<p>I have accepted an offer to Bowdoin College for Class of 2009 and waitlisted at Wesleyan. However, I think that there is a good chance that I may be able to get off the waitlist... so I'm really wondering what school is better?</p>
<p>I want a school with a lot of asians, virtually no preppies but no hippies either, good music program, beautiful campus, good location (close to city), good international reputation and national reputation. Also, I'm interested perhaps in pre-med, so a good reputation with graduate schools as well.</p>
<p>I feel like Bowdoin has a better reputation and overall better education but I'm think that I may be happier(?) at Wesleyan with the more diverse community, more music, more urban, etc.</p>
<p>I would go to Wesleyan personally, no offense or anything, I never heard of Bowdoin until a few months ago and I am someone who has quite a bit of knowledge w. colleges and I have read/done a lot of research on colleges. To be quite honest with you, most ppl have never heard of these liberal arts schools minus a few--Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore. Anyways, good luck, from what I know, it is a great school!</p>
<p>What you say you're looking for doesn't really describe either of these schools.
You want UCLA. I gather you're' not from california.
Both of these LACs will give you a great education and are equally prestigious. Go where you think you'll be happier.</p>
<p>I'd say that they have a roughly equal reputation, although Wes does make a name for itself as a whipping boy for the moral right (so possibly more well-known, but less well-thought-of?). I'd definitely go where you just feel the most comfortable. Remember, reputation doesn't dictate the quality of your life at a college. There a plenty of colleges out there with excellent reputations where people would have a horrible time because it wasnt "their place".</p>
<p>And, from first-hand experience coming from a school with a huge Asian population, there were a suprising number of Asians at Bowdoin, though I am almost positive Wes has more.</p>
<p>One of their admissions people called my college counselor recently and asked if I was still interested in being on their long-term waitlist... some others in my grade were also waitlisted and they did not receive this call.</p>
<p>I think I would feel more comfortable at Wesleyan in terms of the programs that I'm interested in and more diversity and location, but I heard it's very active... like lots of advocates for gay rights, etc.... very liberal. I don't know if I am that liberal enough.... dunno.</p>
<p>Wesleyan is pretty good-sized for an LAC and you should be able to find some like-minded peers. Bowdoin is no better academically and no more prestigious. </p>
<p>Bottom line. . .for your academic and career interests and goals, either would be fine. So I would go where you felt more comfortable socially.</p>
<p>I think the Asian/Asian-American population is fairly equal at both schools. Bowdoin may even have the slightly higher percentage while Wesleyan has the higher absolute number. Go where you think you'll feel the most comfortable; you'll get into med school from either place. Wesleyan is closer to certain urban centers (basically Hartford and New Haven) but, I don't think many people plan their weekends around them. Mainly, you should be aware that you're dealing with two schools with vastly different self-images: Bowdoin is the very picture of New England prudence and moderation while Wesleyan often sees itself as leading the pack in terms of social issues, innovation and research. Neither has a very high profile among average Americans; but, I am told by a graduating senior from one private school (who also was waitlisted), that among New Yorkers, Wesleyan is as hard to get into as Yale, Brown and Columbia. It really depends on how you see yourself.</p>
<p>Bowdoin and Wesleyan are both good. I don't know which school I would choose over the other. They are both top LACs, and you may love both places.</p>
<p>I adore Bowdoin, and would take it over Wesleyan any day. If you're planning to stay in the New England area after college, I think you'll find Bowdoin has the better reputation.</p>
<p>The hippie population per se is extremely small. But, you have to understand that nowadays that's a perjorative term that no one in their right mind identifies with. There are tree huggers, a large number of vegans, some animal rights advocates (very often they're the same people) and others who might be mistaken for hippies. But, I would say, there are just as many hipsters (people who basically laugh at everything hippies stand for) preppies, centrists, jocks and rockers (there are a surprising number of people at Wesleyan who are both jocks AND rockers.) It's hard to really categorize 2700 people, but, IMO the largest contingent probably fall into the category of nerd.</p>
<p>I want a school with a lot of asians, virtually no preppies but no hippies ?>either, good music program, beautiful campus, good location (close to city), >good international reputation and national reputation. Also, I'm interested >perhaps in pre-med, so a good reputation with graduate schools as well.</p>
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<p>You want the impossible. Wesleyan is less diverse than Bowdoin, has a prettier campus, situated in the middle of nowhere as Middletown. Bowdoin has about the same placement for pre-med than Wesleyan in CT. I'd give Bowdoin the edge because it is a more well-balanced school.</p>