I’m calling upon current Bowdoin students, Bowdoin alum, or simply people who know a lot about Bowdoin! I’m pretty sure I am applying, but I’m just curious to see what people have to say about Bowdoin regarding its uniqueness. Is there anything at Bowdoin that you don’t think students would get other places? What separates it? Especially from other LACs such as Middlebury and Williams.
I know location is different, but any super cool traditions or teaching styles?
How does Midd resemble a farm? The area perhaps. The college not remotely…
I don’t think there are any true things that make the Northeast top LAC’s truly unique. They all have their stories and unique campus criteria, but overall there is much more in common than not.
In terms of Bowdoin vs. Midd specifically, Bowdoin is 25% smaller population-wise, it’s in a less remote location, it doesn’t get as quite as cold as Midd in the winter. Midd has a one month, one class J-term in January while Bowdoin has a 5 week break between semesters that you can use to do recharge or do internships, trips, whatever. Bowdoin owns an island, Midd owns a ski resort. Midd had a protest that turned violent when a conservative speaker came to campus last year, Bowdoin had a club host Dinesh DeSouza (right wing fake news filmmaker) and other than some peaceful protesters who didn’t disrupt the event it went off with no drama despite the vast majority of the students being liberal-leaning. Midd’s campus is more spread out (not counting the distance to Bowdoin’s field house which is a few blocks from the main campus). I’m sure others could come up with more. But again both similar and both great.
One could write a book about what makes Bowdoin unique, but let me list a few things that stand out to me. First, Bowdoin has a really amazing history. The school is the alma mater of Longfellow and Hawthorne (the Scarlett Letter), both of whom graduated in the class of 1825. It’s also the alma mater of Civil War hero Joshua Chamberlain, of Little Round Top fame. Many famous early explorers of the North Pole, including Admiral Peary, graduated from the school. Hence, the school mascot is the Polar Bear. More recently, Reed Hastings, CEO and Founder of Netflix graduated from the school. it’s hard to imagine a liberal arts college with a more distinguished list of alumni. Second, the school has a beautiful and historic quad. The buildings are of different architectural styles from different eras that is unlike any other quad I’ve very seen. The first building dates all the way back to the time when Maine was still part of Massachusetts. Third, the location of the school is excellent. It’s in a beautiful small city of about 20,000 people on the Maine coast with a charming downtown area full of restaurants, shops, museums etc. There is a train station right next to the school with trains to Boston three times per day and more often to Portland. The location and ease of access really distinguishes the school from many of it’s NESCAC peers, which are in more remote locations. The school’s endowment and curriculum cannot be beat, especially for an LAC. Finally, the students and faculty top notch and have been for a long time.
Bowdoin’s center for the Common Good is integral to the school and is all about being good citizens and trying to make the community and the world a better place for future generations
^ I always am still interested in hearing more information about the schools to which my son is applying, even though he has settled on his list already.
Learning more may help the applicant with a final decision if (s)he has the luxury of choice in April.
