I spent one short term in a watercolor painting class-as a pre-med physics major, it was such a wonderful change. Met a bunch of different people and made some different friends.
You can’t really underestimate the different vibe on a campus which has ALWAYS(since 1855) been inclusive, and NEVER had any organization that wasn’t open to anyone, including(in my day) Women’s Awareness and Afro-Am.
OK, so Bowdoin has been co-ed since 1971…that means tons of alumni who went to a really preppy, all-male school. How many of the trustees are from that era? It shapes the institutional values.
My DD(disclaimer-rejected)visited a female bio prof last fall and asked her about mentoring for female students in the sciences: quote “I don’t think there is any difference between mentoring male and female students…” It shows in the institutional culture.
My D says Bates short term is your reward for surviving the winter 
I don’t totally understand OldbatsieDoc’s animus towards Bowdoin but it’s clear in so many posts over the years. It’s a perfectly wonderful school which offers fantastic experiences for its students and is equal in all respects with regard to inclusion. All departments encourage cross-pollination and benefit from the exchange. In fact it’s part of the Bowdoin experience and motto ‘To count Nature as a familiar acquaintance, and Art an intimate friend…… to lose yourself in generous enthusiasms. And cooperate with other for common ends. This is the offer of the college for the best four years of your life.’ This was certainly the case in our experience and it’s just as alive today as ever. As for trustees, I dunno, I suspect they’re more from the 80’s onward and reflect the diversity, inclusion, and passions toward learning that are part of todays culture. One can easily look it up. Btw, I believe it’s true and available at the other Maine schools as well. All offer fantastic educations, rich experiences, and wild opportunities post graduation, if that’s what you’re after. Grateful for all these schools!
All are excellent academically, but it would be a mistake to turn down Bowdoin.
@morandi, let’s just say I’m all in for Bates!
Bowdoin alum Reed Hastings donated a large sum of money last semester specifically to use towards diversity and people of color (there’s an article in the Orient somewhere; also this is just one example!) so I don’t think the fact that Bowdoin has more male alumni (since they were all male) necessarily indicates that these alumni - and the school - are against inclusion. Also, don’t know why everyone hates Bowdoin so much, but can guarantee I haven’t met anyone snooty here ¯_(ツ)_/¯
It’s late, it’s worded poorly, if I misstated or misinterpreted your words please know I mean no disrespect and don’t think Bowdoin is inherently “superior” to Bates and Colby, though it’s my favorite.
Can’t comment on Bates and Colby since we only went on the tours when my son was looking and I don’t want to make judgments based solely on that, but I can say that my sophomore son is having a wonderful experience at Bowdoin. I’m not sure where all the “preppy and snobby” comments come from in the posts above either – my son is about as un-preppy as you can get and has met some of the most down-to-earth and wonderful people there. He has introduced us to some good friends he has made from the west coast (where we are from) as well as all up and down the East coast. He’s been really happy with his professors so far, and has also met some really wonderful alumni in our local area at some of the networking events. And as an added plus, Brunswick is a great college town
I’m glad all these posters’ sons are having a great time at Bowdoin…
The OP is asking this on the Bates forum, and has asked the same on the other two schools’ forums. It’s not terribly surprising that most people on the Bates forum will probably be putting in a good word for Bates. It’s probably not terribly surprising that some people view Bowdoin as being a little snooty, given that Bowdoin has historically been viewed as a school for “elites,” whereas Bates was initially founded as a school for the working class and underrepresented. (As an aside, this is the primary reason that Bates endowment is small compared to the other two schools. It’s grads were generally not earning as much, because they came from these underrepresented groups, such as women and African Americans. That Bates has managed to do so well, despite its humble start, is an achievement in itself.) I don’t think anyone feels that Bowdoin is inferior to Bates, and no one denies that it is indeed more prestigious.
Interestingly, when my D and I did our first tour at Bates, the tour guide told us he had turned down U Penn for Bates. He felt the atmosphere at Bates would best for him. It’s not mistake to choose the school you feel you will be happiest at. My D has a friend who turned down Carleton for Bates. She liked the vibe better. It really comes down to where OP feels he/she will thrive and be happy. None of these schools is a bad choice.
I wonder if OP has made a decision since posting?
Of course there would be more Bates supporters on the Bates forum. It’s just that all these Bates supporters have posted the same things in the Bowdoin version - I’ve looked at that too. @OldbatesieDoc, I’m a student, so I do know firsthand the campus “vibe”. It’s never once been snooty or elite. I come from a middle-class family from a state that sends maybe one or two students to Bowdoin a year. I’m not New England elite, and I’ve never felt unwelcome here. Also, just some quick facts - more Bowdoin students are on financial aid, more come from outside of New England, and more are students of color than at Bates or Colby. So while historically, Bates was more diverse, it seems that that may no longer be the case.
Again, I mean no hate on Bates or Colby whatsoever
I don’t hate Bowdoin. Just love Bates. Glad Bowdoin is finally changing to keep up with the times. And @Lindagaf is totally correct about the endowment and the ratings. Women, people of color, and those favoring the “helping professions” historically haven’t had millions to leave to their alma Mater as often. It’s the same reason Haverford has a “low” endowment and is thus chronically hampered in the ratings. Endowment is highly correlated with “old money” and Wall Street.
No hate from me either. I chose Bates over the other two back in the day and my kids applied ED to Bates, but they’re all very good schools. We’re all very passionate about our schools, which is understandable.
I don’t want to violate the CC TOS but if you google “educational consultant” plus the name of the school(s) on a popular video hosting site you’ll find a series of short videos by a consultant with the first name Mark who has travelled to numerous schools and posted about them and various topics germane to his visits. I believe Colby’s is about the “Colby bubble”, the Bates visit is addressed in a 5 part series, and Bowdoin’s is primarily about ED at Bowdoin.
[I have no connection to the consultant in question but I watched a couple of his Bates videos and found them useful and accurate.]
Endowment per student seems to be a Haverford strength, at least compared to several Ivy League schools et al:
I’m late to this party and I don’t know as much about these schools as most of the commenters do. I spent about an hour on Bowdoin’s wonderfully flat campus (when you spend four years walking up and down Bascom Hill in Madison, you notice whenever you are in a flat place. Thighs and calves whisper longingly for a challenge, but quickly correct themselves with “never mind; we like this place.”) and thought the place was lovely, even though it was drizzly outside.
I wish I had knocked on some doors to see more people (it was June…), but then that might have seemed weird, and would have embarrassed my wife. haha
Anyhow, I figure these are all great schools and following fit will lead to a happy ending.
My second love was sports, and this has been a somewhat competitive thread, so while silly, it might not be completely out of turn to ask the OP:
Do you see yourself in garnet and black, as a Bobcat? In black and white, as a Polar Bear? Or in blue and grey, as a Mule?
My son liked the laid back vibe at Colby and will be attending in the fall. He thought Bowdoin seemed a little full of itself and it’s intellectaulity (not a word, I know, but you get the gist), and felt Bates was too earthy-crunchy for him. Plus, he LOVED the JanPlan (he’s a skier); couldn’t, for the life of him, understand why he would want that short semester in the spring that Bates had, lol! Yes, Colby is more remote, but that didn’t seem to bother him.
Good luck!
@aroving Congratulations! You can’t go wrong. We toured all three and my daughter and I liked each for different reasons. It came down to the feeling she had on each campus and she is now a thriving sophomore at Colby. She especially likes the layout of campus itself, Jan Plan and the vibe on campus. Go with your gut and don’t look back! Good luck to you!
For the subjects you’re interested in Bowdoin is the best of the three in terms of academics. They also have more resources. Bowdoin’s endowment is $1.46 billion, whereas Colby’s is $710.7 and Bates’s is $293.8 million. The income from a larger endowment gives Bowdoin a big advantage in giving more FA, smaller classes, better professors etc. Bowdoin is also has a great location. You can just step out of the campus and walk to the town. Restaurants, grocery stores, and other conveniences are right there. Colby is secluded and in a depressed town, so is Bates.