<p>In order of prestige only, how are these three schools ranked?</p>
<p>I've always considered Colby and Bates to be about synonymous and Bowdoin to be the higher of the three.</p>
<p>One's a cheese, one's a technical institute, and one's a cut of beef. 99% of the population has never heard of any one of them. For those who think prestige, none of them will make anyone break a sweat.</p>
<p>All fine schools!</p>
<p>Quote: "99% of the population has never heard of any one of them."</p>
<p>That is definitely not true if you live in New England! All 3 are considered as good as any LAC in the country around these here parts....</p>
<p>NOT saying one is better than the others, but Bowdoin has a heritage of producing national leaders. So, from a prestige standpoint alone, I would say probably Bowdoin.</p>
<p>I doubt that most New Englanders have heard of them either. Eliminate most non-college graduates who aren't from Maine (Maine's population being so small, it hardly matters anyway.) And most of the community college population. And most of the non-white population. </p>
<p>They ARE very, very fine schools. But don't kid yourself about how well known they are. And outside of New England, once you get away from a tiny well-educated part of the population, most have never heard of Brown or Dartmouth either. In 20 years in the Pacific Northwest, I have never even once met an employer (and all these employers were looking at applicants with graduate degrees) who had ever heard of Williams, my alma mater. </p>
<p>If I took 500 folks off the street in my state capital of a town, I think 495 or more would identify the three names as I did above. As to ranking them for prestige, Bowdoin of Boeuf would clearly take the cake. (If you want prestige here, try Brigham Young.)</p>
<p>Bowdoin is the one you could truely call prestige. IT ranks up with AWS, Pomona, and Wellesley as one of the best liberal arts schools in the country.</p>
<p>Bates would follow as another respectable and good school, not onethat rivals Bowdoin, moreso feeds off of, but is still an excellent school.</p>
<p>Colby is the little one, decent school, but prestige is not a word I'd put next to it, it's a slow up-and-coming.</p>
<p>In fact, come to think of it, MOST people have not really heard of most of the LAC's ! (except on cc) :) :)</p>
<p>mini is correct....here in the deep south these schools are an unknown.....suspect it is the same elsewhere.</p>
<p>In the south, I would guess the equivalent prestige-wise would be Berry College, except I think Berry's endowment is larger than any of the other three. (I expect the education at the cheese, tech, and boeuf schools is better, but that might just be my northerner's prejudice coming through.)</p>
<p>I'd say prestige-wise, Bowdoin is most comparable to Davidson in the south. Come to think of it, in the south, what prestige LACs are there besides Davidson and W&L?</p>
<p>Based on the thread title, I thought this was a baby announcement. :)</p>
<p>I worked with a Williams alum in Seattle. I had a friend for life when I told him what a great school it was. It's true few educated folks in the West know of many east coast lac's.</p>
<p>In terms of prestige, it doesn't really matter much which schools "most people" have or haven't heard of - unless you're trying to impress the unwashed masses. Much more telling is whether a school is considered "prestigious" by the elite (educational, financial, social, etc.). Amongst the elite of the northeast corridor (Washington to Boston), Bowdoin would be considered a prestigious college (perhaps just a notch behind HYP & AWS). Bates & Colby (in that order) would be just a small step behind Bowdoin. In the NE prep school world, getting into Bowdoin is considered quite an accomplishment.</p>
<p>Bowdoin is probably the most "prestigious." However, they are all 3 good schools.</p>
<p>If by prestigious you mean "well known by the masses", then here's a clue: if the college is not mentioned in the first two minutes on the Prudential College Football report, then it's not prestigious.</p>
<p>If by prestigious you mean "highly regarded by the academic elite", then Bowdoin followed by Bates and Colby will be recognized.</p>
<p>Many people are barely aware of LACs in their own states. Possibly due to smaller number of students/alumni, possibly due to lack of high profile sports. Those who choose to attend LACs should expect to encounter a certain number of blank stares or misunderstandings when you tell them where you attended.</p>
<p>Davidson and W&L the best known....solid schools would include Rhodes, Sewanee, Furman...</p>
<p>Bowdoin is a notch above Bates and Colby. But agree with some that due to very small enrollments and low-Div3 sports profiles not well known outside of NE-NY area. More people across the country could identify Davidson, Holy Cross, and Bucknell due to higher profile NCAA basketball and football profile.</p>
<p>If you are looking for prestigious LACS, why not consider Wellesley (if you are XX)?</p>
<p>AWS are not well known... even among many people in the northeast.</p>
<p>Heck. You could drive to Pittsfield (15 miles from Williamstown), and mention that you're a Williams student and get blank stares.</p>
<p>Amherst.. You mean UMASS amherst?</p>
<p>Bates, Bowdoin and Colby? Forget it. They're fine schools but certainly even less well-known than the unknown AWS trio.</p>
<p>If you want prestige, you'd be better off attending your flagship state university.</p>
<p>Mini: The Pacific Northwest doesn't even recognize its own LACs... </p>
<p>Person: Oh! Where are you going to school?</p>
<p>Me: Reed College.</p>
<p>Person: What college?</p>
<p>Me: Reed College... R-E-E-D.</p>
<p>Person: Oh. <em>looks off the other direction</em></p>
<p>Me: Its a small liberal arts school in Portland.</p>
<p>Person: Oh... <em>looks at me suspiciously</em> Why aren't you going to the East Coast? You have the grades.</p>
<p>Me: <em>sighs</em></p>
<p>thread hacker...(sigh)</p>