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Colby College

Colby asks for zero supplemental essays, which puts all the weight on one Common App personal statement.

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Supplemental essays

0 required

Essay that matters

Common App personal statement

Word limit

250-650 words

Testing

Test-optional

What Colby rewards

Here is the part that surprises almost everyone: Colby requires no supplemental essay at all. No "Why Colby," no short-answer questions, nothing. You apply through the Common App or Coalition App, and the only essay Colby reads is your Common App personal statement, 250 to 650 words. That is rare for a school this selective.

What sounds like a gift is actually pressure. With a 7% acceptance rate and no extra writing to show fit, your single personal statement has to do all the work that other schools spread across three or four essays. Colby is test-optional, so for many applicants this essay is the loudest thing in the file. Make it specific, make it yours, and make it unmistakably human.

01A genuine voice over a polished one. Colby readers spend their days in personal statements, since that is the only essay they get. They can feel when a sentence was written to impress an adult versus written because it is true. The essays that land sound like an actual seventeen-year-old thinking out loud, not a press release about themselves.

02Intellectual curiosity with a pulse. Colby describes the students it wants as intellectually adventurous. That does not mean listing your hardest classes. It means showing a mind that chases questions, notices odd things, and follows them past the point most people would stop. Curiosity reads best when it is attached to a concrete object: a tide pool, a broken engine, a grandmother's recipe.

03Reflection that actually moves. Because there is no second essay to add nuance, your personal statement has to show change inside its own four corners. Colby rewards writers who can name what they used to think, what cracked that open, and what they think now. The growth has to be earned on the page, not announced in the last line.

04Specificity as proof of character. Colby lists character and personal qualities among its most important factors. You cannot claim character. You demonstrate it through small, exact details: how you treated the kid no one picked, what you did when no one was watching, the unglamorous thing you kept doing anyway.

Essay prompts for 2026-2027

1 prompt for Colby, each broken down with annotated examples.

Common App Personal Statement250-650 words (Colby requires no supplemental essay; this is the only essay Colby reads)

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

See all 1 prompt and get a read

Your chance

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Add your GPA, test scores, and profile to estimate your odds at Colby and build a balanced list.

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Deadlines

Early Decision INovember 15

Early Decision IIJanuary 1

Regular DecisionJanuary 1

Decisions releasedBy April 1 (RD)

Cost

Sticker price$89,190

Avg net after aid$18,341

Meets full needYes

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Explore Colby

How to get inAcceptance rate, the GPA and SAT profile, and what Colby weighs most Supplemental essays1 prompt, each broken down with annotated examples Cost & financial aidAverage $18,341/yr after aid · net price by income + calculator InterviewDoes Colby interview? Format, tips, and practice The Colby Reader ProScore your draft against Colby's exact prompts

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Colby appears in

Test-optional colleges Colleges where the essay matters most The most selective colleges Colleges that weigh character most heavily

Compare Colby

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Colby FAQ

What is Colby's acceptance rate?

Colby admitted roughly 7% of a record 20,144 applicants to the Class of 2029, taking about 1,410 students. Nearly 95% of admits ranked in the top tenth of their high school class. Among admits who chose to submit scores, the median SAT was 1520 and the median ACT was 34, though Colby has been test-optional since the 1960s and reads every file holistically. At Colby, a strong application essay and a well-balanced school list matter alongside your grades and test scores.

What supplemental essays does Colby require?

Colby requires 1 supplemental essay on its application. On EssayLens each prompt is broken down with annotated examples, and you can get a free admissions-style read of your draft against the exact prompt.

How much does Colby cost?

Colby's published sticker price is about $89,190 per year, but the average family pays $18,341 after financial aid. Your net price depends on your family income; use the calculator to estimate yours.

Does Colby require SAT or ACT scores?

Colby is test-optional: you can apply without SAT or ACT scores, and strong scores are just one factor among many when you do submit them.

When are Colby's application deadlines?

Colby's application deadlines are Early Decision I November 15; Early Decision II January 1; Regular Decision January 1; Decisions released By April 1 (RD). Add Colby to your plan on EssayLens to track its deadlines automatically.

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