One important difference between Bowdoin and Swarthmore is the outsize influence of athletics on the incoming class and campus culture. 40% of incoming class at Bowdoin are recruited athletes, who often have very different test scores and GPA from their non-athlete peers. This is one of the colleges where athletes regularly refer to their classmates as NARPs (non-athlete regular person) on social media and in conversation. I suspect that you got some of that vibe during your visit because it does contribute to some challenging social stratification.
1 Like