Re: #10 above: Bates and Bowdoin are each an hour away from Colby, so I don’t think Colby students taking classes at either one is very feasible or common. I am pretty sure that there is no cross-registration among those 3 like in the Quaker Consortium, but I could be wrong.
My son had this exact choice to make 2 yrs ago. He chose Haverford due to its academic strength in his chosen discipline (and loves it there) but was very drawn to Colby’s gorgeous campus, outdoorsy feel, and community engagement. Both are great options.
I suspect that Colby is slightly better than Haverford in Economics, but that is my own impression based on some subjective comments by current students, rather than any first-hand knowledge of the curriculum.
As suggested above, visit to see which one is a better fit for you and be sure to talk with Econ profs in both schools.