We are full pay at Bowdoin but we are not a family that flaunts money. That’s how we had money to pay for college! S19 thinks all of his good friends there (minus just one) got some financial aid. He also said that, for the most part, you cannot tell who has money and who does not. It’s an outdoorsy kind of campus (it’s in Maine for goodness sake!) and kids are really casual. Also, as I mentioned above, there’s not a lot to spend money on so kids don’t eat out a lot or spend a lot of money. Outing Club trips are $10 and that’s a great way to socialize as are the free concerts, movies, etc. We are in a public school district and, while S19 would say he does know quite a few kids who went to private schools, he doesn’t feel like they are all that much different.
Overall, Bowdoin accepts down to earth and friendly kids. That’s what they say they look for in the search process and it seems they are quite successful.
The athlete part is harder for me to give advice on. Of course, there are plenty of kids who are not athletes but I would be lying if I said the athletes don’t hang with the kids in their sport. It’s just natural. S is a runner and it’s a three season sport so he’s training with those kids three hours every day. BUT he also has a math-friend group and he’s good friends with the kids on the floor of his dorm. i would say most of his social life revolves around the xc/track kids.
@college_query Was your son an athlete? If not, maybe you could chime in about social life of the non-athlete.
My S was not an athlete, but his first-year roommate was. And yes, his roommate hung around with other teammates.
My S was involved in a couple of choirs, and also had a work-study job all four years.
He had a gf from HS who went to a different college, so he didn’t date while at Bowdoin (they are now married). But several of his Bowdoin friends were groomsmen, and several other Bowdoin friends flew out to the midwest for his wedding.
Down-to-earth and friendly would describe my S.
And we were definitely NOT full-pay, but intentionally targeted schools that met full financial need.
With respect to your academic interests, you would seem to be a good candidate for Reed’s ICPS program, which appears sufficiently engaging so as to give Reed an edge in the general area of international studies.
My daughter, Bowdoin class of '23, was accepted to both Reed and Bowdoin. She attended a private prep school in Hawaii but is more on the quirky side and she said, “I’ve made friends with just about everyone on my floor.” Bowdoin is definitely not so mainstream that quirky people aren’t accepted. Far from it. Yes, there is a sporty component to it because it’s a small school that still fields teams from a variety of sports so a decent percentage of the student body are student athletes, but Bowdoin being as selective as it is, gets to pick the down to earth sporty types. Reed is more strongly counter-culture in makeup but it’s not like activism isn’t supported at Bowdoin. My daughter’s quadmate was very active in BLM prior to coming to Bowdoin and continues in that activism on campus. I don’t think you’ll feel stifled in rigid tradition at Bowdoin. That’s not the vibe at all and my daughter wouldn’t have chosen to attend if it was like that.
Regarding campus beauty which is subjective, few campuses are more beautiful than Bowdoin’s. My daughter thought Reed’s campus looked a bit run down in several spots, but it’s not bad in any respect. Some might like Reed being right in Portland but Bowdoin is a 25min drive to Portland ME (and there is a campus shuttle service) and 2 hr drive to Boston. Most of your social life will likely be centered on campus. The winters will be more strident than Reed, but if my grown-in-Hawaii daughter can handle it, any student can.
For social life, my daughter chose to live in a chemical free dorm and that has worked out smashingly well because she was surrounded with like minded kids. She did attend a couple of typical house beer parties but that just confirmed for her that it wasn’t her scene. I don’t think she has attended a single sporting event yet, so no, the social scene doesn’t revolve around sports but it’s only natural for student athletes to be social within that group. I’ll specifically mention the 24/7 craft center Bowdoin has because I don’t remember that being mentioned and I didn’t even know about it until my daughter informed me. For a small $10/semester fee, a student has 24/7 access to the craft building which includes materials. She might minor in Art so a craft center is a great asset for a small school. Maine in general has that handycrafts vibe.
I’m sure you probably know, but Bowdoin has a very strong Government/PolySci program, so if that’s your choice of study, you’ll be well served.
One more thing I’d mention that may not be obvious is that Bowdoin does an excellent job of getting their kids into top notch off campus/summer programs and of course post graduation. For instance, my daughter was selected as an upcoming Doris Duke Conservation Scholar and she’s stoked to soon experience that with a healthy stipend.
OP: My impression is that Reed College & Portland, Oregon may be a better fit for you–but it is not clear as I do not have an adequate understanding of who you are & what you want.
Check out if the grade deflation rumors are real at Reed. My understanding is that you get written comments, instead of grades, but the professors also assign a grade (you have to ask to see it). I’ve read on various sites that the professors relish in their tough grading. While a school where the life of the mind is paramount is extremely attractive, if you’re thinking law school could be in your future, your GPA should be a consideration. I know lots of kids change ideas about majors and careers, but it’s something to look into that can help you build a pro/con list.
I wouldn’t be concerned with Reed’s low yield; it appeals to a very specific type of person (not your “typical” graduating senior) and its ranking is only low due to its refusal to cooperate with US News and World Report.
These 2 schools seem so different to me. Either you’re a nonconformist who really learns for learning’s sake (and grades be damned) or you’re not.
Not enough information to tell what the distribution of applicants, admits, and rejects were among those pre-meds.
For example, if there were 106 applying to medical school, 85 of whom had 4.0 GPAs and got admitted, and 21 of whom who had 3.1 GPAs and did not get admitted, then the statement given on the Reed web site would be true, but possibly misleading in implying that someone with a 3.1 GPA has a realistic chance of medical school admission.