Information for Transfer Applicants

We strongly believe that students transferring from other colleges and universities add an important element of diversity to our campus, and we reserve places each fall and winter for incoming transfers. You should realize, however, that as a relatively small college we are unable to enroll a large number of transfer students and that our transfer admissions process tends to be highly competitive.

Transfer candidates typically apply to transfer sometime before the sophomore or junior year. Students who are seeking to transfer should submit official in-progress grade reports from their current professors. Students who hope to transfer after two years of college should know that only up to 64 semester credit hours may be transferred toward a Colby degree. The registrar at Colby determines which course credits are transferable.

Forms
The Common Application should be completed and submitted to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid by the appropriate application deadline. If you are sending a hard copy of this transfer form, please submit a nonrefundable fee of $65 with these forms and make your check payable to Colby College. 
  • The Secondary School Report should be given to the college counselor, principal, or headmaster at your former secondary school. If you have completed a Colby application before, you will not be expected to resubmit the Secondary School Report, but you should make certain that we have a final, official transcript from your high school.
  • The College Instructor Evaluation should be given to a member of the faculty who has recently instructed you in college. We prefer that this form be completed by a professor, rather than a teaching or graduate assistant.
  • The College Official’s Report should be given to a dean or similar campus administrator who has access to your college records. This reference does not need to include a lengthy letter of reference. The members of our admissions committee seek primarily to learn your academic and social standing on campus.

Application Fee Waivers
Applicants to Colby qualify for a waiver of the $65 application fee in one of three ways: 
  • by being a Maine resident or enrolled in a secondary school in Maine;
  • by submitting the application online;
  • by indicating that the fee presents a financial hardship;
  • or by having previously applied for admission to Colby
Academic Transcripts
You should arrange to have both a final high school transcript and a current college transcript sent directly to Colby. If you have attended more than one college, you should submit official transcripts from each college. If you are admitted to Colby and decide to enroll here, you will be expected to submit a final transcript of your current college work.

Standardized Tests
As part of the process for evaluating transfer candidates, we will review the results of either the College Board SAT Reasoning Test, or the American College Test (ACT). These tests may appear on your high school transcript, or you should arrange for an official score report to be sent by the testing agency to Colby (CEEB #3280).  If you take a foreign language Subject Test, the score may be helpful to you here if you seek to fulfill the Colby foreign language requirement prior to matriculation.

Candidates whose native language is not English and whose medium of instruction in high school and college has not been English must submit the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Supplementary Materials
If you have a special talent, you are invited to submit materials to supplement your application, e.g., tapes of individual musical performances. If you do decide to submit supplementary materials, please send them by the application deadline directly to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, and please describe what you have submitted. These materials will be returned to you, if you include return postage and insurance costs.

The Colby Common Application Supplement is NOT required.

Financial Aid
Financial assistance is awarded on the basis of calculated need. Candidates who wish to apply for financial aid must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile form. Non-Canadian international students should submit the International Student Financial Aid Application that is available on the Colby Web site. The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid may require additional specialized forms that will also be sent to you if applicable.

 
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