Colby College (not named after the cheese) is a small, liberal arts college located in Waterville, Maine. Honestly, we are refreshed to write about a small liberal arts school not named after the town it’s in, so go off Colby! Because it’s located in Maine, Colby is a part of a consortium with Bates and Bowdoin, and it competes in the NESCAC. Colby isn’t an Ivy, but it boasts Ivy acceptance rates, with the Class of 2028 boasting a 6% acceptance rate. And here’s the kicker: there’s no supplement.
NO SUPPLEMENT?!? FOR A SIX PERCENT ACCEPTANCE RATE?!? Absurd, we say. With those kinds of numbers, and their test-optional policy (which you should submit if you can), we think no supplement is wild. You need to stand out among a sea of wildly competitive candidates, so we have a lil plan to help you do just that. And it involves the thing the internet was invented for: e-mail.
This will be very similar to what you’d write in a Why Us essay.
The Email
This will be very similar to what you’d write in a Why Us essay, which you are probably fairly familiar with by now in the application process. And if you’re not, or you’re not writing them The Koppelman Group Way™, then it’s time to follow our guide.
A few starting guidelines for your email:
It should be polite and profesh. You want to sound conversational and confident, because you want them to like reading this email.
It needs to be an email, not just an essay. Brush up on proper email etiquette, or learn it if you’re unfamiliar.
Please do not ask ChatGPT to write this email for you. We keep seeing TikToks about people using ChatGPT to write all their emails. We promise you that we can tell, and so can Colby. Don’t do it!
Now let’s get into the outline of this email, that’s why you’re here, after all.
Introduction
Introduce yourself, give your name, and explain why you’re sending this email. Perhaps something along the lines of “I am emailing since there is no formal place on the application to express why I want to go to Colby.”
Declare that Major
Yes, you must. This will not be held against you if you choose to change your major throughout college. Tons of people change their major. You want to open with an origin story, explaining the inception of your passion. If you want to study History, tell them about how that one trip to that one museum made you realize you wanted to know every single thing about US Colonial history. Then, briefly explain how you’ve explored this interest, and end by plainly declaring your major.
Provide the Evidence
This is where you will prove to Colby that you have done research into their school, and therefore know Colby is the best place for you to study what you want to study. Go into the Colby class catalog and find one to two upper-level classes that fit into your interest area. Do not select an introductory class like “American History,” because all schools have that class, plus that’s like a crazy broad class. Instead, find something a little bit more focused that is tailored to your interest. Then, you will write about why you want to take these classes and why they are interesting. Please do not just say they are interesting, put some juice behind it. After you talk about classes, you will want to find a professor that you would like to research or work with. This professor should be active in, you guessed it, your stated interest area! When you talk about the professor, explain why you want to work with them, what they could teach you, or how they might help you accomplish your goals.
Outside of School
Colby is not just a bunch of buildings where only classes happen, it’s also a community! With tons of different extracurricular activities for you to indulge in! Find an extracurricular at Colby that you would like to participate in, but make sure that it makes sense with your application, i.e. maybe don’t join the a cappella group if you’ve never sung a day in your life. If you wrote music reviews for the school paper in high school, maybe you’d work on the Colby radio station. If you played soccer all four years, you might be interested in walking onto the team or playing club soccer.
Sign-off
After you’ve incorporated all of these elements, thank them for your time, and ask if there’s anywhere else you should forward this email. Finish your email with a polite sign off, think a “sincerely” or a “best,” and your name.
These are all the ingredients for a good email. Try not to go over 350 words, because otherwise it’s just a massive block of text and nobody really wants to read that. Send to the Colby admissions email, maybe CC your local admissions officer if you know who they are, and hope for the best. You can also call a few days after sending to confirm they received your email.
The rest of your Common App needs to be in good shape, too. We have guides on the Common App essay, the activities section, additional information (if needed), and so much more. And, if you need help with those, we’re here too.
Need help with your Colby email? We got you, reach out today.