<p>After some research, I’ve come to a few conclusions on the student body’s attitude surrounding academics. Correct me if I’m wrong:</p>
<p>-relaxed, laid back, non-competitive, collaborative
intelligent, has a few elitist preps but no more than to be expected
quite outdoorsy
kids study hard but aren’t frantic about grades
“work hard, play hard” philosophy</p>
<p>now what I wanna know is… just how “nerdy” would you say people are? I find myself associating best with gamer types, internet people… the like. Will I be able to find myself a good D&D game or a group of sci-fi fans? xD</p>
<p>Section I - Academic attitude:
[x] relaxed, laid back, non-competitive, collaborative, and yet inexorably intense
[x] intelligent, independently-minded, unencumbered by dogma or fears of reality
[x] kids study hard and always are concerned about performance</p>
<p>Section II - Life-style attitude:
[x] “work hard, play hard” philosophy
[x] quite outdoorsy, some effortlessly rugged and expeditious, unrelentingly athletic
[ ] preppy*
[ ] nerdy*
[ ] D&D?** (holy 1977)
[x] Sci-Fi</p>
<p><em>Should we eschew application of meaningless colloquial stereotypes to real people so as to obtain useful clarity in portrayal of real people?
*</em>Where will you find the time?</p>
<p>You have nothing to worry about, jazzchicken. Bowdoin is home to many a dedicated D&D and sci-fi fan. It’s not the mainstream culture, but it’s definitely there.</p>
<p>I am fairly nerdy and I had a wonderful first year at Bowdoin. However, I don’t think that most Bowdoin students fit into “preppy,” “nerdy,” “geeky” etc. I have found that yes, I am a bit more preppy than when I came to Maine. I wear more LLBean and outwardly, I probably appear a bit different but I’m still the fantasy geek I was before! A lot of Bowdoin students don’t look like the typical image you have of “gamer types, internet people, sci fi people.” But there is a big collection of them at Bowdoin!</p>
<p>I would say the relaxed, laid back atmosphere depends on the classes you take/your major. 90% of classes/majors could be described that way. IMHO, there are definitely some areas that are a bit competitive… just because the departments are so large.</p>
<p>People rarely talk about grades. I only have discussed grades with my closest friends. </p>
<p>This afternoon we visited Bowdoin. My son had an interview with a very preppy rising senior who was more interested in playing with his hair and looking out the window than engaging with my son. We visited on a Friday afternoon so he was probably thinking about his plans for the weekend the whole interview. We got a sense that students who go there aren’t that interested in academics per se, but work hard for A’s because it is best for their future. Supporting this view was the tour guide’s answer to our question of what percentage of students do a senior thesis: only 25%</p>
<p>It’s unfortunate that such a brief encounter as an admissions interview could so color and misinform one’s impression of Bowdoin. It should sound a cautionary note, however, to the Admissions office that their representatives conducting interviews cast an oversized shadow on the perceptions of prospective students as to “what it’s really like”. My D is quite happily enrolled as a student at Bowdoin, and her experience couldn’t be more different than the narrow, self-absorbed, “preppy” perception you describe; it has been overwhelming that of a highly diverse, tolerant, and intellectually engaged student body and overall campus atmosphere.</p>
<p>Yes, we have seen the diversity statistics and Bowdoin’s numbers are comparable to other liberal arts schools in New England. However, it is disappointing that an interviewer would act the way that he did-- we traveled 1500 miles to see Bowdoin ( and other schools in the area) and our son’s chance for admission was probably adversely impacted.</p>
<p>The trip has been fun. We spent this weekend in Bath, Me and we are going to Freeport today (we ate dinner in Brunswick last night). In total we are seeing 14 schools over a three week period, with about a week of vacation interspersed, traveling, from North Carolina up to Maine. Thanks for asking.</p>
Delorme Map Store with giant Earth – right off Route 1 (easy on, easy off, et cetera), South from Freeport in Yarmouth.</p>
<p>Not-so-quickies:
2. Bath -> Portland city ferry (Casco Bay Ferry) to Peak’s Island. (40 minutes; Exit 7 off 295) About 7 dollars per adult. Don’t actually get off the ferry. Roundtrip is 38 minutes.
3. Bath -> Boothbay Harbor (40 minutes) Resort town at the end of the world. Has restaurants.
4. Bath -> Phippsburg peninsula and Popham beach (40 minutes). Walking beach, sometimes quite windy. At low tide, a land bridge connects the beach to a rocky island. It’s beautiful in the dusk if you hit it right. Bring those Bean boots.</p>
<p>To echo what others have said, I am sad to hear that your son’s interview experience gave you that impression of Bowdoin. After two years here, I have a very different sense of Bowdoin students. While there are always a few like the interviewer you described, most students are kind, interested in each other, and genuinely passionate about what they study. I chose Bowdoin because I sensed that friendliness and earnestness when I visited as a high-schooler, and I have not been disappointed.</p>