<p>This is what it’s come down to for my d… any thoughts?</p>
<p>fatladysings,<br>
Sorry, no, or at least not yet. Our daughter has the same quandry, but add Smith to it as well. Bowdoin & Haverford are both excellent schools. Did she visit both? What is she planning to study? BTW, did your daughter get a personalized letter of acceptance from Bowdoin? Ours did, and it made her feel great.</p>
<p>These are both such great schools, as is Smith, that if money is equal, this must just come down to personal preference.</p>
<p>Reading catalogues (or course listings online) in favorite departments might be tie breaker as could weather, male/female ratios (Smith LOL), campus etc.</p>
<p>Smith as consortium and Northampton; Bowdoin has Brunswick, very nice, and Haverford has Bryn Mawr, consortium, and train ride to Philly.</p>
<p>All attractive options IMO.</p>
<p>Most students would have a visceral response that would make the decision for them. I know my kids did with their chosen schools.</p>
<p>wedgedrive - no personal letter of acceptance, but she was thrilled with "yes" so it didn't matter. She is interested in science, foreign language and community service/world service. And yes, she visited both twice -- once for a day, and once overnight. She has sat in on classes, met with professors, hung out with kids. She loves the honor code at Haverford and the general friendly atmosphere at Bowdoin. Personally, I don't have a clue how she's going to make a decision.</p>
<p>It's nice that you said 'she' is going to make the decision. What can you do except trust her and support her choice. She's done great so far! Congratulations.</p>
<p>Well... I was hoping that in addition to supporting her and trusting her, that I might be able to show her some outside opinions that might reflect anything she hasn't heard yet. Like I said, I don't how she's going to make this decision, so surely more info would be helpful! :-)</p>
<p>i applied to Bowdoin and Haverford. Both were reaches for me, and i haven't heard back from Bowdoin yet, but i got into Haverford. </p>
<p>I like Haverford A LOT more, but that's because H-ford fits me much better the bowdoin. Anyways, here's why:</p>
<p>(not in order)</p>
<p>1)LOCATION--HAverford wins here. In a consortium with Bryn Mawr and Sawarthmore which course selection much more diverse. Right next to Philidelphia. Bowdoin, sort of in the middle of nowhere.</p>
<p>2)Honor Code--for me, it's a definite positive, but i can certainly see why some people would be turned off from it. If your daughter doesn't like the honor code, she should not go to HAverford, it is an integral part of the community there.</p>
<p>3)Size--Bowdoin has about 500 more studetns then Haverford. Maybe not a lot in some people's eyes, but when you're talking about the difference between 1200 (H) and 1700 (B) it's quite significant. </p>
<p>For me, the decision is clear. I don't even know if i got into Bowdoin, but I'd take Haverford over Bowdoin any day of the week. </p>
<p>For what it's worth though, i know tons of people at Bowdoin that adore it.</p>
<p>I can only say my S (freshman) loves his choice of Bowdoin. It's truly a friendly place with bright, curious, dedicated, and fun students. He's not particularly outgoing but has already made wonderful friends and made extensive use of the outdoor club, reconnected with his love of music (cello), and gotten involved, on a state level, with causes dear to him. All this because Bowdoin's clubs provide rich opportunities to pursue interests outside of classwork which both challenge and affirm. He also raves about the professors for their passion and accessibility and has a different story each week of a friendly encounter. And of course there's the famous Bowdoin food and the lovely town of Brunswick, both positives according to S and his friends.</p>
<p>Maybe exploring each school's website, including faculty profiles, student profiles, student newspapers, departments of interest, student housing options, etc. D can find something which may distinguish one school from another. I personally love the 'Promise of the College' Bowdoin offers to all it's students.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>