Colby is one of America's most selective liberal arts colleges founded in 1813. Located in central Maine, Colby College overlooks the town of Waterville and the Kennebec River Valley. The beautiful Mayflower Hill campus is 20 minutes from the state capital of Augusta and an hour from Portland. Colby is a small college with an enrollment slightly under 2000. Colby’s campus is home to the 128-acre Perkins Arboretum wildlife refuge a State Wildlife Management Area.
Visitor Information: Tour Colby
Transportation: Portland Jetport, a 75-minute drive south, and Bangor International Airport, about an hour north, offer commercial air service from most major airlines. Many families fly in to Boston’s Logan Airport, often with more direct and less expensive flights. From Boston rent a car or catch the Concord Coach from Logan. Arriving by bus? Greyhound’s Waterville terminal is located at the Xpress Stop Service Station at 320 Kennedy Memorial Drive, about two miles from campus.
Stay: The best and closest options to campus include the Hampton Inn Watervilleand the Best Western Waterville. Prefer a B & B? Families say The Pressey House in nearby Oakland, Maine, is a charming option and that Maple Hill Farm, right outside of Hallowell, is another quaint selection. (Read all about Hallowell here.) In Augusta, about a 20-minute drive parents like to stay at the Senator Inn, also close to the picturesque town of Hallowell mentioned above.
Coffee: Selah Tea has a wide selection of hot and iced teas as well as coffee. They also offer a small variety of breakfast, lunch and baked goods. Students often head to Selah to get work done in a relaxed atmosphere. Jorgensen’s a longtime student favorite has a large selection of coffees and tasty breakfast sandwiches and bagels. Waterville is home to Aroma Joe's and a Starbucks with a convenient drive-thru option, just 5 minutes from campus.
Breakfast: Downtown Smoothie has a ton of healthy options for smoothies and fresh pressed juices. As stated above, Selah and Jorgensen’s both offer breakfast sandwiches and bagels. Only 10 minutes from campus, head to Big G's in nearby Winslow, a local favorite for hearty comfort food frequented at breakfast, lunch (for massive sandwiches) or dinner.
Lunch: Students boast about Colby's on-campus dining options, especially at lunch. Dine at Foss for vegetarian and vegan cuisine with an international twist, Robert’s for flatbread pizzas and classic meals, or at Dana for American comfort food such as burgers, hot dogs, and pizza. An all-time Colby favorite, The Green Spot, open seasonally from April-October, has what some say is the best lobster rolls in the state of Maine in addition to excellent salads, as well as an extensive selection of artisanal bread, cheeses, and desserts. The Riverside Farm Market and Café, a 25-acre farm along the Messalonskee River, just over the Waterville border in Oakland is an excellent spot for salads, sandwiches, and burgers. Browse the market shelves after lunch and you may be tempted to leave with some cheeses and veggies.
Dinner
Casual:Everyone loves Grand Central Café where the chefs exclusively use local ingredients in their inventive wood-fired pizzas. As one student said, "it's fun to design your personal size pizza, and I always plan to, but inevitably order the Athenian--its that good!" Right across the square from Grand Central is Buen Apetito, for Mexican food, home to excellent fajitas and killer frozen margaritas. Tavern style Mainely Brew’s is a casual American grill with $6 burgers every Tuesday as well as a ton of pasta, sandwiches, and salads. In the mood for Asian fare? Head to Mirakuya for sushi and hibachi or to Pad Thai Too for excellent curries and noodles.
A Step Up: Widely known as the best restaurant in the Greater Waterville area, Slates,located 25 minutes away in nearby Hallowell, is a student and parent favorite for its fresh, local, organic cuisine. Closer to campus, Amici’s Cucinais an Italian place that loved for their wide selection of pastas. Another popular place is The Last Unicorn, known for their excellent avocado salad—the menu changes regularly in tune with what’s in season. Right next door is 18 Below, a raw bar with delicious seafood and fish set in an elegantly simple basement space with exposed brick walls. (There are options for carnivores as well.)
Sweets: Gifford’s (get the lobster tracks) and North Street Dairy Coneserve some of the best homemade ice cream in Maine. At North Street order an ice cream sandwich, made with their hand-churned ice cream in between two warm, freshly baked cookies with the flavor of your choice.
Local Attractions: You must visit the Colby College Museum of Art. The new stunning 26,000 square-feet Alfond-Lunder Pavilion has put Waterville on the map as a major art destination. There is also a whole wing devoted to famed American artist Alex Katz, who donated 400 of his works to the college. As one student proclaims: “it is arguably my favorite museum; easily digestible, but entirely impressive.” When the weather is nice, gorgeous Belgrade Lakes is a popular spot. Many upperclassmen choose to live in off-campus houses on the Lakes. Mount Phillips is an easy but beautiful nearby hike. Colby is just one hour from Portland, Maine's biggest city with vibrant music, arts, and food scene. We love Portland and have spent many weekends there, for a full itinerary see below.
Portland Vacation
Why Colby
— Quotes From Campus —
“The people are equal parts friendly, fun loving, and hardworking—and the campus and state of Maine are beautiful. It was undeniably the most memorable and wonderful four years of my life!”
“Cookie Fest is awesome! Nothing speaks more on the dedication of Colby’s faculty than Cookie Fest—during midterms and finals, our school librarians home bake 1200 cookies for us and serve them in the library for free. They are AMAZING—and it’s amazing that they do this for us twice a year without fail!”
COLBY COLLEGE FAST FACTS
Established
1813
Mascot
White Mule
School Colors
Royal Blue and Priscilla Grey
Acceptance Rate
18.7%
Common Application
Yes
Supplement Essays
Yes
Early Action/Decision
Early Decision 1 and 2
SAT
Average - 1440
ACT
Average - 31
Type
Private
Size
Small - 1,850 Undergraduates
Website
Region
Admissions Office
4800 Mayflower Hill
Waterville, ME 04901-8848
(p) (207) 859-4800
(f) (207) 859-4828
admissions@colby.edu
Sports Divisions
NCAA Division III
Greek Life
No
Noteworthy Alumni
Dan Harris
SHOP
COLBY COLLEGE
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