Waterville, ME: When I told my friend, Matt, I was considering applying to Colby College, he got excited and told me about his four wonderful years there. A few weeks later, when I told him I had scheduled an appointment, he insisted that I call back and request his friend who was an admissions officer. I was unsure about the whole college process, so I was not about to be picky about my interviewer. Matt kept insisting I call, but I never did. The advice he gave me when I went to visit the school was to relax and enjoy myself. He assured me I would feel very at home there, because that was what he liked about the school. I was fine until I actually got to Waterville.

I was sitting in the back seat of the car, listening to my friend read through the Colby view book, when I suddenly realized I had left my transcript at my grandparents' house. "We'll just call and have them fax it to us," my mother suggested. My grandparents didn't even have a computer, how could they fax my transcript? When we arrived,. we told the receptionist our problem and she tried to help. She made a few phone calls and assured us the fax would arrive in a matter of minutes. With that solved, we went on a tour of the campus.

A combination of nerves, wind, and near zero temperatures did not make for a good first impression. I honestly can't remember much other than a dorm and a dining hall, where it was warm. I knew I had nothing to be nervous about, but I couldn't help it. The impression I was to make on the admissions officer could decide my future. How could I not be at least a little worried? I hoped that fate would intercede and I would have Matt's friend as an interviewer, but that was unlikely.

I sat in the waiting room, my heart beating faster each minute. It was almost time for my interview, and my transcript had not arrived. I would have to go in without it. What a great impression I would make. Almost precisely in time, a man of medium height and dark skin walked in the room and called my name. I got up and walked into his office. The first thing he told me to do was to relax. Then he asked me about Matt. He told me Matt had called him the night before and told him I was coming, and asked to switch my appointment. Knowing that Matt cared enough to go out of his way for me, and that Colby had complied, set my nerves at ease. I exited his room 35 minutes later with a smile and an incredible feeling of relief. I hadn't even needed my transcript. He came with me to the waiting room to talk to my mother, then he gave us meal tickets. I had survived my first college interview.

Although I was either frozen or in a daze for most of the tour, what I remember most fondly was how friendly everyone was. While I was being interviewed, freshmen talked to my parents and answered any questions they had. The tour guides, from what my mother tells me, were very informative and friendly. People stopped their cars to let us cross the street. Even the lunch ladies were nice. Feeling that I belong will be a key factor in choosing a school, and Colby certainly filled that requirement. f




Reviewed in 1995