<p>Hi guys, </p>
<p>So Ive toured and interviewed at Bowdoin, but I still don’t have THAT much of a sense
of what Bowdoin is exactly like… What is the general atmosphere there? Is it really competitive? What are classes like? Is it bad that its based in a small town, or are a lot of things generally happening on campus? ect… Anything would help :)</p>
<p>I wonder how strong the prep contingent / feel is? We visited in summer and tour guide was super prepster but student interviewer was not.</p>
<p>Don’t just tour, visit overnight. That’s what I did. I didn’t even do a tour, I just went straight for an overnight. Then you can really feel the whole vibe. Though not entirely accurate, it still gives you a better gauge than just a tour.</p>
<p>I hadd soo much funn, like a lot. The classes that I visited were not competitive at all. Like everyone just genuinely likes everyone.</p>
<p>But then again, only you know what you want. So regardless of what other people say, it still how you feel. So, I suggest you go not just to visit but to stay.</p>
<p>Bowdoin-more preppy, went co-ed in the 70s, very old New England upper class…Brunswick is a very nice small town in coastal Maine…Bates-originally founded by Baptist abolitionists, so always integrated and always coed-very liberal socially…Lewiston is a gritty, ex-manufacturing town…</p>
<p>So, this is a pretty dumb question, but what exactly does preppy mean? In Bowdoin’s case does it just refer to wearing lots of J Crew, or is it more of an attitude thing? I always though preppy implied sort of an uptight, type-A attitude… is that the case at Bowdoin?</p>
<p>again, sorry if that sounds dumb. i’m from Southern California, and we don’t really have a lot of preps down here :P</p>
<p>^
runnergirl, I think you came pretty close already. Of course, a social/cultural definition is always a matter of opinion. My def of “preppie”: upper-class label (clothes, cars, hangouts, New England private schools) conscious. Can also apply to preferred types of recreation, places to live, the whole cultural milieu. You see exaggerated forms in Hollywood movie stereotypes (Legally Blonde). But you find preppie types in every part of the country, including Southern California. What was “The O.C.” about? “90210?” Again, those are fictional stereotypes but the shows wouldn’t have been popular if they didn’t contain an element of truth.</p>
<p>Of course, nothing I just wrote necessarily applies to Bowdoin. But I’m sure you’ll find some preppies at every elite, expensive private college or university, no matter how liberal or conservative. It’s impossible not to at a highly selective, New England-based LAC. You’ll also find some grunge types, children of ex-70s hippies, grandchildren of former Civil Rights marchers, white kids from former steel towns or farms or inner city projects who are the first ever in their families to go to college. In other words, you will hopefully find a lot of different kinds of people. So I wouldn’t worry about the preppies. I’m sure you can ignore them, if that’s a problem. :)</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Tea Partay](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTU2He2BIc0]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTU2He2BIc0)</p>
<p>“I always though preppy implied sort of an uptight, type-A attitude… is that the case at Bowdoin?”</p>
<p>No, this is not the case at Bowdoin. It’s a laid back, non-competitive, environment. There are ‘types’ from all sorts of backgrounds but what seems to bind them together is they are smart and take initiative towards their education, both inside and outside the classroom.</p>
<p>Thanks Plainsman and morandi. I get such a good vibe from Bowdoin, and everybody on the boards keeps saying how diverse, friendly, and collaborative it is, so I guess I should just relax! </p>
<p>And Plainsman, I didn’t mean to generalize, there definitely are some preps in SoCal. At my high school though, we tend more towards the skater/surfer types.</p>
<p>And playa678- that video was sooo funny!</p>
<p>Agreed, the video was hilarious. Of my son’s three roommates from freshman year, only one could be remotely connected to that group, the other two, not even close, but each different from the other. All three were nice and remain close friends. Son is now a junior and his social circle keeps expanding each year as his academic and recreational interests grow. There are even a few from SoCal along with almost every other region of the country. Don’t be swayed by labels. When one hears of everyone wearing North Face or some other such manufacturer it’s more b/c those clothes are very practical for the climate and found very cheaply in the various outlets. It has to be one of the friendliest campus cultures in the country. Good luck!</p>
<p>like runnergirl, i too struggled with the definition of preppy, mainly because i come from the other side of the world. then i saw that tea party video… and realised… i am one of them…</p>
<p>the tea partay video does NOT describe everyone at bowdoin, it uses extreme exaggeration (which I’m sure you all know since) to portray the somewhat exclusive new england “prep style”. which is definitely prevalent at bowdoin as it would be at any good school that’s hard to get into.</p>
<p>runnergirl: when i read the first part of the first sentence i thought you were calling my question dumb haha, but then i read on 
yeah my tourguide was pretty preppy too, but Im really not at all, so hopefully it wouldnt be too bad.</p>
<p>oh no! haha i’m glad you read on!</p>
<p>yeah i’m not really either. hopefully Bowdoin wouldn’t be too much a culture shock.</p>
<p>oh and good luck to you!!! i hope we all hear back soon…</p>
<p>I came to Bowdoin from Idaho and I was fine. There definitely is a very very preppy contingent at Bowdoin; however, it is not super overwhelming. I was expecting there to be more earthy/hippie types than there actually are. I mean there are lots of outdoorsy people just not as many as I expected. A lot of people are
Over time you will start to find people who are like yourself. After a semester and a half I have found lots of people who are similar to me. I am NOT preppy at all. And there are actually more people from the west coast than you would think. I have found a large portion of people who come from colorado west. People are there you just have to look for them.
Tea partay…HAHA…yeah that is a party theme here. not how people actually are. I mean there are people who are incredibly wealthy but they are not in your face about it all. Most people are just very quiet about money. not really ever a conversation topic. </p>
<p>Bowdoin is a lot more diverse than many people think. Out of the NESCAC schools I believe it is at the top ethnic diversity wise. </p>
<p>btw if you guys havent seen it…watch green tea partay (west coast version) its pretty funny
and Midd kid is another one that is pretty funny. and scarily representative of many different NESCAC schools.</p>
<p>Hey guys, check this out: [Real</a> Talk: Polar Bear style](<a href=“http://bowdoinchick13.blogspot.com/]Real”>http://bowdoinchick13.blogspot.com/)
It’s an honest account of some aspects of life at Bowdoin by a current first year.
Don’t let me discourage you from coming to Bowdoin though, coming here is the best decision I’ve ever made.</p>