Campus Housing

Colby has been described as a small private college within a small lake front residential community. The reason I have mentioned the overall community is to re-assert the point that Colby’s network of facilities has encapsulated it’s real estate holdings within the area. The campus footprint allows almost every student to have housing within walking distance to college facilities. The issue of off campus housing has a different feel to it compared to other college housing demands. The college itself has 95% of it’s student population living on campus which reduces the need, or demand for off campus housing. Information about available off campus housing resources can be found on the quick links page.

Campus Life

The Colby College campus environment provides students with an outstanding social, and educational atmosphere due to it’s level of commitment to student life and activities. The college has an above average number of student activities for a small school including football, soccer, ice hockey and tennis to name a few. Colby also has several student performing arts, and student multi-purpose centers to listen to local music, comedy, theatre productions, or student poets. The college understands that developing excellent student facilities year round helps students navigate the winter season because the first thing you learn at Colby during freshman orientation is to love the State of Maine. New students participate in several team leadership activities during their first weeks at the school including hiking, canoeing, and lake activities to help them embrace the outdoor culture. Students that aren’t inclined to enjoy the great outdoors usually participate in several community workshops within the Town of Waterville.

The local area of Waterville Maine can be considered a rural community because it’s located between the state’s largest city (Portland) about 45 minutes away, and Bangor, the state capital of Maine that’s about 30 minutes away from Colby. The Town of Waterville can also be considered a small college town with several retail and restaurant resources within 10 minutes of the college. These local facilities have improved campus life for Colby students because they are close to the school, and they can be accessed by driving a short distance. Colby also has a school shuttle that links to the Waterville area every 30 minutes. The “Jitney Shuttle” is run by student volunteers and is vital to students who don’t have cars, or don’t want to shovel out their cars to go to town. The shuttle also makes trips to several shopping, retail, and entertainment resources including movie theatres in the area. And finally, the campus is clean and well maintained and the economic conditions are favorable to students due to the available services in driving distance to the school.

The emotional climate of the entire community is positive because students are involved with outdoor activities including hiking in the fall, skiing in the winter, and water sports in the spring. Students are also actively involved in local community, and campus groups during the entire year. An observation of this very positive emotional climate can be found by looking at the endless student flyers posted throughout the campus on walls, doors, windows, and light poles. These flyers describe upcoming activities and they invite all students to enjoy the clubs, athletics, performing arts, and public discussions on world events. Colby students went as far as hanging banners outside residence halls to invite students to attend social events on campus, which was very nice to see.

Colby also addresses the issue of ecology in a positive way. The physical campus environment borders several park like areas including the Perkins Arboretum, and the Campbell nature trail with trees and bushes that are situated overlooking the campus which gives students a great way to get away to enjoy Maine’s natural environment. College students at Colby also have the luxury of enjoying Kennebec River within Maine’s beautiful park facilities, which is located within minutes of the rural campus for students who enjoy nature & wildlife activities. This issue of school culture and emotional attachment is also a very important part of campus life because everyone wants to have a connection and emotional fit to their new school and community. Colby has done a great job developing positive social systems with it’s students by providing a series of coordinated programs including workshops, outdoor leadership activities, and seminars for freshman students. This type of process provides a foundation for learning and personal growth providing over 100 academic clubs, student organizations, and over 16 (I-Play) intramural sports activities. Colby also has 33 NCAA teams for men, and for women. The school also has several reasonably large athletic facilities including a new turf muti-purpose field for students to enjoy.

Student life on campus at Colby can be considered very active due to several notable venues including the Alfond Athletic/ Fitness Center, Seaverns Football Field, Wadsworth Gymnasium, Alfond Hockey Arena, Coombs Baseball Field, and the Alfond-Wales Outdoor tennis Center, which are the main student recreational, and athletic centers on campus. The college also has an off campus crew facility on Messalonskee Lake called the Colby-Hume Boathouse. The school also has a student run performing arts venue within Runnals Hall, and a visual arts center within the Art Museum. The Cotter Student Union & Pulver Pavilion are also popular destinations for nightly, and weekend entertainment activities, along with the campus Coffee House. These on campus facilities allows students to enjoy more than academic excellence, it gives them the opportunity to develop social relationships by experiencing school sports, performing arts, history, cultural events, restaurants, and local museums together.

Public Transportation

Colby College students use the student run Jitney Shuttle System for reliable van transportation for students who don’t, or can’t have vehicles on campus. The college has a very large number of out of state students who don’t know the streets and highways very well. Knowing the area is key because students who come from local states may know the area better and may be able to walk or drive to local destinations. Foreign, and out of state students might opt to take a bus or train to their destination because they don’t want to risk getting lost on local roads. In formation about this service can be found on the quick links page of this document.

Regional Public Transportation Resources

Student transportation to the City of Portland Maine can be found within the office of student services. Students can sign-up for paid transportation links (Car & Bus Services) to the airport, and regional train service for Amtrak. Additional airport facilities can be found within Bangor, and Manchester New Hampshire’s airport, which is approximately 1 to 2 hours away by car. The State of Maine also has several highway networks that links students to several northeast states including Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York within Route 95. This major highway system connects the entire east coast from Florida, to Maine. Major hotel & restaurants, as well as retail shopping centers can be found along this highway.

Local weather

Weather is also an issue to consider for students preparing for a college experience. The town of Waterville enjoys all four seasons of weather including rain and snow. Northeast weather patterns sometimes allow for temperatures to drop below 32 degrees for a considerable amount of time during the winter. Maine also receives a large amount of snow due to it’s geographical relationship with the Canadian border, the state also gets it’s share of rain during the spring and summer months as well.

Community Profile

The Town of Waterville has been described as a rural lake front community that has grown around it’s local college with students, and local residents enjoying the college town landscape. The area has also been described as a family centered residential community within striking distance to the City of Portland, and the state capital of Bangor. The town also has an intellectual side due to its historical neighborhood architecture and close physical relationship to Colby College. Waterville has become favorable to students over the years because the area has gone through a re-investment stage with the old buildings being converted into new restaurant and retail spaces. The local area has also become popular with local residents because it offers parking and pedestrian walkways on Main Street (Route 104), and Kennedy Memorial Drive (Route 137), which links students, and local residents to a several restaurants and local shops within the northern edge of town.

The drive from Colby to the above-mentioned meeting places is approximately 20 minutes. The town itself is located within the southwestern area of the state, which makes it convenient to several suburban communities and local highway networks including Routes 201 & 139, as well as Routes 137 & 104. Waterville also has several main roadways that connect the community to major state highways including the Maine Turnpike (Interstate 95), and Interstate 295. Shopping, restaurants, and hotel chains can be found within these major transportation networks after a short drive from the campus.

The following demographics for the Town of Waterville describe a multi-cultural community within a total population of 21,172 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Colby College has strong relationships with the town because they share community services including public safety, and cultural resources. An example of this commitment can be observed through the college’s community services handbook that describes educational programs, health care programs and services, legal programs and services to local residents who may require community help.

A Census Bureau community survey highlights several characteristics to describe the population including: 46% residents are male, 54% are female. 96% of residents are white, 1% are African American, 1% is Hispanic or Latino, and 1% is Asian. The median age of population is 35 years old. 80% of residents are 18 years old or over, 70% age 21 and over, and finally 18% of town residents is over the age of 65. The issue of housing in Waterville is also interesting. 91% of all housing units within the township are occupied. 51% of housing units are renter-occupied, while 49% of units are owner-occupied. 9% of total available housing was vacant.

Colby College Quick Links

Waterville/ Augusta Area Hotel Quick Links

Comfort Inn Waterville
332 Main Street
Waterville ME 04901
Holiday Inn Waterville
375 Main Street
Waterville ME 04901
Hampton Inn Waterville/Augusta
425 Kennedy Memorial Drive
Waterville ME 04901
Fireside Inn & Suites Waterville
356 Main Street
Waterville ME 04901
Fairfield Inn & Suites Augusta
14 Anthony Ave
Augusta ME 04330
Holiday Inn Augusta
110 Community Drive
Augusta ME 04330

Portland Maine Area Hotels approximately 60 minutes away from Colby

Portland Harbor Hotel
468 Fore Street
Portland, ME 04101
Eastland Park Hotel
157 High Street
Portland, ME 04101
Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Portland
65 Commerical Street
Portland, ME 04101
Wyndham Portland Airport Hotel
363 Mall Road
South Portland, ME 04106

Lewiston/Auburn Maine Area Hotels approx: 60 minutes away from Colby

Ramada Conference Center
490 Pleasant Street
Lewiston, ME 04240
Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch
14 Great Falls Plaza
Auburn ME 04330

Below is a sample list of local restaurants in Waterville Maine. National restaurant chains & shopping resources can be found off Interstate 95 & 295 in Portland, and Bangor Maine. Additional resources can be found in Brunswick, and Lewiston/Auburn Maine off Interstate 95 & 295.

Waterville Restaurants

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