We are in Chicago. When S19 chose Bowdoin, we pretty much knew we could lose him to the east coast and that’s fine. We love New England and Boston and NYC! Hardly anyone here knows the NESCACs. Some do and I would hope it wouldn’t affect his chances of getting a job in the Midwest but Bowdoin is certainly known more out east. Most kids here go to Big Tens or maybe midsized privates that aren’t too far away (Northwestern, Chicago, Wash U, Duke, Vandy).
We let S choose where he wanted to spend four years. It’s the only four years of his life to study and go live somewhere completely different than here! And he indeed knows at least two kids from TX at Bowdoin! 