<p>Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Bowdoin...no question...academically superior.</p>
<p>Does Bowdoin have any name recognition?</p>
<p>In what sense? Excellent grad school placement...top tier liberal arts school.</p>
<p>Bowdoin is objectively superior to the other two schools. It has huge name recognition, at least in the East. One check of US New and World Report and you will how Bowdoin outranks them both. Hamilton isn't even close, in my opinion. Overlaps with Bowdoin often include Harvard, Yale and Dartmouth, along with Williams and Amherst. I never understood comparing to Ivies, since Bowdoin is a LAC. In many ways I have found Bowdoin to be superior to Yale, and I am graduated from Yale. My daughter could have had her choice of colleges/universities, but she chose Bowdoin.</p>
<p>However, don't go just because it is superior, go because you want to and it is a good fit. If you have not visited, try to do so. If you can't, these boards are somewhat helpful, but understandably biased.</p>
<p>Wow. Nice reply Polar bear Dad! I wondered how it ranked compared to Hamilton(which I love) and Colgate as well. When I mention Bowdoin nobody has even heard of it. Was getting a little concerned. Colgate seems to have the most name recogniton</p>
<p>Go for Bowdoin! Hands down!!!</p>
<p>Bowdoin is rated as the 6th best LAC in the country. Hamilton and Colgate are tied for 15th. I believe Colgate is the biggest. Of the 3, Bowdoin is most selective.</p>
<p>If Bowdoin was a toothpaste............well.............</p>
<p>is amazing, b.c. I, B. Smith's friend is going there</p>
<p>In the end, numbers don't mean diddly, although they may help with the preliminary decisions. You must make the choice that is best for you, no matter what a book tells you. That's my two cents on this situation!</p>
<p>I would definitely choose Bowdoin, hands down, for the academics & location. I agree with a lot of what Polar Bear Dad said. Of course, I am prejudiced because my D graduated from Bowdoin. Bowdoin has HUGE name recognition, especially amongst employers & grad schools. If rankings are important to you, Bowdoin has consistently been ranked in the top 10 in USNWR for years. However, I do agree with the poster who stated that you shouldn't choose a school solely for that reason. The school should be a good fit for you.</p>
<p>Location is important, too. My Bowdoin grad visited Colgate & thought it was much too rural for her. Another daughter was accepted at Hamilton, & stayed for an overnight. We love Hamilton's campus, but she chose a different school because she believed that Hamilton was much to isolated for her. Unfortunately, she didn't enjoy her overnight stay there, either, so that didn't help.</p>
<p>Having seen all 3 schools & knowing a lot about Bowdoin & something about Colgate & Hamilton, I would definitely choose Bowdoin. You will receive an excellent education there!!</p>