<p>Could someone please tell me the academic strengths and the average vibe of Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby? I'm interested in foreign language (German and Russian) and other humanities, so which would be the best for that too? Thanks</p>
<p>I think Colby is good for language</p>
<p>All 3 are quite strong. </p>
<p>(biased Mainer 
)</p>
<p>I applied and was admitted to all three. I think that they all have very different student bodies - and that is just as important as the academics of a school. I loved Bowdoin from the beginning, and honestly, I just applied to Bates and Colby because I loved Bowdoin. I did not realize this until after I applied, so I would make sure that you would actually attend all three. They are very different.
All three are great schools, but “name wise,” (if that even matters to you) Bowdoin is the strongest. The academics, however, are some of the best in the country at all three. Bowdoin has a strong German department, with 5 faculty members (large for a LAC). Bates, however, has a single department for both your interests. [Bates</a> College | German and Russian Studies](<a href=“http://www.bates.edu/GRST.xml]Bates”>German & Russian Studies | Bates College) That could be a positive or a negative. Look at their websites - courses, faculty, etc. to get to know the department and the school.</p>
<p>Could someone explain the “differences” sara12 mentioned above?</p>