I’m class of 2022’ and I was lucky enough to be accepted to all three. I now have a tough choice. I’m leaning towards Bowdoin and Colby, because from what I’ve heard Bates has a slightly ragged/depressed town, though I may be wrong. I visited Bowdoin before and liked it a lot. I haven’t visited Colby & Bates.
A bit about me: I applied as an English major to all three so strong English dep. is very important to me. I am interested in economics and history, possibly as a minor, as well, so I also value strong departments in those. I am a big outdoorsy person so nearby proximity to mountains, trails, lakes etc is important. I value peers who are passionate, creative, and outodoorsy/athletics oriented, not necessarily “artsy” though. Obviously, I value world-class professors. I want to play soccer, tennis, ski and other sports recreationally in college. I would also like to have at least a town area nearby with shops and food.
Thank you so much guys for your help guys! FYI I am also an international so it may be hard for me to visit Colby or Bates before May 1.
In terms of econ, you’re generally looking at three excellent departments that might be difficult to differentiate. However, this resource might nonetheless be worth reading through as part of your various considerations:
Bowdoin has the best town, but Bates has the best people! Friendlier, more open, professors incredible. I visited with my sons after 30 years, ran into 2 of my professors(not even my advisor) and they immediately recognized me and greeted me by name!
This is a common question and if you do a search, you will find other threads on this topic. Disclaimer, my kid goes to Bates, so I am biased, but my least favorite of the three is probably Bowdoin. Too preppy, too snooty, IMO but the best location of the three. My daughter did not apply to Colby or Bowdoin, and in fact, didn’t like Bowdoin at all. She said it looks like a cemetery. Lol. Bowdoin is the most prestigious of them. There is a long-standing friendly rivalry amongst them all, but once they all graduate, they love each other. It’s common to see kids from the three colleges in Freeport.
Yes, Lewiston is a scrappy town, but it’s improving all the time. Lots of good places to eat. It’s not posh, it is totally safe though. If you must have a lovely town, Lewsiston isn’t going to fit the bill. Bates’ campus is beautiful. There is a bird sanctuary adjacent, and kids run and hike there. Of the three schools, it is generally acknowledged that Bates has the friendliest atmosphere. Traditionally, of the three, Bates has the more creative and arty vibe, but at least 40% of Bates kids are athletes and there are a lot of outdoor activities. I am sure others can give their opinions of the other schools.
Colby is very beautiful, but more isolated than the other two. @gardenstategal can give good info about Colby.
By all accounts, Bowdoin is much more preppy, think “Vineyard Vines” preppy, similar to Colgate. Colby isn’t too far behind, and Bates is more down to earth than the other two. I think its really going to come down to location and “feel”. I can’t imagine that there is enough academic difference to worry about, either in English or Economics. All good schools, just each one with a different feel.
Congratulations on your acceptance to three great schools. That’s a feat in itself.
My husband and I are alums and our daughter preferred Bates over Bowdoin by a long shot after visiting both. She thought the campus and the fun traditions were much more intriguing at Bates and definitely felt the friendly vibe. The Commons and dining hall is a beautiful space to have for everyone to come together and the food is amazing (wish we had it back in the 90’s). Lewiston is an interesting place to attend college and it provides a lot of great opportunities to give back to the community and it’s very gratifying to see the results.
I can’t comment on Colby because I’ve always been told that if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. Mostly kidding but the rivalry is strong!
I was an English major with a concentration in Economics and had a great experience at Bates.
I’m going to go against the tide here and say Bowdoin. My nephew and my kid’s ski coach graduated from there. We visited all, and one kid applied to and was accepted at Bates. I think Bowdoin is the strongest academically hands down. I also personally liked their campus better.
It’s all good. Can’t go wrong and all great schools. There are specific differences of course. But Bowdoin as too preppy and snooty? LOL. That just doesn’t match the reality.
Could not agree with citivas more. All these schools provide exceptional experiences and educations. All have students from a broad range of backgrounds, which means there is no one type at any of them. All have kids who are happy and some who are not. It’s all about how one navigates these brief four years. I know from experience Bowdoin has fantastic resources which are used for the benefit of their students, both during the school year and the summers. Friendly, down to earth, great location, great and surprising opportunities, and I’ll stop there because I can go on and on…Visit the schools, trust your judgement, once the decision is made enjoy and embrace all that school provides and you’ll leave enriched in ways you could not have envisioned had you not attended. At least that was the experience of my kid at Bowdoin. Best to you wherever you land!
You may not care about this, but each of the three has a different academic calendar. Bowdoin has a traditional two semester approach. Bates has two semester followed by a five or so week session called Short Term where students take a single class on campus or sometimes abroad. This is required for two years I believe and you can it three times if you want for no extra cost. Colby is similar except their extra term is called January Program and is wedged between the two regular semesters.
The only other non-subjective difference I can see is proximity of each to Portland which is Maine’s primary city. Bates and Bowdoin are less than an hour north from there but Colby is at least another hour north if memory serves.
@aroving my daughter isn’t at Bates but my husband and I are grads. While there I volunteered as a Big Sister for a local girl and I know that has always been a strong program. I also volunteered in local schools and my husband spent time at the retirement community. Neither of us were doing this for career path, just volunteer work.
I also wanted to comment about the different academic calendars. Short Term is a wonderful experience and I think one of the best things about Bates. Many people do 3 years and study abroad second semester junior year so it’s every year except that one. It was great to be in Maine in May with only one class!
I agree about Short Term being a big plus. Jan terms are nice but by definition they’re limited. The weather in most places is too cold for many types of field work and once the term is over you go straight back into the classroom. Short Term allows you to continue whatever you were doing-research, travel, an internship-into the summer if you choose. The non-Short Term year is a great time to get an early jump on the summer job market.
I concur about short term. My D is so happy she chose Bates, because I think she lives for short term. It’s interesting, it’s relaxed, the weather is good. It is the perfect way to finsih up the college year.