This past Monday, members of the College’s incoming Class of 2028 arrived on campus for the annual Admitted Students Day.
As always, this year’s programming offered many opportunities for students to explore Mayflower Hill. Prior to the start of the day, soon-to-be first-years were asked to download an event-scheduling app, Colby 2028, in order to review their options for the day.
Through the app, prospective students could register for tours of the Harold Alfond Athletic Center, the Colby Museum of Art, and general campus tours. Perhaps most excitingly, starting in the late morning and extending into the afternoon, prospective students could attend “spotlight classes,” which served as an opportunity for them to experience what an actual class at Colby looks like.
This “sample class” method has been something the College has done for quite some time, and a few currently enrolled Colby students expressed their appreciation for this chance to experience a part of academic life before actually beginning their freshman year.
Charlotte Langlois ’27, a member of the field hockey team, attended Admitted Students Day last year, traveling all the way from Delaware in order to visit Colby.
“I think I took two spotlight classes when I came last year, which were very helpful,” Langlois said. “I feel like when I went on a lot of other tours at other schools, I didn’t really get to experience what it was like to be a student there, so I feel like it was nice to be able to sit down in an actual classroom that I knew I could potentially be sitting in one day.”
Langlois also added that the College had “a big variety of options” for classes to attend, with options ranging from geology to government.
Starting around lunchtime, the infamous food trucks opened up for business next to Miller Lawn. Colby’s food trucks, which typically make most of their appearances during Orientation Week, at Homecoming Weekend, and then at Admitted Students Day, have always been a hit with Colby students.
“The food was actually so good last year,” Langlois said. “Not only did they have the food trucks, but they also had lobster mac and cheese last year, which was really delicious. The food options were top-tier.”
Interspersed with hours of quality classes and fine dining, prospective students also had opportunities to hear from President David Greene and attend information sessions on a variety of logistical topics.
With programming extending until the late evening, Admitted Students Day offered the Class of ’28 a full day of fun options to explore. In addition to the planned events, the College also had a handful of student ambassadors volunteering, who, according to the registration flyer, helped to “email students beforehand, greet families, and be an overall positive presence on campus” throughout the day.
Lindsay Whelan ’27, who served as an ambassador this year, was intrigued by the ease of the registration process—simply scanning a QR code that SGA had circulated—and also remembered how much she enjoyed the ambassadors when she came last year.
“The ambassadors last year were super helpful. This one guy sat with my parents and I at dinner and he answered all of our questions, so it was really nice,” Whelan said. “And there were so many people who would tell us where to go, which was really helpful, which is why I’m so excited to be one of those people this year!”
Whelan wasn’t the only one who appreciated the positivity of these volunteers on campus—Langlois also found them to be quite the happy presence.
“All of them were so welcoming and cheered us on the whole time,” Langlois said. “My mom actually cried because she thought it was so cute.”
Certainly, the ambassadors were, and always have been, a large part of what makes this day so special every year, but another part of the beauty of the experience is the feeling of relief of finally being at your future school.
“It was great last year. It was my first time actually visiting, and it really gave me a sense of the Colby community,” said Langlois. “I really enjoyed the atmosphere of campus and how welcoming it all was.”
Whelan shared a similar experience and sentiment, adding, “I had a really great experience. It was really nice to be able to see the school and explore all different parts of it while also knowing that I was in a space with a lot of my future classmates.”
Assuming that Colby’s Class of 2028 enjoyed themselves this past Monday, especially since the weather was better than last year’s, it’s safe to say that Admitted Students Day is an excellent annual tradition that brings much joy and excitement for the future to the entire Colby community.
~ Amelia Hanscom `27
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