<p>Hello all,</p>
<p>I just got back from visiting Bowdoin, and out of all the colleges I have visited thus far it is almost my favorite (Dartmouth is my favorite/will probably be my #1 choice). I have also visited Middlebury, which I did like (my dad was enamored with Midd). So, I want a comparison of the two. Please try to keep personal biases out of the way.</p>
<p>Compare:
- Overall academics:
-superior professors?
-superior science department/lab equipment?
-superior poly sci/government departments
-superior economics/business departments</p>
<p>2) Study abroad programs
-which has more offerings?
-which allows you to study abroad longer?
-which has a better foreign language department (I’m pretty sure I already know the answer to this one…)</p>
<p>3) Dorms/Food (self explanatory</p>
<p>4) Surrounding areas</p>
<p>5) Social scene</p>
<p>6) Sports/competitive clubs</p>
<p>Oh, and I realized a lot of what I listed is personal preference. Just make an appealing argument why you think one is superior to the other.</p>
<p>Both are great liberal arts schools and I will probably be applying to both. If you would please chance me for them (as well as the others I have listed), I would be very grateful</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/690641-just-giggles-very-early-chance-me.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/690641-just-giggles-very-early-chance-me.html</a></p>
<p>I’m not sure I follow. You’ve visited three great schools and want to know which would be the best fit for you? I assume you’re a junior who hasn’t even applied to schools yet?</p>
<p>Apply to all three and see where the cards fall. You may not have much of a decision to make once the letters arrive, or you may have an abundance of options, at which point you should pose this question to CCers. If you like Dartmouth the best, then ED there.</p>
<p>Well I was kind of hoping people would provide inside information that I would not find on a website/info session/campus tour…ie: You get tired of the food at Bowdoin after a while or the distance Middlebury is from any major city is a problem.</p>
<p>As I wrote in my above post, I was also wondering which college was stronger in which major. Obviously, the Bowdoin website isn’t going to say “Our language department is not as good as Middlebury’s.” I take all the information given to me at info sessions/campus tours/view books with a huge grain of salt. After all, every college wants you to apply there, because even if you don’t attend, its a nice $50 check per applicant. </p>
<p>I was therefore looking for some unbiased, honest info about what makes Bowdoin better than Middlebury, and vice versa.</p>
<p>(I posted the exact same reply on my Middlebury thread)</p>
<p>I am a junior, so I have not applied anywhere. I will probably ED to Dartmouth unless I find another college I like better.</p>
<p>I agree with Arcadia - it only make sense to do the comparative thing if you are looking to apply ED to Bowdoin or Middlebury but you seem to be set on Dartmouth as your ED application so the Bowdoin/Middlebury choice is beside the point at this stage of the process. If you’re going to apply RD to Middlebury and Bowdoin and are fortunate enough to be accepted by both, you can make your decision between the two a year from now. In the meantime, you should focus on how to make a better case for yourself - there’s nothing that stands out about your qualifications or your presentation of yourself (solid but not spectacular grades and scores; many ECs but none that jump out (at least as you describe them)). If you’re going to apply ED to Dartmouth, you’ll need to be a lot sharper in your focus as to what you bring to the table . .</p>