How to get into Colby
What 73 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 286 Colby results that students posted for the 2017 to 2026 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
Applying to Colby? Book a free call with a Specialist to see how your student’s file compares.
Colby admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
3.90
Middle half 3.79 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,530
Middle half 1,470 to 1,540
Median ACT
34
Middle half 34 to 35
Median weighted GPA
4.30
Middle half 4.19 to 4.60
Results posted: 73 admitted, 86 rejected, 127 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Colby acceptance rate; the official rate is in Colby’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 3.90 | 3.87 |
| SAT | 1,530 | 1,485 |
| ACT | 34 | 34 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What Colby admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service64%
- Athletics55%
- Work/Job42%
- Internship36%
- Tutoring/Teaching34%
- Music33%
- Research32%
- STEM club/competition27%
Held a leadership role
82%
Founded something
45%
National or intl. award
67%
Did research
32%
Intended majors of Colby admits
- Computer Science12%
- Economics10%
- Biology8%
- English/Writing8%
- Environmental8%
- Political Science8%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 16% first-generation, 23% low income, 12% underrepresented minority, 15% legacy, 1% recruited athlete and 18% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 13% chose Colby.
Three recent Colby admits
2026 cycle · RD · Environmental
First-gen immigrant with mental health research, volunteer leadership, and humanities summer programs.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1570 · Original post
2026 cycle · Math
Sports-data and civic-engagement student who founded a cake-donation nonprofit and civics initiative.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1530 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Data Science
Former elite athlete who became a lab research assistant with STEM, coding, and music involvement.
GPA 3.10 UW · SAT 1530 · Original post
Where else Colby admits got in
Colby admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Colby?
- Among 73 applicants who posted a Colby admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 3.90 and the middle half reported 3.79 to 4.00 (55 reported a GPA). Colby sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Colby?
- Among 73 applicants who posted a Colby admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,530 and the middle half scored 1,470 to 1,540 (53 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 34.
- What extracurriculars do Colby admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (64%), athletics (55%), work/job (42%), internship (36%). 82% held at least one leadership role and 67% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Colby acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Colby in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Colby?
A Specialist who got into a school like Colby can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2017 to 2026 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Colby. All colleges