<p>Well, I have to make a decision soon, and three colleges that stood out were Mac, Williams, and Bowdoin. I visited Macalester Thursday through today for their Spring/Multicultural Sampler and was quite impressed with the people and the college itself. The only downside was that the campus was a bit on the small side, in my opinion.
Can anyone give me some insight on the colleges?
1) The types of people?
2)The study abroad programs
3)One that can help to get into an Ivy for graduate school.
4)Majors in English, Biology, premed, Engineering(if offered)
Im kind of undecided on my major.
5)Anything else you can think of that can help me.</p>
<p>By the way, Macalester also offered me the worst financial aid out of the three. Without loans, I would have to pay around $5500 the first year. Bowdoin would be $900 and Williams around $1500.</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>Can anyone help me?</p>
<p>My kid was accepted at Macalester, too, but chickened out over the cold winters. That’s not much a factor for you if the other choices are Williams and Bowdoin.</p>
<p>I’m a little disappointed he did not at least go for a visit, because it sounds like a great place. Cool math department. True, it’s a little small. On the other hand, it’s just about the only top Liberal Arts College that is in a major metropolitan area. A good one, too. </p>
<p>The Wall Street Journal did a ranking of the “Top 50 Feeder Schools” for getting into elite business, medical, and law schools. Williams ranked #5, Bowdoin #19, Macalester #38. Hard to say if those rankings reflect quality of the school programs, or the quality of the students they are able to attract. Williams is more selective than Bowdoin; Bowdoin is more selective than Mac. But you knew that, right? </p>
<p>The WSJ article says Mac “pushes internships in health-care to help med-school prospects”. The Twin Cities location must be a big plus in that effort.</p>
<p>Have you visited the other 2 schools?</p>
<p>Out of the three, I think kids are happiest at Bowdoin.</p>
<p>We visited Mac and Williams 2 years ago, and then Bowdoin when our DS was accepted there (rejected at Williams, and he did not like the urban setting of Macmso did not apply there). He is at Bowdoin and from what I read of the boards and know of students, I’d concur that students seem to be happiest at Bowdoin. I sort of sense that Bowdoin gets a goodly number of the top-top students who just aren’t quite as concerned about prestige as those who end up at Williams or Ivies. Of course it’s all relative as far as prestige, but I conclude that from several conversations with his classmates. Macalester has nice Midwesterners (in the best sense), and Williams is a pretty special place. I think the urban setting, vs. the relative isolation of Williams, vs. the more low-profile aspect of Bowdoin, are among the things that distinguish these places. My son is Very happy at Bowdoin, and though it was not our choice for him, it’s clearly the right place. Good Luck!</p>
<p>Bowdoin is “known” to be heavily populated with Boston-area students but as he relates, the student body is really from all over the country, so I think it is very diverse. So many students said that it was the sort of place that they could just be exactly who they are. I think the “nonconformist” factor was slightly lower at Bowdoin, but in a good way–just a really nice student body. But Williams parents would say the same. Bowdoin is also supposed to, statistically and in its stated commitments, have a high proportion of URM students, though it never looks particularly that way when we are there. </p>
<p>The academic schedule of each place is also different–4-4-1 at Macalester? 4-1-4 at Williams, I think, and 2 semesters at Bowdoin, with LONG breaks (we’re paying for this?!).</p>
<p>Thank you radimom and north_face!
tk21769 - I actually won’t be able to visit the other two schools, which is a shame.
By the way, I’m from Los Angeles, and I’m kinda of used to the city. I wouldn’t mind a change of scenery, but would Williams and Bowdoin be too extreme?</p>
<p>Kirkman, congratulations on three good choices. All three have excellent academics and smart, happy and successful kids. Have you visited? My son is a graduate of Williams and has several friends at Bowdoin and Macalester. I’ve only seen Williams, but my understanding is that Macalester is urban and Bowdoin is in a small town. Williamstown is really a New England village. It appeals to people who want a insular community surrounded by profoundly beautiful nature. Some react positively, some do not.</p>
<p>EDIT: I saw your post #7 after I wrote the above. Try harder to visit. Williams’ environment is either a big plus or a big minus. Only you can say.</p>
<p>I can give my opinion on your questions as they relate to Williams.</p>
<p>1) The types of people?
Smart, active, multi-faceted, talented, extroverted, friendly
Williams has done well in attracting diversity within the constraints of a rural environment.</p>
<p>2)The study abroad programs
Well supported. Williams own program is at Oxford, but their approved list of programs covers the whole world. They also offer several short trips during Winter Study.</p>
<p>3)One that can help to get into an Ivy for graduate school.
No guarantee of course, but Williams kids do very well in that respect. The professors really get to know their students which is critical when recommendation time comes. Graduate and professional school admissions recognize Williams and there is a strong alumni network.</p>
<p>4)Majors in English, Biology, premed, Engineering(if offered) Im kind of undecided on my major.
No engineering. Excellent English and biology. Double majors in diverse subjects is common. It’s okay to be undecided: Williams encourages experimentation.</p>
<p>5)Anything else you can think of that can help me.
Try to visit. Follow your heart. You can’t go wrong here.</p>
<p>I think for Mac as a “feeder school” ranks lower because more of those kids might be looking at grad school in the midwest or west. Many midwesterners have a phobia for the east coast.</p>
<p>As for town size, have you ever been to Claremont? I’d guesstimate that Brunswick ME is about two thirds the size of Claremont village. As for Williamstown, take the two streets closest to Pomona and that may be generous.</p>
<p>^ Mac is just two semesters with a long winter break from just before Christmas to the very end of January. Most students are happy to be out of Minnesota in late December and January (and only about 20% are in-state), and the weather usually improves dramatically from that point on.</p>
<p>All three are great schools, Williams obviously the most selective of the three, Bowdoin not far behind, Mac somewhat less so (though still very selective), but it means Mac students are not terribly prestige-driven. Mac is also the most international of the three—12% of its students are internationals, compared to 6% at Williams and only 3% at Bowdoin. That in many ways is Mac’s distinguishing feature; it recruits very hard abroad, and strongly emphasizes its global role and global connections. They’re very proud that former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is a Mac alum, as he very much symbolizes the international reach and spirit of global public service the school sees as its defining mark. That matters to some people, not so much to others.</p>
<p>Yes, the town/city contexts are rather different. Williams really is in a quintessentially New England town, village really, and it IS small, as #9 above. It is also not really near any sort of metropolitan area (this has been said on other posts over time) and it is hard to get to–one person here on CC argues not so much, but most say it is hard to get to on any particular form of public transportation. Macalester–the Twin Cities clearly can be VERY cold, but also have some large immigrant populations, 30,000 Somali people I think, and longer term Laotian and Vietnamese, so that makes them interesting cities. You would find that more like LA, though with the midwest flavor. Brunswick, ME, is actually a town of 20,000 or so, 30 min. from Portland which people consider a neat interesting urban center. Brunswick also has a quintessential New England college town downtown right at the campus edge, and GORGEOUS Maine coastline 3-5 miles from campus (and Bowdoin owns some of it). One can get a public transp. bus right on campus to Portland, Boston (airports), and then connect to the “world” from there. So, as far as from LA, 45 minutes to Albany from Williams, then change planes, 30 minutes to Portland, then change planes again (I mean that to LA there are probably no direct flights to LA from either airport). Probably 20 minutes from Mac to MSP airport. All 3 can get snowed in over the winter breaks–that’s the breaks!</p>
<p>I’ve heard great stories from students at Bowdoin, about Texas and California students (and internationals) experiencing snow for the first time! It doesn’t seem to bother them,“Just layer up!” one panelist said. </p>
<p>College is a chance to experience a region and environment different from your own (and one you may never be able to afford as a grown up!–the Maine coastline) so good luck with your choice!</p>
<p>Thank you everyone!!
Can anyone answer one more question? Which college has the most diverse selection of majors? I mean, I think I’ll be changing my mind quite a few times on what my major will be, so if anyone can help me there, that’d be great!</p>
<p>Kirkman, it is a shame you cannot visit the other 2 schools.</p>
<p>You said,
</p>
<p>Without hearing more details, it’s hard to say you would not be at least as impressed at either of the other two. You may have simply discovered that you like the atmosphere of a good Liberal Arts College.</p>
<p>Or, were you impressed with characteristics that might be distinctive of Mac students?
Have you checked out the “Rankings and Lists” on Princeton Review? Mac ranks high for “Lots of Race/Class Interaction”, “Most Politically Active Students”, “Most Liberal Students”, “Least Religious Students”. Are those qualities attractive to you? Williams and Bowdoin do not show up among the top 20 on those lists.</p>
<p>Bowdoin and Williams hmm I would go to Willams.</p>
<p>tk21769 - Do you think it’s too late to ask them (Bowdoin & Williams) to buy me a plane ticket? I believe I need to warn them two weeks beforehand.
The main reason I can’t visit is because I cannot afford it.</p>
<p>you probably already saw this and it doesn’t help much, but here’s a start:</p>
<p>[College</a> Search - Williams College - Majors](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)</p>
<p>[College</a> Search - Bowdoin College - Majors](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)</p>
<p>[College</a> Search - Macalester College - Mac - Majors](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)</p>
<p>I think Bowdoin has the “most” majors.</p>
<p>Doesn’t hurt to ask about the plane ticket–esp. if Mac. flew you there. But do it gracefully, and probably don’t actually mention your other trip. You really should see all 3–the context could be a decider. But you have 3 great choices and can’t really go wrong.</p>
<p>My son at Bowdoin has a friend who said that she just was totally put off by the $$ floating around Williams–“They just tear down buildings and build new ones every 10 years or so,” but that could probably be perceived at all 3 of those places. And as you can hear, students seem to love Williams as well. I hope you have checked the school specific threads here on CC.</p>
<p>Williams is by far the most prestigious of the three. You would get an excellent and very personal education there. I’d say Williams!</p>
<p>I don’t know how accurate this is, but in terms of features that distinguish each college, I’d say that Williams has more of an emphasis on athletics, and is most selective/“prestigious”, Bowdoin is in Maine (duh) and has a “whiter” student body, for lack of a better term, and Macalester is most “quirky” and political and has a more urban campus.</p>
<p>Hope I don’t get any angry responses – they’re all great, relatively similar schools; these are just nuances for the purpose if distinguishing among them.</p>
<p>Also, Bowdoin is reported to have AMAZING food on campus. I don’t know if that is as important to you as it would be to me, though ;)</p>