<p>I’m considering Bowdoin along with Williams and Amherst, and I want to know if there is really a difference in prestige between the schools. US NEWS says bowdoin is 6th and amherst and williams are #1 but in the real world is there a difference in prestige at all or is UN NEWS just full of s**t?</p>
<p>There probably is some difference.</p>
<p>But most people will not have heard of any one of these schools. (Williams=William&Mary, Amherst=UMass Amherst, Bowdoin=How do you pronounce that?.. etc.)</p>
<p>From my experience, there seems to be a corelation between people’s level of education (and where did they get their education) and their knowledge of the nation’s top liberal arts schools.</p>
<p>Off topic, but Williams has the Oxford connection which is really nice, and Amherst has the open curriculum which is cool.</p>
<p>In the world of arctic exploration Bowdoin certain is prestigious. haha</p>
<p>but seriously. the people who should know of the best schools in the country do know it well and would consider it prestigious. (grad school admissions officers, wall street hirers, not sure thats a work but just play along, and most others in the world of academics.)
just an everyday person walking down the street may not and probably not will ever have heard of it. but there are a lot of people who have as well. i would say it is hit or miss kinda. especially out west.
but overall i think it is highly reguarded as a prestigious institution of higher education. the same goes for amherst and williams</p>