Colby College: Elizabeth

How College Solutions Helped

Coming from a competitive public high school in the Boston suburbs, Elizabeth was less concerned about choosing a specific major early on and more worried about the application process itself. “I was worried about balancing the application process with school and making sure I got all my supplements done.”

Because Elizabeth didn’t find her high school resources particularly helpful, College Solutions stepped in. Elizabeth’s counselor helped her find structure in what originally felt like an overwhelming process. “When I first started looking, my list was around 50 schools.” Together, they narrowed Elizabeth’s college list, with her counselor suggesting small schools that she hadn’t previously considered, especially small liberal arts colleges in the Northeast that fit her criteria. “I wasn’t super familiar with a lot of schools that were exactly what I was looking for. My counselor showed me a lot of smaller schools that ended up on my list.”

One school already on Elizabeth’s radar was Colby College, which she was familiar with after attending a summer camp nearby in Maine. After visiting the campus, Elizabeth knew it was the school for her. “A lot of schools on my list had the qualities that I wanted, but when I toured Colby, it just felt right.” Because of the high quantity of women applying, it can be especially difficult for women to gain admission into small liberal arts colleges like Colby, but Elizabeth was ready to face the challenge.

With her goal in sight, Elizabeth worked with her counselor and writing coach to stand out as much as possible on her Colby application. “I remember working a lot with my counselor on my Activities List,” Elizabeth recalled. “We talked a lot about how to be creative with the wording and maximize the character limit we’re given.” Together, they focused on presentation and differentiation—spacing out similar activities, highlighting variety, and showcasing Elizabeth as a well-rounded student. Elizabeth also found the College Solutions deadlines and check-ins to be particularly helpful. “It was nice to know where I was supposed to be in the process.” 

As for her personal statement, Elizabeth’s counselor helped her find her topic through various brainstorming exercises. After deciding to write about her experience taking AP Physics, she worked with her writing coach to refine her essay. “Working with a writing coach actually helped me not to be too much of a perfectionist.” Working with her writing coach helped Elizabeth feel reassured in both her writing and her topic instead of over-editing the essay herself. “By the end, I had an essay I was proud of. I knew someone else had looked over it, but it was still my voice. It was helpful to have that reassurance and guidance.”

Result

With College Solutions’ help, Elizabeth applied Early Decision to Colby and was accepted. Now a sophomore studying psychology, Elizabeth appreciates the small class sizes at Colby and how that allows her to build personal relationships with her professors. “I like that I can talk to professors and ask questions. I like that it matters if I show up to class every day; it forces me to engage, and it’s nice to feel seen and valued in the classroom.”

Following Elizabeth’s experience, Elizabeth’s younger brother also worked with College Solutions on his application process. He was recently also accepted to Colby, where he will be attending with Elizabeth in the fall. Similar to Elizabeth, College Solutions helped her brother find the right school and stay on top of the application journey. “I think it’ll be a good fit for him in a different way than it is for me–I think it’s really exciting for him.” 

What Elizabeth had to say

“With College Solutions, I found it very helpful to have someone who knew the process–someone who could tell me how I should prepare and how I could present myself most optimally. The most helpful thing was just having someone there to guide me through it. It made me feel like everything would be okay.”

What her counselor had to say

“Elizabeth was a complete joy to work with. She came into the process with a very open mind and was receptive to suggestions and feedback. However, at each step in the journey, she knew it was HER journey and decided when to follow guidance and when to trust her instinct. I am so proud of Elizabeth for her many accomplishments and know she'll be successful in all that she does.”