I love Bowdoin, parents don't love price tag

<p>I just got accepted into Bowdoin with a reasonable grant but still, the price tag is so scary. I love Bowdoin, it’s been a top choice always, but I’m having a hard time convincing my parents that Bowdoin is worth that much money. </p>

<p>They have a problem with liberal arts schools in general. They know I love the personal attention and caring philosophy of LACs but they think it’s “unpractical” for a job later. </p>

<p>What are some points I can make about Bowdoin/ LACs in general to convince them of its practicality?</p>

<p>And they are not going to love the out of control drinking or the pain in the butt administation/bursar's office. </p>

<p>What else were you accepted at?</p>

<p>LACs give you the opportunity to take classes in every different field, and that will give you a much broader education for the future.</p>

<p>I love Bowdoin too, and consider yourself lucky. I have to pay for Bowdoin myself. With exactly zero dollars in financial aid. I really really love Bowdoin.</p>

<p>Maybe this will help: according to this 2008 article in Business Week, the median salary for a Bowdoin alum 10 years after graduation was $107,000. </p>

<p>Here's the liberal arts list:
Which</a> College Grads Earn the Most? - BusinessWeek</p>

<p>Here's the article with a link to all the categories (ivy leagues schools, lac, party schools state schools):
Which</a> College Grads Earn the Most? - BusinessWeek</p>

<p>Yay! I can eventually pay off my student loans!</p>

<p>I am just wondering.. for those people who have already gotten acceptance letters from Bowdoin either from ED or EW, how did your financial aid packet look like? Is it pretty generous or no? I know the tuition fees are quite pricey for many LACs. I got an early write for Bowdoin but my tax documents are not complete yet so the fin. aid office hasn't sent me anything.</p>

<p>Lacey -- let me walk you through my Early Write experience.</p>

<p>1.) Exterior -- A Driveway.</p>

<p>Icy. Steep. Mailbox in foreground. Jeep in background.
DAVE trots down. Whistles a bit. Opens mailbox. We see its contents from over DAVE's shoulder. He rifles through:</p>

<p>DAVE: Bills, ads . . . and . . . holy crap.</p>

<p>DAVE slams the mailbox and runs back up the driveway.</p>

<p>2.) Interior -- A Split-Level Home</p>

<p>Cozy but a bit messy. Stairs lead up from a cluttered entryway, which we can see from the living room.
DAVE bursts in and slams the door. He kicks off his shoes and runs up the stairs. Once he's in the living room he wrests a grey folder from its package. He opens it and begins to read.
We hear a voice -- that of the DEAN OF ADMISSIONS.</p>

<p>DEAN: You're in! etc. etc.</p>

<p>DAVE: Sick!</p>

<p>DAVE grabs another letter and begins to read. We hear the voice of the DIRECTOR OF STUDENT AID.</p>

<p>DIRECTOR: Based on a thorough analysis of your family's income and asset information, you do not demonstrate need for grant support directly from Bowdoin. etc. etc.</p>

<p>DAVE: (censored)!</p>

<p>DAVE does a sort of Angry Dance. Punches couch cushions and stamps a bit. Swears vigorously at regular intervals.</p>

<p>So there you have it. I've gotten an early admit from Bowdoin -- which from what I hear is no mean feat -- and I almost certainly cannot accept. I was so sure that we would get some decent aid . . . in fact, I can't help but wonder if we messed up the FAFSA or something. Is Bowdoin just stingy? Or am I just doomed as a middle-class applicant to the LACs?</p>

<p>AkDave: Thank you for sharing your experience. I don't know if Bowdoin's really stingy but from what I see on the discussion board nobody seems to be happy with their financial aid packet. Yes, they are happy that they got accepted but most of them are worried about money.</p>

<p>AkDave, I just got my letter today! The same thing totally happened to me. My family was pretty confused, because several online financial need calculators said we qualified for a reasonable amount. Maybe it's a Bowdoin thing? :/</p>

<p>Now I am worried. I really love Bowdoin but I cannot go there without generous aid.</p>

<p>Anybody on here unmatched QuestBridge Finalist who has gotten in ED or Early Write? Have you gotten decent financial aid through RD? (asks the Mom, filled with apprehension!) :)</p>

<p>Well, I did not apply to Bowdoin during the College match thing but I still applied through the RD using the QuestBridge application. I got early write but haven't heard from the Financial Office yet.</p>

<p>I'm in the same boat as you lacey, I'm supposed to get my fin. aid next week in the mail but I'm curious to see how generous Bowdoin is.</p>

<p>Looking at the posts from the CC applicants, the aid doesn't seem so good though :<</p>

<p>I don't know, because I heard the aid for Colby was really bad, and they ended up giving me a full ride because of my need. I was hoping for the same from Bowdoin...</p>

<p>When I was accepted at Bowdoin I was thrilled, as it was my first choice school but the financial aid package was just too small. My parents weren't thrilled with my choice of Bowdoin in the first place and when they realized the college was holding my parent's retirement savings against them (as if it's reasonable to expect people in their 50's in this economy to empty out their savings...) things just got very tense around the house.</p>

<p>My best advice would be to do what I did, which was appeal the financial aid award. After some rather aggressive phone calls I was able to eek out an additionally seven grand. I've always had the impression the office was very rigid with their FA policies and bureaucratic (uncharacteristic for Bowdoin) and they seem to be getting only more tight fisted. Currently, the school will be adding ten people to each incoming class for the next four years (and something tells me all of those students will be paying sticker price...). If there's anything I can do to help, feel free to let me know!</p>

<p>govman: Thanks for the good information. But I have a question concerning the renewal of financial aid on your 2nd/3rd/4th year. I heard that some of the colleges decrease their aid packets significantly on the 2nd year. What about bowdoin? And also, how does federal work-study/student employment operate at bowdoin?</p>

<p>Hi laceyk: one of the questions I had after being given the revised aid package was if that would be the amount I would continue to get. The FA director, Steve Joyce, explained pretty clearly that once Bowdoin gives you a particular aid package, it commits to it for your entire time at Bowdoin and it won't change (unless of course there is a significant change in income). I haven't reapplied for FA yet so I have yet to see if my aid package will change but I plan on double checking once I get back on campus in a couple of days.
As for work study, Bowdoin doesn't have it since it only gives out grants (no loans are part of your FA package and the college considers work study as a type of loan). I do know that internally the college gets a certain amount of money from the government (if you attend) to pay you if you choose to work. That really has nothing to do with you and isn't anything you should be concerned about but I found it interesting.
As for student employment, the college encourages kids on FA to work but there is no requirement and I know kids on FA who don't (though I personally do). As a first year, you'll get an email over the summer asking you if you want to work and if you do the college has a service that will guarantee you a job once you get on campus. The only caveat is that you might not get a job you want as most people end up working in the dining halls. I work in Moulton as a student manager (9.25/hour) and its an awesome job so I wouldn't worry about being stuck with a job you absolutely can't do. Plus, if you do want to quit, you can and find another job on campus through Bowdoin's website. Hope this helps and I'm more than willing to answer any additional questions you guys have...</p>

<p>Thank you so much govman. Since you mentioned that you are working, do you get to decide how many hrs/wk you work? Is it hard to work and keep up your grades since you will have to give up your personal time somewhere either from your studying or sleeping time? </p>

<p>I got an early write from bowdoin about 3 days ago but I was also offered a full-ride to Wesleyan. The bowdoin finaid office hasn't notified me about how much aid I will receive. But from what I see on the forum, it does not seem generous at all. :< I guess I will have to wait and see.</p>