Middlebury vs. Bowdoin (specific questions)

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I know this comparison has been made countless times, but I have to choose between the two schools, and any opinions and personal insight would be appreciated.</p>

<p>I was all set to go to Middlebury, and I just got off the waitlist at Bowdoin, which was my tied first choice (with Middlebury). I'm now in love with Middlebury, and I doubt I would switch to Bowdoin, but I just wanted to know if, given my personal interests and goals, there are any reasons why I should consider it. I've done hours and hours of research on the two schools, so I guess I'm just looking for some opinions and personal insight.</p>

<p>I want to be pre-med, but my true interest is psychology, so I'll probably major neuroscience. Does either school have a more respected or superior neuroscience program? Will one or the other be better for medical school placement? I mean, all things equal, would a 3.80 neuroscience major from Middlebury do any better in medical school admissions than a 3.80 neuroscience major from Bowdoin, or vice versa?</p>

<p>One big reason I've come to have feelings for Middlebury over Bowdoin is the size--at first, I really liked Bowdoin's small size and thought it would be cool to have such a small, close community. After thinking about it for a while though, I feel like a student body that small could get kind of smothering after a few years. Midd's size seems small enough for that aspect of community and close-knit-ness, but large enough to be able to consistently meet new people. Does anyone have any affirmations or corrections of my interpretations of the sizes of the schools?</p>

<p>Lastly, and I know it's in bad taste to ask this, but does one have any more overall "prestige" or "reputation" than the other? I know that both are relatively unknown by laypeople, but is the name of either going to give you a step up in the real world? Or is one more well-known than the other? I would not make a decision based solely on this, but when it comes down to hairsplitting differences, I think it's fair to consider.</p>

2

<p>You can’t make a wrong decision. Both will get you where you want to go. </p>

<p>Can only speak to Bowdoin. D is on a pre-med/neuroscience track and has an amazing internship lined up for both this summer as well as next summer. She does not find the school size suffocating. And as a family we much prefer Bowdoin’s location/town. </p>

<p>Don’t compare rankings. It is more important to find out the med school acceptance rate of the student’s choice. Know that Bowdoin’s #s are astonishing. </p>

<p>Am sure that both have an excellent alumni network, but we have seen Bowdoin’s in action and it is impressive. </p>

<p>In my opinion (only) I ave always thought of Midd as a language / artsy type school. </p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

3

<p>A 3.8 in neuroscience at either school will get you into any med school you want.</p>

4

<p>I can’t really speak for Bowdoin, but Middlebury’s focus doesn’t seem to be on the sciences.</p>

5

<p>For pre-med, you can do any major, as long as you also take the pre-med courses. Pre-meds are often looking for:</p>

<ul>
<li>Lower net cost – don’t want to drag a lot of debt through medical school, which usually adds a lot more debt.</li>
<li>Pre-med courses which prepare you well for the MCAT.</li>
<li>More grade inflation. [National</a> Trends in Grade Inflation, American Colleges and Universities](<a href=“http://www.gradeinflation.com/]National”>http://www.gradeinflation.com/) suggests that both have similar average GPAs, but the latest data is from 2004. With similar average GPAs, perhaps the one that is less selective may be a bit easier to get a higher GPA at. However, grade inflation or lack thereof may vary by department within a college, so overall college GPAs may not tell the whole story.</li>
<li>Availability of pre-med extracurriculars (shadowing, volunteering in medical contexts).</li>
</ul>