<p>Okay, so I have merely one week before I have to decide where to make my deposit…Virginia or Bowdoin. After visiting both campuses on admitted student days last week, I am now thoroughly convinced that Bowdoin offers the better undergraduate experience:
Better, healthier food than UVa
More of a community feeling than the rather cliquish and much larger, more impersonal UVa feel
Nicer dorms
Awesome, friendly, knowledgable, accessible professors and a wide range of neat classes (sat in on International Political Economy and boy was it fantastic)</p>
<p>But I am still worried about the practicality of it all. Bowdoin IS at least 10k more per year than UVa OOS. And even more worrisome, I get the feeling that Bowdoin students (committed as they are to learning) aren’t overwhelmingly interested in making $$$$ after school…and thus the career options suffer. I love learning, but I would like to earn a good living after college to pay my own way through grad school.</p>
<p>If someone can truly convince me that going Bowdoin is not just enjoyable but also economical, it would make this decision much easier for me.</p>
<p>I didn’t go to Bowdoin, but the people I know who did go are successful professionals and some of them are very wealthy; I think you will get a fine foundation at Bowdoin to do whatever you want to do next.</p>
<p>First of all, did you go to the open house on April 17th? Cause I went to the international political economy class too; I was sat on the leftish side.</p>
<p>You can see that Bowdoin is near to the top of that list. </p>
<p>Now, the biggest practical decision isn’t found in numbers or facts. Instead, that decision is, which school would you rather spend the next four years of your life at? Cause it doesn’t matter how much money (or how little it costs) if you dislike being there, in comparison to another school. If you can answer that question, then that’s the path I think you should go.</p>
<p>to the OP, i appreciate your point of view. money is important. . .so is wealth. . .these are not the same. . .nor are they mutually exclusive. best wishes as you choose between two great schools.</p>
<p>Nope. I was there on the 20th. The professor was a hoot and the lecture (on different models countries tend to follow for growth, such as industrial exporting and cash crop production) was fascinating.</p>
<p>I understand that money isn’t everything…which is why if I was at least convinced Bowdoin and UVa are in the same ballpark I would commit to Bowdoin.</p>
<p>But my parents are particularly apprehensive after sitting in on the career planning info session at Bowdoin. Apparently one senior who spoke was currently planning on working behind the counter of an ice cream parlor. That scared me a little, too.</p>
<p>Heyyyy, what was your name? I’m Brian. The guy that answered that question about Jared Diamond’s second proposition (involving N-S vs. E-W geographic advantage).</p>
<p>I think that a lot of the students at Bowdoin are just natural humanitarians…it goes with the “common good” thing … so many ppl choose to do things like social work, non-profit organization work, and the like after graduating</p>
<p>But there are also people who decide to become doctors or lawyers or go into business… and they are very successful. Bowdoin will definitely launch you into any go grad school you want. </p>
<p>look up Forbes’ magazine’s list of billionaires, and you’ll find a few Bowdoin alums on there</p>
<p>By the way, I’m going to the open house on the 24th!</p>
<p>one more thing: I think that “practicality” is something you have to consider not just in terms of Bowdoin, but in terms of a “liberal arts education.” A liberal arts degree today can either be a sentence of poverty or a great base of fundamentals which can take you anywhere (okay that sounds weird but you know what I mean, I hope)</p>
<p>This is something my Dad brings up a lot - and it’s why he’s definitely not going to let me major in philosophy or english.</p>
<p>2-iron - My husband and I were in the same career session on the 20th. I am afraid that you misunderstood the senior who spoke. What she said is that up until this past summer, the summer before her senior year, she did “typical summer jobs like scoop ice cream”. But then she stated that last summer she was on campus doing research to begin what I believe was her honors thesis research (which is typically begun the summer before senior year). Then she is doing research again this next year or two (I don’t recall where) before planning on medical school. </p>
<p>I only remember this one in detail because she was a chemistry major and the representative for the hard sciences. D is planning on Bio/Neuro and chemistry was the closest thing.</p>
<p>2-Iron - There are tons of fabulously wealthy Bowdoin alums - If you want to go into the money-making world, I’m pretty sure that Bowdoin is as good a place as any other in terms of networking and grad school opportunities. On the other hand, if you want to do something less materialistic after graduation, you can go in that direction too.</p>
<p>Gotcha. Given the thread, I thought that you had been on campus and had been one of the many people with whom my husband, daughter or I may have spoken.</p>
<p>D is having a very difficult time. Yesterday was a very positive experience from the welcoming remarks to the closing Ice Cream social. She spent in depth time with a neuroscience professor and both the Dean of Admissions and Bowdoin’s President spent significant time with her discussing how she and Bowdoin were well matched. As for Harvard, it is a concept that is hard to turn down. Of course she has yet to have gotten to attend Harvard’s admitted student event which is this weekend. Presumably it will help her to decide which of the two schools are right for her.</p>