I was accepted both to Bowdoin and Amherst RD and I’m having a very difficult time deciding where I want to go. I plan on studying Econ and definitely want to double major in some other subject as well. Can someone please help me decide?
@ejohnson2016 – Congratulations. Two good options. Can’t go wrong with either. Many kids would die to have the “very difficult time” you’re currently having. That said, you do need to make a decision.
Here’s one factor to consider: Although Bowdoin doesn’t have very onerous distribution requirements, the required coursework could chew up to five semester courses – well, maybe not that many, as you’d likely fulfill a few of the requirements with courses that you’d take anyway. Either way, one of the major benefits of Amherst’s open curriculum is that you’re free to take any of the courses you want to take right from the get-go, which greatly facilitates double-majoring. In fact, I think that Amherst has more kids graduating with double majors than any of the other schools that my son looked at.
If you scroll down to the fourth page on this link, you’ll see a list of the majors from last year’s graduating class at Amherst.
https://www.amherst.edu/system/files/media/69th%2520SSR%2520in%25202015%2520%2528Class%2520of%25202019%2529.pdf
Note that not only is there a pretty good number of Econ single majors (attesting to the fact that it’s a strong dept), but also note the number of Econ double majors, doubled up with a very wide range of other subjects.
If you’re interested in Finance (like the eleven Econ/Math double majors), there is a strong alumni network working in Finance in the greater Boston area who support the current students with internships, etc.
I’m sure that Bowdoin has its strengths also. If you haven’t already done so, you might also post this on the Bowdoin thread. Best of luck. If you end up choosing Amherst, come back and post a note on this thread so we can all congratulate you again.
Did you revisit both campuses? The re-visit really helped my daughter decide.
Amherst’s open curriculum is well suited to your academic goals.
Based on economics faculty publishing (out of 196 colleges), both of your choices are excellent:
- Williams
- Wellesley
- Middlebury
- Wesleyan
- Hamilton
- CMC
- Colgate
- CMC (apparently a separate department)
- URichmond
- Holy Cross
- Vassar
- Lafayette
- Bates
- Annapolis
- BOWDOIN
- Macalester
- Trinity
- AMHERST
- Agnes Scott
- Colby
(“Economics Departments at Liberal Arts Colleges,” IDEAS.)
I’m a big fan of Bowdoin’s location. Easy access to the ocean and skiing. Cute town with a surprisingly large and diverse array of dining spots. Gelato Fiasco!! Easy access to Boston via train, even easier access to Portland and its HUGE selection of wonderful dining as well as several great music venues.
These are direct peers.
There are pros and cons to both the open and the more-traditionally-structured curricula that Amherst and Bowdoin offer, respectively. That should be one large component of academic fit in this dilemma.
Another thing to look at is the individual classes themselves: which school has a greater number of classes that sound interesting to you, both within Econ and without… keeping in mind that probably at least half of your classes will come from outside of your major?
Which physical setting do you prefer?
Which campus-city combo offers the most things to do – comedy, good dining options, live music, etc.? Which social scene do you prefer?
Does either campus feel safer to you?
Which campus will leave you with less debt after four years?
Which one feels more like home?
Ultimately, I think that when you’re deciding between peer institutions – and sometimes even when you’re not – that last one is the most important question to consider.
Between these two schools, the only way you can make a wrong decision is if you deny your own preferences (assuming money/FA is relatively even). So don’t.
Amherst is small but Bowdoin is incredibly so. Amherst also has the advantage of the Five College Consortium. Bowdoin is isolated and by itself. Depends if that is what you want. (That said, I liked Bowdoin more but found it too small and too isolated).
Bowdoin students are a cooler bunch.
Bowdoin and Amherst are the same size, @widgetmidget. If anything, Bowdoin is a tad larger. The schools are also equidistant from Boston. Bowdoin is really not more “remote.” Its on a train line from Boston, while Amherst is not. Amherst is a great school, but the comparison to Bowdoin is inaccurate.
Actually the drive is about 30-40 minutes shorter which is one of the reasons my daughter chose Amherst. I agree the train line is awesome in theory, but every time we tried to use it, it didn’t seem to be running. The schedule was odd and the changes in Portland to a bus complicated travel. Ultimately the biggest difference are in the town itself and the consortium.
I stand corrected on distance. Amherst is about 90 miles from Boston and Brunswick is 120. The train to and from Brunswick runs twice a day and much more frequently to Portland. I agree that the main difference between the colleges is access to the consortium. I dont think Amherst has a big edge on Brunswick and Coastal Maine as a location, but that is a matter of taste. Anyway, both are great schools. I mainly wanted to debunk the common misconception that Bowdoin is in some really remote location far removed from civilization. It is actually in a charming location that is an easy drive from Boston and a really easy drive from Portland.
My son is starting at Amherst next year, so if anything my bias would be in that direction, but my wife and I have deep roots in Maine (as well as two grown children living there), and Brunswick is one of our favorite places in the whole state.