<p>Blueisbest,</p>
<p>The lack of participation in these joint programs is primarily due to a few factors in my opinion:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Students are not entirely sure what they want to do and these programs have many class requirements, so students usually have to identify their interest in these programs before sophomore year in order to fulfill them in time.</p></li>
<li><p>Bowdoin is a small, liberal arts college and usually students who are interested immediately in engineering will not go to a liberal arts school.</p></li>
<li><p>Bowdoin is a really enjoyable experience for most students and with its requirements, some students would rather study abroad or be with their friends for four years and enjoy the whole experience before moving on.</p></li>
<li><p>The rigorous academic environment at the College also forces students to be very driven and successful in order to qualify for these programs. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>These are just some of the reasons why I believe participation in these types of programs is limited. I personally know a few students in the joint program at Columbia and while they do like it, it is much more work for students during the first few years.</p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>