@openmom2019 @homerdog I’m committing and going to admit weekend!!!
@homerdog S19 has already committed to Bowdoin.
@alexandra00 @homerdog @openmom2019
Were any of you (or your child) invited to Bowdoin Experience? Is that synonymous with the Open House or a different event? Bowdoin flies out the group selected for this, which I think is for URM or lower-income families.
I’m referring to https://www.bowdoin.edu/admissions/experience/index.html
@Offerings nope
@Offerings no. S19 is a boring ORM from the suburbs. I think it’s great if it was offered to you though!
Does anybody want an invite to the group me
^ I’ll take an invite too
@alexandra00 what group is the invite to?
I got accepted, with a 36/1570, high involvement in both research and music, and all the APs and subject tests possible. I was, however, rejected from other schools that I believe I was qualified for (while people with lower scores, grades, etc did get in). I think yield is one of the important factors for many schools. Plenty of schools (including Bowdoin I believe) also fill up 60% of their class with ED applicants, so that the acceptance rate is drastically skewed for people in regular decision. Finally, it’s very tough to predict what will happen when the acceptance rate goes below 10%, and it requires a lot more luck than people imagine.
Denied, I do not think my interview went very well, and my supplemental essay was very average. It was honestly expected. Congratulations to everyone that got in!
Accepted to Bowdoin! I now face a major dilemma: whether to turn down a full-ride at a bit lower ranked institute (~15 LAC). At Bowdoin, I would pay nearly 25k / yr, which I am willing to pay, but I’m not sure if that’s worth it.
Could any parent or anyone else help me decide please? I’m also trying to go down the pre-med route, so connections / prestige that does come with Bowdoin does not really matter down this career path.
Thank you.
Honey, you take that full ride at the slightly lower-ranked school and you save that $25,000 a year for med school!!! This is a no-brainer! Any school in the top 50 will impress anyone who NEEDS that kind of credential in order to be impressed… to say nothing of the fact that hundreds of colleges and universities in this country have solid pre-med programs. You will thank yourself in years to come when you want to take a sabbatical from your work as a physician to travel, raise a baby, write a novel, whatever, and you CAN because you don’t have crippling med school debt. This is from a parent ? good luck!!!
@Neurotic2027 You should call Bowdoin and tell them what the other school has offered you. I wouldn’t be surprised if they find a way to improve what they are offering you.
Bowdoin already meets all need-based aid and they don’t give merit. Sounds like @Neurotic2027 's other option has given him merit based aid.
Neurotic2027, my daughter just got accepted as well so I’m very pro Bowdoin but I suggest you take the full ride. My wife is a MD so I’m familiar with the the whole process of medical school admissions and matching at residency. If you are >90% positive you want to be a MD, take the full ride. You’ll likely accrue a lot of debt in medical school and you’ll only make enough to live on during residency. Here’s a thought for you. What do they call the person who graduated at the bottom of the class in medical school? Answer: doctor.
@Neurotic2027 whitecoatinvestor.com blog that focuses on investing for MDs talks a lot about getting out of Med School with as little debt as possible. If you think you’ll be happy at the school with a full ride, I’d take it and save the $$ for med school tuition.
@Neurotic2027- Congratulations on having such a wonderful choice ahead of you! I do not think there is a “wrong” choice here, but I will offer a different perspective from the ones offered so far.
But before I do, I agree that it is worth a try to appeal the aid offer from Bowdoin and see if they can do a bit more. But while it may come down a bit, it surely won’t be a free ride like the other, if the other was merit-based and not need-bassed.
College is about much, much more than a step along the the way to medical school. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend four years immersed in the life of the mind- education is a goal onto itself. Also, you will be living there for four years, so both the academic and social environment in which you will find yourself will need to be considered in making your choice.
Yesterday, a group of high school friends got together and talked about their college experiences. They had made a wide range of choices and were attending a variety of types of colleges. Their experiences were pretty different. There is no doubt in my son’s mind that he picked the right type of environment for him. A year from now, you will want to feel the same way.
But do not go by ranking; go by fit! Your top 15 LAC may have a very similar environment to Bowdoin’s- it’s not like you are comparing Bowdoin with #75!!!
(EDIT: I just looked at US News and the ones ranked around 15 include several top liberal arts colleges, which in certain key factors, like quality of resources and faculty and intelligence of classmates, will be indistinguishable from Bowdoin. So, definitely do not rely on insignificant differences in ranking to make this choice!)
If they both match your four-years-of-happiness profile, then definitely go with the free ride! But if Bowdoin seems like a much better match than the other, and your family can afford the amount you still have to pay at Bowdoin after your financial aid, then that is worth considering, too.
I turned down a free ride college for a college where my parents had to pay full tuition back when I was a kid. I never regretted it and neither did they. But the contrast between my options was stark. Your two colleges may be much more similar.
Take the full-ride scholarship. My son will probably soon be in a similar position and it’s the same advice I’d give him.
@TheGreyKing Thanks for your other-side-of-the-wall opinion. Thanks to everyone else who responded too.
The other school offered me merit aid on top of my need-based aid, thus it became a full-ride. Bowdoin was need-based only (so I don’t think I’ll get more money, but I will try. If it’s a no, then I completely understand and respect the decision). I visit both schools in a few weeks and they are academically similar. I would argue the second school is a bit better in terms of extracurricular activities due to its location. I will see how I feel about the environment of both schools and where I “fit” once I visit.
I’ll update on my decision once I visit them, thanks everyone!
Accepted 
Chamberlain scholarship
Asian american male, low-income, and Explore Bowdoin attendee. I love Bowdoin but I also got into Swarthmore and parents are being annoying due to the fact they cannot get over the ranking system. Sorry to everyone that got rejected 
keep your heads up and go with your heart!