I am hoping to get feedback from current students / parents of students on what stands out in your mind about the benefits of one of these schools versus the others.
My daughter is planning to choose one as ED I and a second as ED II. She likes all of them and can see herself at each of the schools. For background on her…
Attends a small, midwest, private school
Loves the outdoors (hiking, climbing, skiing) and very active / sporty
Loves to learn in a small, personal setting
Strong grades (3.9 unweighted, 4.7 weighted) and APs (will have 7 upon graduation, so far 2 5’s and 2 4’s) in a demanding courseload (almost all at honors or AP level if offered)
SAT of 1460
Very strong extracurriculars - this really defines her and sets her apart
Recommendations should be very strong - she has a number of leadership roles in the school and is well liked by administration / teachers for willingness to get involved and lead
She is undecided about what to study, but loves biology, environmental science, history and math. She also enjoys business, and has participated in growing a local non-profit through the operational side of things as well as volunteering so I could see her enjoying economics.
My concern would be fit for her as she is not your typical preppy NE prep school kid, but very earthy and grounded and intellectual. She wants to live in a beautiful, inspiring setting (which all 4 schools have in abundance) but also be able to get involved in an Outdoor Club and spend time exploring the outdoors in free time (which has been limited for her living in the midwest). She wants to be challenged academically, but not be in a pressure-cooker environment. She also wants balance from the social side - eager to have a “college experience” with parties, but not a crazy party scene.
Any feedback is most welcome as she approaches this decision!
Yes - she did, but last Fall and Spring when many Covid protocols were still in place (couldn’t enter buildings, everyone was masked, campuses were sparsely populated). We are going back to visit Colby and Bowdoin, and contemplating another visit to Colgate / Middlebury.
As you describe your D, I would hesitate to say that Colgate is a social fit. Our D is finding that the overwhelming vibe is very social with a LOT of A type personalities on campus. The town is very small and a lot of the shops/restaurants in town have closed because they cannot find workers. If one doesn’t have a car, entertainment is very limited right now. Parties on campus are really limited to fraternity parties that are only open to Greek students (and kids don’t rush until soph year) and the one bar in town. There are sometimes parties in dorms but not all. It’s a very quiet existence on campus. Yes, there is the outdoor club but I don’t know if they do outings very often.
On the flip side, Bowdoin’s town has much more to offer and their outdoor club is like a co-ed fraternity. It’s very active. There are parties on campus at the sophomore houses where everyone is invited.
Your D would find what she needs academically at both schools. We’ve been very happy in that department for both of our kids.
Colgate is just a very very specific type of vibe. Lots of drinking. Not a lot of options for other types of socializing since you can’t even really just grab friends to get a bite to eat off campus unless you have a car and the nearest town that has restaurants is a 30 minute drive. There’s very little walkable from campus these days.
Just fyi, we are also from the midwest. Our D at Colgate is still settling in as a soph. Found a predominance of NE kids on campus who know each other (or of each other somehow) and girls can be very cliquey. Our son at Bowdoin finds the kids there wicked smart but also very friendly.
agreeing with @homerdog- Colgate is the outlier in that group. Based on your description Bowdoin & Colby seem the nearest- but I stand 100% with @Juno16 on this: the biggest element is how they click for her!
Prospective students really need to talk to current students to get the vibes on these campuses. At small, rural schools it is VERY important to feel the fit.
As some of you know, we did a TON of research on D21’s schools including visiting and talking to students and parents of students and we still sort of missed the exact vibe at Colgate. Plus, things have changed in the town of Hamilton since D enrolled and has left kids with fewer social options.
Colgate’s campus is gorgeous with a capital G and the academics are amazing but…I do not think students are super happy unless they fit the overall vibe.
Has Bates been considered? From all you mention here —
Loves the outdoors (hiking, climbing, skiing) and very active / sporty
Loves to learn in a small, personal setting
get involved in an Outdoor Club and spend time exploring the outdoors in free time (which has been limited for her living in the midwest). She wants to be challenged academically, but not be in a pressure-cooker environment.
—Bates sounds like a total fit for her. Plus, Bates has a very old and respected Outdoor Club. Excellent for environmental science and the other majors you mentioned, though there is no business major. Of the schools listed in your post, Middlebury sounds like it could work, though they are all excellent.
However, survey results across at least several years have, seemingly accurately, captured Colgate students’ proclivity for alcohol (when generalized):
Middlebury seems to offer just what your daughter is looking for. With an enrollment of 2,800+, it’s slightly smaller than Colgate but much larger than the other schools on your list. It’s one of only two colleges in the country that own their own ski mountain, and the Middlebury Mountain Club is the college’s oldest and largest student-run organization. Academics are on-par with the likes of Bowdoin. Bowdoin vs. Midd is ocean vs. mountains. Which does she prefer? She’ll find strong environmental programs at all of these schools.
Agree with Middlebury as the strongest fit based on what you posted, with Bowdoin a close second. I think her social options at Colgate won’t be what she’s looking for… and I think Colby is hit or miss (in my neck of the woods it’s become a nice backup school for the prep type kids who don’t want a more intense/competitive environment).
Midd has a strong contingent of crunchy boho types, outdoor sportsman types, sustainability/climate change types, artistic kids, etc. and MANY students have a wide variety of academic interests so can’t be pigeonholed. I know a recent grad whose professors were encouraging her to apply to grad school in architecture, neuroscience and applied math (obviously, not at the same time…) THAT’s how committed the faculty were to helping her figure out her path forward.
My kid went to Colby - recent grad - and that one checks all the boxes. She could find everything’s she wants there - socially, academically, EC. The school is very well resourced around her interests, and the kids are smart and hard-working but not grind-y. She’d also probably be able to marry her outdoors interests with academics, especially in environmental science.
I agree that it’s about fit, so it’s good that you are visiting. Fwiw, for mine, Bates was a close second whereas Bowdoin didn’t make his list. (As a recent grad, his friend group includes alums of all 3. These schools are more alike than different, but something didn’tresonate with him on that one.) If you are going to Maine, you might want to take @lindagaf’s suggestion and check out Bates as well.
There’s no bad choice here, just a question of where she feels most at home.
I’ll third the recommendation to check out Bates while you’re already so nearby. My very outdoorsy son just started there (and also applied to Midd, Colgate, and Colby). He’s loving it so far!
Class sizes have increased considerably in the last couple of years, so his experience may already be outdated, but all in all he had a great four years at Colby, even through the pandemic (which Colby handled really well) and graduated with a great job.
The largest club is the outing club so your daughter would have lots of opportunity to explore and meet like minded kids.
If the prevalence of NE prep school kids is a real concern, A school like Davidson will probably appeal to your daughter and break out of the New England bubble. It may be worth a look.
My son is a first year at Bowdoin. Middlebury and Colby were also on the list of acceptances he considered closely. He is loving Bowdoin. The students are intensely intellectual, but also very friendly, outgoing, and social. He’s finding too many things to do on nights and weekends. The deciding factor for him was that he wanted more of a traditional academic vibe - think debating societies - and less outdoorsy and artsy. That said, he’s done an amazing four day backpacking trip with the Outdoor Club already. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the schools on your list. But note that all of them are extremely hard to get into, with acceptance rates at Bowdoin, Colby, and Middlebury at around 10% or lower. So it’s good if your student can see themself at home at more than one of these schools.
As people know, my daughter is at Midd, and I agree with @arcadia and @blossom that it seems to be the best fit. Although “Preppy NE” kids are abundant, outdoorsy kids are just as common. It also has a very strong environmental program.
I also agree with those that say that Colby and Bowdoin would be good fits. However, for now at least, Middlebury has a higher acceptance rate than either Bowdoin or Colby. Your kid is competitive for all three, which would mean that her chances would be best for Midd.
While all three colleges are absolutely gorgeous, I will argue that Midd has the most beautiful surroundings.
I agree with @Lindagaf’s that Bate’s would make an excellent choice as well.
I will have to agree with @Juno16 - you probably should visit all of them before your daughter decides.
One thing that is worthwhile checking is how many kids from your daughter’s school have been accepted to any of these colleges in the past. The lack of name recognition of NE liberal arts colleges by kids in the Midwest also works in the opposite direction - the AOs at these colleges are generally not that familiar with Midwestern high schools, making admissions from these high schools a bit more challenging. Connections between your GCs and any of these colleges can make a difference.
If financial aid is needed, note that Colby is need-aware for admissions, so that could lower the odds there compared to one of the other need-blind schools.
Oops, I stand corrected- apparently Colgate is also need aware for admissions. Midd and Bowdoin are both need blind as far as I know, so those may be the best odds for admission for financial aid applicants