<p>ive been reading some past cc posts on bowdoins campus and how it can seem snobby and permeated by upperclass wasp types. does this hold true for the majority of students? when i first visited i felt like everyone was super friendly and open to meeting new people, but i’m starting to get scared! so would a middle class gal/guy feel comfortable at bowdoin? i come from a modest background (heck, i dont even know what patagonia is or whatever the brands mentioned on ************** were)</p>
<p>thanks ahead of time for any insight 
i just want to make sure i made the right choice… call it a need for reassurance</p>
<p>I think that you would run into this at almost any college you attend. There are always people who will try to act wealthier than they are as a way to boost their own self esteem. Surprisingly some of the wealthiest people will be the nicest, most down to earth people you will meet. In fact, you may not even peg them for being wealthy at all because the ones who can truly afford it are the least likely to dress in name brands and flaunt their wealth. My advice is just be yourself and don’t feel insecure and you will naturally be drawn to the people worth knowing.</p>
<p>hpgirl – Dramamama has good advice. S will be attending Bowdoin this fall and he’s certainly not snobby or upperclass and he wouldn’t have felt as comfortable there as he does if the student body in general came across that way. My impression is of an athletic, outdoorsy, tolerant and friendly group, willing to work hard at their studies. At any school that has a $50,000+/yr. cost of attendance, there’ll be a good many students from well-to-do families. But, as S has discovered at the private school he attends, that doesn’t make them snobs or elitists. Most have traveled a lot more than he has, so they’re more cosmopolitan, and I think that probably is true at Bowdoin, also. Bottom line: mutual interests - whether athletics, community service, music - draw kids together and differences in income levels don’t seem to matter much.</p>
<p>royal73 – I hope your son is looking forward to the fall. Congratulations. It’s a fantastic environment, filled with a great mix of students and a dedicated faculty and administration. My son has no money at all, and counts every penny. This has been a complete non-issue for him, in fact if he has any envy at all it’s that he wishes he had some of these other kids smarts! But really, it’s a tremendously supportive environment and i believe the idea of the ‘common good’ is alive there. . .though, clearly, each kid’s experience will be different and much of it depends on expectations. I can’t think of a better attribute for any 18 year old to have other than an open mind. Hopefully, at Bowdoin, you’ll be surprised to find preconceived ideas challenged;-)</p>
<p>thanks for much for your replies! it makes me feel a lot better about choosing bowdoin</p>