I have not been accepted to either school yet, but I’m being recruited by both for a sport and want to commit to one for ED2 (after which I will likely be accepted). I’m having a hard time because I’m pretty sure I want a small college (like Bowdoin) but am worried that it will feel isolated or boring after a while? I haven’t had a chance to visit Bowdoin, but I visited Emory and liked it a lot. Emory also has the better team for my sport, but this doesn’t matter to me too much. I also like Bowdoin being in the NESCAC and perhaps having more school spirit for sports (since it’s so small and social life is all on campus). I want to try to visit Bowdoin but they are on winter break now. I’m not sure what I want to study but I feel like Bowdoin has better academics (even if less name recognition)? I keep going back and forth between them so if anyone has any input I would really appreciate it!
These two are very different. One is a highly-rated research university in a huge Southern metro; the other is a highly-rated liberal arts college in rural New England. Assuming that you can afford either, you need to ask yourself whether you’d rather go to a liberal arts college or a major university.
I would absolutely not commit to Bowdoin for ED-II without visiting. You have to visit and get a feel for it. If you can’t visit Bowdoin, I would go with Emory or don’t apply ED-II to either.
@sadied89 If you are pre med or an English major, Emory has really good programs for both. Do you want to go to other college sports games? If so, Emory isn’t that far from Auburn, UGA, GTech, etc. I was in a similar situation as you - deciding between Emory and Middlebury - but I ultimately chose Emory because I liked the feel of a research university more and I wanted a change of scenery (I’m from the northeast). If you like dealing with the cold and a lot of snow, Bowdoin would probably be the way to go but you can’t really go wrong with either academically.
thanks everyone!
Students at Bowdoin tend to love the place and remain attached for decades as faithful alums. This does not, however, translate into school spirit for sports (with the exception of ice hockey). When close to half the school is on a team, few people are available /interested in being spectators. Your team will be a family to you, but your sport will pretty much be something you share only with them.
I agree that these two are radically different. It is also true that by the time most people graduate from a rural LAC, they are ready to move on (and in fact, many will have taken a break by studying abroad). But many also feel you have the rest of your life to live in a city, whereas the community of a college campus may be once in a lifetime. Then again, with a team as your tribe, you could have both tight community and a large school at Emory, which could be the best of both worlds.
If you can get the coach to support you RD, I would really try to visit first.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hamilton-college-is-easily-the-best_us_5707fb08e4b04bf520ff6efe
Bowdoin.
i haven’t asked yet but is it ever possible for coaches to support RD applications? i assumed i’d need to apply ED2 to bowdoin for support especially since i probably wouldn’t get in without a hook
Both are great options. I agree with @fivesages and wouldn’t commit to Bowdoin without visiting – our experience was that each LAC has a personality of “vibe” and that fit is very important. If you can’t visit Bowdoin and you know you like Emory I’d probably go with Emory. It is typical that athletes commit in the ED round if they want an admissions bump from a coach.
You would have to ask the coach whether you can get support in the RD round. It does happen!
But the reason they want you to ED is because it’s an assurance that if they use the clout they have, they’ll get you. With RD, all bets are off that way.
If you want to consider RD then you would need both coaches to agree to support you in that round or else you would be giving up your edge at Emory (a school you visited and like).
Emory coaches will support you RD but they do not have as much influence. My S is being recruited there. They provide a list to admissions but with each round (EDI, EDII, RD) their support is not as helpful.
thanks for the input!!
@sadie89 Emory has a smaller, liberal arts campus called Oxford College that has only around 500 students more class. Oxford College emphasizes small class sizes, student engagement in and out of the classroom, and leadership opportunities. Oxford has its own sports teams but fewer of them than Emory.
As far as the main Atlanta campus of Emory is concerned, there are lots of areas of academic strength including but not limited to creative writing, English, biology, chemistry, neurobiology, statistics (quantitative techniques and methods or QTM), independent studies and political science to name a few. Many majors have study abroad and/or research/independent study opportunities on campus.
Though not well advertised, a lot of Emory’s sports teams do well in Division III. The campus will never be confused with U of Michigan or U of Florida or Notre Dame for sports related school spirit, however.
Tremendously different campus environments as touched on here…be careful!!! Obviously, a visit is ideal; if not, keep posting here and, if not done already, on both the Bowdoin and Emory college specific threads…
thanks! i did post on the specific threads with no responses yet. i will try to visit and talk to students who go there from my high school, but honestly (without having seen it) i feel like i’d like bowdoin better. but i’ll see what happens.
@sadied89 ED2 doesn’t provide much of a bump at Emory and it seems as if you would have second thoughts if you applied ED2 there. Maybe it makes sense to wait on this and apply RD to both schools.
@sadied89, make sure you’ve gotten a pre-read completed and gotten coach’s confirming support thereafter at Bowdoin before going down ED II path.