Bowdoin vs. Conn College vs. Holy Cross

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I plan on majoring in economics. Want to know which one you guys think is best overall and why (academics, social life, dorms, school spirit, local atmosphere, student body, prestige/recruitment ect.). List any pros and cons you can (if you attend one, what would you change?). Also which one would be best for my planned major. Im a male who wants to get a great education but at the same time have a great time socially. Thanks.</p>

2

<p>Overall,

  1. Bowdoin
  2. Connecticut College
  3. Holy Cross</p>

<p>Academics

  1. Bowdoin
  2. CC
  3. HC</p>

<p>Location

  1. Bowdoin
  2. Conn College
  3. Holy Cross</p>

<p>Dorms

  1. Connect Colleg
  2. Bowdoin
  3. Holy Cross</p>
3

<p>Princeton Review Academic Rating:
Bowdoin 98
Holy Cross 95
Connecticut 95</p>

<p>Princeton Review Selectivity Rating:
Bowdoin 98
Holy Cross 96
Connecticut 95</p>

<p>Holy Cross is 40 miles west of Boston, Bowdoin is in freezing Maine. Connecticut is 2 hours from NYC and 2 hours from Boston. I would go with HC. HC is the only one with division 1 sports.</p>

4

<p>Bowdoin is the highest rated but Holy Cross offers more of a big-time LAC-2900 students for HC, 1600 for Bowdoin. HC is one hour from Boston while Bowdoin is in a nice small town in rural Maine. Holy Cross has a good connection to Wall Street and each year hosts an annual alumni/student reception in NY-very good for job placement. For school spirit HC is Div1 Patriot League and during the fall plays Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth,and Yale in football. Bowdoin is DIV3 plays Bates, Colby etc. Both Bowdoin and Holy Cross have great alumni networks-HC alumni giving at 54%.</p>

5

<p>Brunswick Maine (where Bowdoin is) is well over 2 hours direct NORTH of Boston. Do you have any idea what winters are like up there right now? I’m sure it is nice in the summer but would not want to be there through the winter. Very bleak.</p>

6

<p>^one son attends Bowdoin, on son attends BU. the one who complains about the weather is the one in Boston. Brunswick is a great place to be in the winter – a ton of stuff to do!</p>

<p>just some anecdotal information.</p>

7

<p>Thank you all for your insight.</p>

<p>Does anyone know of the reputation of bowdoin’s econ department?
Also does anyone know which school would have the most diversity(i know all 3 kind of stink when it comes to that)
Also do some of think Bowdoin and/or HC are way above Conn college?</p>

8

<p>I think they are all quite comparable with academics at Bowdoin slightly better than HC and HC just slightly better rated than Conn but all by margins almost negligible.</p>

9

<p>Holy Cross is need blind for admissions and has a January15th application due date. Both HC and Bowdoin are SAT optional.</p>

10

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</p>

<p>Wrong, wrong, wrong. The southern Maine coast, where Bowdoin is located, has very similar weather to Boston due to the moderating effect of the ocean. Here are average winter temperatures in Brunswick, ME (Bowdoin) and Worcester, MA (Holy Cross):</p>

<p>Brunswick, ME
Jan high 30/ low 10/ mean 20
Feb high 32 / low 12 / mean 24
Mar high 41 / low 24 / mean 34</p>

<p>Worcester, MA
Jan high 30 / low 12 / mean 24
Feb high 34 / low 16 / mean 25
Mar high 42 / low 24 / mean 34</p>

<p>Virtually indistinguishable. Academically, Bowdoin is stronger, usually ranking as a top 10 LAC—currently #6 in US News, versus #32 for Holy Cross and #41 for Conn College. If given that choice, I’d take Bowdoin in a heartbeat.</p>

11

<p>Bowdoin is academically superior to HC and CC. The weather also isn’t that different from Boston at all. You don’t seem to be so inclined to sports, and even so, at these schools is nothing compared to state schools or something like Boston College. That being said, I have a good buddy that goes to Bowdoin. She would come down to Boston a lot (Because her bf lived here).</p>

<p>All are good schools. But Bowdoin is the better one academically (it and CC are part of the little ivies, actually). Since this is undergrad (in regards to economics) I would argue the academics of a school overall matter more than an individual department–that appears to carry more weight.</p>

12

<p>ACTUALLY Dorms

  1. BOWDOIN
  2. Connecticut C
  3. Holy Cross</p>

<p>Bowdoin was rated by the London School of Economics to have THE BEST economics department for a school of its size (small liberal arts college). </p>

<p>It was rated by the Princeton Review to have the BEST food of all colleges in the United States. </p>

<p>Its winters are similar to that of Boston because it is very close to the ocean which allows it to have better weather although it is more northern. Plus, there are so many activities to do outside in the winter at Bowdoin and in Maine.</p>

<p>Bowdoin has very strong connections to Wall Street.</p>

<p>Col<em>egePr</em>wler rated it A+ in academics and for two years has named it the “Best College of the Year.”</p>

<p>Bowdoin is one of the Top 10 happiest colleges according to The Daily Beast. Bowdoin has a very high retention rate.</p>

13

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<p>LSE also rated Bowdoin’s government department best among LACs. Keep in mind that these ratings, compiled by Dr. Simon Hix at LSE in 2003, are based only on research output, as measured by the volume of articles appearing in leading journals associated with each field.</p>

14

<p>If you don’t like rooting for football and basketball games, Bowdoin would be the best choice. If you would like attending division 1 sports as a student and eventual alum, HC would be the best.</p>

15

<p>Thanks everyone for your help. </p>

<p>I was wondering if anyone knows a little more about the immediate surrounding area of any of the schools? (Is it lively/nothing to do ect.)</p>

16

<p>Bowdoin is a 30 minute drive to Portland, ME (shopping and art scene) and 15 minute drive to Freeport, ME (shopping outlets set in a New England town).</p>

17

<p>Wow. It’s really that close to Portland, Maine? Even more of a reason for Bowdoin. I have been to Portland, Maine many times. Nice city. And less than 2 hours from Boston.</p>

18

<p>All good schools, but if you want to study econ, I’d take Bowdoin in a heartbeat.</p>

19

<p>HC is 1 mile from downtown Worcester which is surprisingly the second largest city in New England after Boston. Worcester is an old factory town but reaping some benefits to being just 40 miles west of Boston in terms of revitalization. HC offers free shuttle service to Boston and Providence (each 40 miles away). The MBTA has 12 commuter trains a day from Worcester to Boston. [MBTA</a> Commuter Rail > Framingham / Worcester Lines Schedules and Maps](<a href=“Framingham/Worcester Line | Commuter Rail | MBTA”>Framingham/Worcester Line | Commuter Rail | MBTA)</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.newenglandtravelplanner.com/go/ma/[/url]”>http://www.newenglandtravelplanner.com/go/ma/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

20

<p>Bowdoin would be my first choice. As a big time foodie, having a restaurant as good as the White Barn Inn (located in the lovely village of Kennebunkport) than 50 miles away is all the civilization I need. I would say that chef Carthwright is cooking at the ** Michelin level these days.</p>