Transfer FinAid Q's and Chance Me!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Bowdoin College
1

Hi!

I’m a freshman heterosexual white male currently in the honors program at a mid-size top 40 US News University, I’m double majoring in mathematics and physics on a half ride merit scholarship, and I’m attending with a Federal Pell grant (If that gives you an indication of my family’s financial situation).

I’m looking to transfer to Bowdoin in the Fall of 2017 and was primarily wondering what kind of financial aid I can expect to receive if I’m accepted. I know the website says that it’s quite competitive and, from what I can infer, extremely sparse. As my aid package is a determining factor of my ability to attend, I’m concerned about this.

If you’ve read this far in, thanks for sticking around! If you’re willing to chance me, my stats are below!

Numbers that define me to admissions committees:
UW HS GPA: 3.9, Weighted: 4.5 (Took Calc 3 and got an A senior year at a state university close to my high school, credit transferred to my current institution)
College GPA: 4.0 (Courses taken include Honors Linear Algebra, Real Analysis, Honors Gen. Phys II, 200 level Spanish, English 101, Intro to Microeconomics, 300 level Buddhism)
ACT Composite: 34 (35 English, 34 Math, 33 Reading, 35 Science)
AP’s: Calc BC (5), Chem (4), Phys C Mechanics (4), US History (4)

EC’s:

  • Co-director of local ACEing Autism Chapter
  • Volunteer for local Engineers Without Borders
  • Have a website that showcases donated digital design work
  • National Honor Society member in HS
  • Science and Engineering Honor Society, Society of Physics Students, Mathematics Club
  • Club tennis and ping pong here, varsity tennis and baseball in HS, team captain of tennis senior year
  • Interned as a software dev & or graphic designer at prestigious startups every summer of high school and will be working for Amazon AWS this summer in data analysis
  • One incredible rec (Prof. told me I was top 5% of students he had ever taught and the best of my current school), one good rec
  • Solid essays that show my personality and why my needs to transfer align with what Bowdoin offers. Sprinkled in mentions of my EC’s

I’m also applying to Amherst and Bates, so if you’re familiar with those schools I’d love a chance for them too!

Thanks!

2

I think you have good stats, but the problem with small LAC is that they have very few spots available to transfer students. I think all three schools accept less than 10 kids for transfer

3

Bowdoin and Bates accept around 5 students for transfer admissions and Amherst accepts around 30. Did you apply to any other schools?

4

I was perusing the interwebs today and found myself on this forum again – I figured I owed it to everyone who will see this post in the future to give an update on what happened with me. I ended up being waitlisted at Bowdoin, Bates, and Rice and denied by Amherst. I’m fairly confident that this result was at least partially due to my strong financial need (transfer admissions are usually need-aware), and have decided to attend my in-state institution for the remainder of undergrad in an effort to save money. Frankly, I was quite astounded to have even been placed on the waitlists at these schools, and I can rest easy knowing that a fellow Bowdoin waitlist that I got in touch with was admitted to Duke – not too bad for intellectual company!

Best of luck to all you future applicants!