Trip report: Bates, Bowdoin & Colby

momofdd
Fri, 18 Aug 2006 06:14:03 +0000

This thread still shows how difficult it is to tease out differences between these three schools, so I would like to add another perspective.
Daughter visited all three, and decided to apply to Colby and Bates. She felt Bowdoin still had a bit too much of the frat culture and didn’t really fit her. In the end, she got in at both, among other LACs, and decided to go to Colby.

A supportive social environment was key to her, but she felt that both Colby and Bates have terrific communities with little direct competition.

But what really won her over was Colby’s decided focus on international studies and their commitment to attracting top-notch foreign students. The class of 2010 has over 12% international students, far more than prior classes and far more than many of the top LACs. And about 70% of students do a semester abroad.

The key factor that kept her from considering Bates further was the lack of a multi-disciplinary program like International Studies. She felt she would have much greater ability to shape a highly individualized course of study at Colby.

For those interested, the Colby website has the college’s strategic plan, which gives a great sense of its focus. That global perspective has become an overarching goal that should help it become better known nationally.