<p>Bowdoin’s acceptance rate last year was 18.5%, and according to yesterday’s new york times, this year its a straight 18%. Just giving you the facts. I agree that these stats are not nearly as important as the “fit” of the school–size, student body, curriculum, location, etc–for the particular student. OBviously both places attract “smart” people and well trained faculty. I do have the sense that Bowdoin is a place that encourages intellectual curiousity, (even if I cant spell) and its less competitive. Not sure about Cornell in this way, but that is one of the reasons I chose Bowdoin. BTW- at the end of the NYT article about “elite” colleges that have low acceptance rates, including Bowdoin, Shain said something like, “I get why its so important but I also dont… Where you go to college has very little to do with how successful or happy you are in life…” A word to the wise…</p>