What SAT Scores Are Needed for Colby College Transfers?

Is it necessary to submit SAT scores as part of a transfer application to Colby College? If so, what are considered competitive scores for transfer students?

While some colleges require transfer students to submit SAT or ACT scores, Colby College is not one of them. As of the 2024-2025 application cycle, Colby College has adopted a test-optional policy for all applicants, including transfer students. This policy means you can choose whether or not to submit standardized test scores as part of your application.

That said, there can still be instances where including a test score with your application is a good idea. For more guidance on how to navigate test-optional policies, I'd check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/does-test-optional-mean-test-optional/. While this post is geared towards first-year applicants, and SAT scores tend to be less important for transfer students (as your academic performance in college, rather than a standardized test, is what's used to assess your readiness for higher level work), Colby is intensely competitive for transfer students, so any boost you can give yourself, even a small one, is valuable.

If you feel that your SAT scores accurately reflect your academic aptitude and would strengthen your application, you may be wondering how they stack up. While Colby does not publish average SAT scores for admitted transfer students, the middle 50% range of SAT scores for first-year students typically falls between 1470 and 1530. You might use this as a rough guideline for understanding what the college might consider competitive.

Remember that Colby College's admissions process is holistic. This means that while academic factors are important, the college also considers other factors like extracurricular involvement, leadership experience, your essays, and letters of recommendation.